Introduction
Homebound members often feel isolated from everyone and everything, not just the Church. It’s the nature of having a medical condition that limits contact with the outside world. However, televised sermons provide churches fortunate enough to have this available with a means of connecting with those restricted to home. Consider adding something to each announcement concerning church-wide events about how to include those confined to home. Perhaps food deliveries or Christmas cards to them or at least dessert. Maybe children will make valentines for them or Christmas cards that will arrive just before Christmas Eve. Each week, the announcements include something about the homebound listeners. When discussing a picnic, address plans to include those who are homebound.
Feeling Connected
Even with a television ministry, it’s difficult for homebound members to feel connected to the Church. In most situations, when someone develops a condition that requires them to stay away from Church for an extended time, they receive lots of attention through cards, letters, phone calls, and visits. After several weeks, the attention begins to decrease unless something new or unexpected occurs. The decrease in attention doesn’t mean they love you any less; it means life has taken over their attention again and consumed their time. They still care and love you as much; however, they can’t put you first now, or they will get behind in life’s needs. It’s nothing personal, although it may feel that way.
Television ministry provides worship opportunities for people who feel uncomfortable being in crowds. However, a physical barrier prevents them and other members from being together. How can the Church overcome that and help them feel involved? How can you help someone feel “seen” when they aren’t?
Respect Your Audience
If you televise a church service, make your audience at home feel as unique as the ones in front of the pulpit. Test your transmission equipment before going live to ensure your signals are strong and clear. Once you go live, check the microphones in the booth to confirm they are mute and the stage is on. The last thing you want to happen is to transmit booth conversations rather than have your audience hear the stage. Having a local television to check and confirm what your audience sees wouldn’t be a bad idea. Seeing is believing. These suggestions come from experiences of watching church programs in silence for half a service (their issue, not ours) and listening to booth conversations for half a program before someone told them onsite that their mics were live).
Personalize the Church Website
Have a “members-only” section requiring a password to enter. All church members can have access and create a profile, including a picture with a short biography. Having a place for members to come to know “who’s who” within the Church helps with name and face recognition. Putting names and faces together for people restricted to home helps, especially because knowing a face and recognizing them by name feels like you know them and creates a sense of community.
Use the space to post announcements, the church directory, the weekly church bulletin, or anything else of interest. If appropriately managed, there are many ways to use it to bring members together and incorporate those at home. Posting the weekly Sunday bulletin there would help homebound members keep up with other Church members. Another method our Church uses is a member’s email distribution list for sending out important announcements. It is a good way for those rarely attending Church to put names on their faces. Recognizing members helps a person feel like they belong and are known.
Virtual Sunday School and Bible Study
Consider adding a virtual Sunday school class or Bible study option using Zoom, Google Meet, or similar apps where members can see and talk to one another. Members connect when they can make eye contact. Bonding through a small group also promotes a feeling of family and oneness. Homebound members cannot physically attend group meetings but often can attend virtually.
Church Pairs
Personal connections are one of the best ways to help people feel supported and a part of a group. Consider forming church pairings. The pairing would consist of one member who attends church service in person and a homebound member. The pair would meet often enough to create a relationship of mutual respect and regard for one another’s welfare. Within time, the hope is that respect will become a bond of friendship and support. In addition, the non-homebound member can serve as a liaison between the Church and the homebound member regarding services or assistance needed.
Work Groups
Many homebound families struggle to handle routine home and car maintenance chores. Leaving home creates a risk of infection or is a challenge due to needing a trained caregiver to provide coverage while away. Mowing grass, raking leaves, running errands, etc., requires the caregiver to be away from the one needing care and produces a safety risk. Therefore, these chores must go undone.
Many caregivers would gladly pay for help if they knew someone to ask. Teens, college students, and people between jobs need money and would love to help. The problem is how to get the two groups together. The Church could seriously help the homebound if they had a job coordinator role that matched the need for available resources.
A survey would go out asking for people interested in helping. The coordinator would keep the list. Those in need would call to ask for the need, and the coordinator would match the two. The money exchange would be between the two parties, not the Church.
Communion
Many religions have special observances. I am a Christian, and for us, it’s Communion. It’s a sacred and essential part of our faith. What better way to make a homebound member feel remembered and wanted as a part of your church family than to offer Communion?
If the Church did nothing else, I recommend they reach out to homebound members who are out for short or long-term reasons and ask if they want someone to bring them Communion. It’s a very loving and Christian way to show how much you love that brother or sister in Christ and how much they mean to the Church.
Some churches post a notice to members to contact xxx if they want Communion, but I feel that if the Church knows someone is ill, they should reach out to the one in need and offer the service. That person is not at Church to read what to do or who to call to receive Communion. They may not have anticipated becoming sick or injured. They also may not want to put anyone out. God’s people from the Church should care for their sick and wounded and offer Communion.
Conclusion
Lynn and I were faithful to our Church for the ten years he was immuno-compromised and unable to attend Church. During that time, we received Communion only 2-3 times. Initially, we heard regularly from members, but only our closest friends stayed in contact after the first two years. We received cards regularly from Sunday school classes, but I doubt that class members, as a group, thought about our circumstances when sending them.
During our absence, the Church updated the directory twice; however, no one thought to send us a copy until we requested one. We were not the only homebound members who did not receive a copy. It was an ” out of sight, out of mind.” They simply don’t think about those who are not there. The Church produced two new directories while we were homebound. We did not receive either until I asked for one. The same was always true for any new addition. I had to remind them we were still there even though we tithed faithfully every week, confirming we were still active members. Very few attended Lynn’s funeral from the Church, and when I returned to church services, most people there did not remember who I was.
Don’t think bad about our Church for these oversites. I expect most churches would have behaved the same way over ten years. Few churches keep up with those who remain at home. Most forget their homebound members because, after all, “out of sight, out of mind.” However, wouldn’t it be nice if that was not the case and we could keep our members a part of our Church? If you agree, maybe some of the suggestions above might help you be able to do that.
