Televised Sermons
Many churches already telecast their Sunday services using YouTube or other networks. Having a website for members with sermons is a great way to help those who can’t attend in person be able to worship. However, if you want to keep your members watching, may I suggest the following? Have someone watch the taping of the broadcast as you do it to ensure you can handle the technical difficulties. I watched programs without sound for 15 minutes because the microphones were off. Other times, I could hear the people in the sound booth talking about the next shots because they forgot to mute their microphones. When those events happen, the people at home feel the church doesn’t care whether they receive the feed. Keep the presentation for those at home as sharp and professional as those within the church walls.
Personalize the Church Website
Have a members-only section on your website where you post information that usually gets shared in bulletins and over coffee. For example, post each week sharing the announcements made during opening remarks at church or minutes from business meetings. Also, post the church directory, especially if it’s one with labeled pictures, that helps members learn to recognize one another. Most homebound members need access to this information and feel left out of what’s happening.
Virtual Sunday School and Bible Study
Consider adding a virtual Sunday school class and Bible study option using Zoom, Google Meet, or similar apps where members can see and talk to one another. Members must know other members to feel connected or part of the church family. The best way to do that is to participate in small group activities.
Church Advocacy Program
Form a group of advocates who will connect with your homebound people every week or two. All homebound families should be assigned an advocate. Large families or those with more than one sick or injured family member may need two if a single advocate feels overwhelmed with issues.
Select individuals for advocates who are comfortable dealing with emotions. An advocate’s role is to talk to the family members to hear how they feel about their situation, find out their immediate needs and fears, celebrate their triumphs and successes, and identify ways the church can serve. Advocates need training in communication, crisis management, and available resources. The local social services department is an excellent resource for that information. However, the advocate should only make promises about requests for help once they have gotten approval from the Advocacy Oversight Committee.
An Advocacy Oversight Committee should provide leadership to the group. Identify a method to raise money—an annual budget, fundraising, individual donations, etc. However, I recommend that if you make individual donations, the names of those receiving the donations be withheld to prevent favoritism among givers or receivers. The last thing you want is bad feelings if someone gets more or less than someone else with the same need.
The advocate will learn to read the nonverbal and verbal communication provided during their meeting and assess the urgency level if safety is a concern. For life-threatening concerns, calls go to a crisis line; for others, advocates should have a call tree in place for whom to contact for assistance.
Work Groups
Many homebound families struggle to handle routine home and car maintenance chores. They cannot leave home due to the risk of infection or inability to find care coverage. Mowing grass, raking leaves, running errands, etc., require the caregiver to be away from the one needing care.
However, many are willing to pay a small sum to complete the work. Often, teens, college students, and others struggling to make ends meet are willing to do odd jobs for extra money if they know who needs help. Create a job bank coordinator role that can match job needs to resources. When advocates discover a caregiver needs the grass mowed, call a mower on the list and arrange to meet that need. For those who cannot pay, a designated collection may occur to support them.
Communion
Whatever your faith, there are special observances. I am a Christian, and for us, it’s Communion. It’s sacred and an essential part of our faith. Church leaders should ensure that eligible homebound members receive or are allowed to participate in any sacred observance in some way.
Most homebound individuals do not want to burden others and will not ask someone to come; therefore, church leaders should arrange to bring it to them. I saw a note in a bulletin that if you wish to have Communion brought to you at home, call this number. I thought, “How sad to require the church member to ask the church to bring them Communion. You would think the church would offer that to them.”
Most homebound people probably don’t receive computer mail or feel comfortable asking. While Lynn was alive, we could not attend church in person for almost 14 years. Our church brought us Communion one time. Our church has many exemplary programs, but homebound outreach is not one of them.
