Feature

Valued Members of the Body of Christ

Around the United States, Lutheran pastors and laypeople walk alongside those who are shut in or homebound, helping to keep them connected to the congregation and to Christ.

Story by Brianna Dehn | Photography by Erik M. Lunsford | Fall 2025

Laughter filled the room while music blared from a small speaker. A resident of Good Shepherd Care Community in Concordia, Mo., stretched out her hand to show off her freshly painted nails, proud of her bold color choice. It was fairly simple to gather volunteers to provide manicures at Good Shepherd on the afternoon of Sunday, April 6, 2025, but from the smiles on the residents’ faces, it was clear every second was priceless to them.

Good Shepherd is a senior care facility that began from a ministry of nearby St. Paul’s Lutheran Church’s men’s club in the 1950s. The church and its school continue to hold events there throughout the year, said the Rev. Michael Pottschmidt, senior pastor of St. Paul’s.

The Rev. Michael Pottschmidt and daughter Evelyn watch as Allison Bredehoeft paints Susan Reeves’ nails during a “spa day” event at Good Shepherd Care Community, Concordia, Mo., on April 6, 2025.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Concordia, Mo.

“I think the [ministry here] is wonderful,” said Susan Reeves, a member at St. Paul’s and a resident of Good Shepherd. “It makes me feel very close to my church family … that they’re willing to go out of their way and do things for [other] people.”

Just months before Reeves entered Good Shepherd’s rehabilitation program, she was taking care of her father on hospice before he passed away in January 2025. Through the difficult times of preparing her father to go to his heavenly resting place with Jesus, there was one individual who stood out as a caretaker who went above and beyond.

“Allison is our little angel,” Reeves said. “She was very caring, and she brought God with her [in her work].”

Allison Bredehoeft is a member at St. Paul’s and a hospice worker. She became interested in caring for those going through their final days after helping with her own grandparents. “Ever since then, I’ve gone into geriatrics and have loved it because it’s a community that needs to be served,” she said.

When Bredehoeft cared for Reeves’ father, she would visit their home two to three times a week for hours at a time. “You get close to the family” in this line of work, Bredehoeft noted. “Not only are they my patient, most of the time they end up becoming like friends and family.”

On April 6, Bredehoeft and many others from St. Paul’s were able to spend some time with the residents of Good Shepherd and shine the light of Christ to those who can often feel left out of the community.

“Most of the time, [the residents] don’t even get to come outside of these walls,” said Bredehoeft. “So, if I can be the vessel to show them joy and light with God and give them love, then that’s what I want to do.”

‘The Lord Is with You, and So Are We’

In Shawnee, Kan., Hope Lutheran Church cares for its shut-ins through visitation, reminding them they are beloved children of God and valued members of the church. “[In the Body of Christ], if you can’t come to church, we’re not just going to be like, ‘Well, that part of the Body [of Christ] doesn’t work anymore.’ No, we’re going to take a special effort to reach out and make sure [the shut-ins] still feel that connection to Christ, our head,” said the Rev. Jacob Mueller, pastor of Hope.

The Rev. Jacob Mueller, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church and School in Shawnee, Kan., visits shut-in congregation member Michel Koester on April 16, 2025.

Congregation member Barbara Vaughan visits fellow member Leroy Heisterberg.

While Mueller makes special trips to visit all the shut-ins in his congregation and brings them Holy Communion at least once a month, he is not alone in caring for these homebound members. The church has a ministry called Compassion in Action (CIA) that arranges for members to visit those who can’t leave their home often due to age or disability.

“They need to know they’re not forgotten even though they can’t come to church anymore,” said Barbara Vaughan, a member of CIA at Hope. Vaughan says the best part of serving through CIA is “just seeing their faces and how excited they are [to see us].”

Mueller and members of CIA like Vaughan visited with shut-ins on Wednesday, April 16, during Holy Week, to deliver Easter lilies and tell them about current events and happenings in the church.

“I love it [when visitors come to see me],” said Leroy Heisterberg, a shut-in who received an Easter lily. “My door is always open to anybody and everybody, especially church members.”

As time progresses, elderly church members and shut-ins are getting more tech savvy. Some are now texting, watching their church service online or even participating in a Bible study via Zoom. While technology can be a great way to connect when it’s not possible to meet in person, nothing replaces face-to-face human contact or receiving the forgiveness of sins through Word and Sacrament.

“I am very lonesome [at my senior facility],” said Michel Koester, a shut-in who is a member of Hope. “I’m away from all the friends I ever had, and it’s very difficult some days. It’s so nice when someone comes to visit because it really lifts my spirits.” Koester moved from Texas to Kansas to be closer to family. While she stays in contact with her Texas friends and former Lutheran church by participating in a Zoom Bible study on Thursday nights, she deeply appreciates a visitor from the church.

“I [enjoy] the conversations we have,” said Koester about her visits with Mueller. “I’ve been a lifelong Missouri Synod Lutheran, but I still have questions. I am always interested in ways of deepening and enhancing my faith.”

When the shut-ins receive visitors, joy fills the room. A simple visit can make a big impact on someone who struggles with loneliness and isolation due to a lack of mobility. These members may not be able to make it to church as often they would like, but they are not forgotten by the church or by Christ.

“[The shut-ins] get lonely and wonder, ‘[Does the church] still care about me? Does God still care about me?’ … [It’s a] wonderful opportunity to remind people: ‘You matter to us. The Lord is with you, and so are we,” said Mueller.

Intergenerational Companionship

On Wednesday, May 21, preschoolers from Acorns and Oaks Christian Academy in Perry, Iowa, provided a brief concert for seniors at Perry Lutheran Homes’ Spring Valley campus. “Cause your friends are my friends, the more we get together the happier we’ll be!” the children sang. The words of this cute song ring true for this community.

LCMS Recognized Service Organization Perry Lutheran Homes is a Christ-centered retirement community that provides intergenerational interaction through its affiliation with the on-site Acorns and Oaks preschool and day care center. Children from the academy visit with the residents often, bringing benefit to both parties.

“When the kids come running in the room, [the seniors’] faces just light up,” said Mollie Clark, director of marketing for Perry Lutheran Homes. “In a senior care facility, you don’t typically see kids as much. … To [be able to] have the other generations is pretty impactful.”

Perry Lutheran Homes resident Ella Pennington hugs Kase Daniels from Acorns and Oaks Christian Academy as the children visit residents of the Spring Valley campus on May 21, 2025.

The Rev. Christopher Walters, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Ogden, Iowa, leads a worship service at the Spring Valley campus.

“The children then have tons of undivided attention from [the seniors,]” Clark continued. “[The children] learn about people of all ages and all abilities. … It’s such a huge benefit to them [to see that] … children of God come in all ages, shapes and forms.”

The children do a variety of activities with the seniors. As the seniors help the children with projects, these interactions give the seniors purpose as they share the Gospel and are reminded that they are loved.

“It’s great living here,” said Ella Pennington, a resident at the Spring Valley campus. “It’s nice to interact with the preschool children. I can share [my faith] with the little ones, and they absorb things.”

“The intergenerational aspect is so profound to see how much this program enriches the lives of our [seniors,]” said Paige Nagle, a registered nurse at Perry Lutheran Homes. Nagle is also the parent of a child who was formerly a student at Acorns and Oaks. “I got to experience firsthand what that experience was like on the other side of it. … Because working full time, you can’t always have those moments with your kids.”

Nagle also saw how this program reached out to families who were not Christian. “There were several [families] whose children were in the program who were not Christ followers, … and I found the children opened a window for the whole family.”

The children wrapped up their concert by singing “Jesus Loves Me,” reminding the seniors that the love of Christ will never perish or grow weak. Even as they age and their abilities change, a community of believers walks alongside them every step of the way.

Learn More

Anyone — layperson or church worker — can help care for a congregation’s homebound members. But for LCMS rostered workers who want to serve older adults in a more official capacity, LCMS Specialized Spiritual Care Ministry offers Lutheran Visitation Education. This program, which is recognized as a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)-equivalent course, equips church workers with enhanced skills for visitation, integrating helpful caring techniques with the historic Lutheran approach to spiritual care.

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Brianna Dehn

Former staff writer with LCMS Communications.