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By Jack Krayenhoff
AT First Nazarene Church in Victoria, Dell Wergeland
runs the seniors program – and it is a good one. It is called SHARP,
an acronym which stands for something or other – but never mind: this
program is indeed sharp.
Your reporter went to one of the weekly luncheons one
time as the speaker. What he said in his speech he can’t remember,
but he vividly recalls the mood of the event.
 | Dell Wegeland |
“These people have so much fun,” he
thought. “If I could, I would sign up myself.”
He saw their active involvement in the proceedings, and
that made it much more than entertainment: they truly owned the thing.
Wergeland, at 53, has a prodigious energy – and
that is a big help. But even more striking is her feel for seniors: she
likes and enjoys them, and understands clearly what they want and need.
That attraction she feels – where does that come
from?
“Already when I was a child, seniors always took
an interest in me, told me stories, gave me lemonade and cookies.
I was uniquely blessed that way.”
And now – what is it about seniors that appeals
to her?
“They’re real. They’ve moved past the
recognition of the world. Their values are what they are.”
And what do seniors need, above all else?
“To be valued and loved. They need people who
think they’re worth something, who see they have something to offer,
that they are useful. Of course, usefulness changes as you get older;
[they’re] no longer carrying chairs, perhaps, but they can still
encourage. They need to be needed.”
And how does the program meet those needs?
“When they come in, we make sure they feel
we’re truly glad to see them. And we depend a lot on them for the
program itself – almost always, you can find something they have the
gifting, the ability and the energy to do.
“But don’t ask them for a year’s
commitment. Then the answer is automatically ‘no.’ They may be
pretty healthy now, but next year that may be different. Or when they get a
chance to go to Arizona for the winter, they want to be free to do that.
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“But most of them are willing to do a job for two
or three weeks. Then, if they don’t like it, they can still complete
it and end on a positive note. And if they do like it, they can do it again
– usually best on a rotation basis.”
Wergeland stresses that it is crucially important to
make time and a place for just visiting.
The lunch and speaker start at noon, but the doors open
at nine, and pretty soon people start coming in. There is always coffee,
and some people like to just chat. After a while they can join an exercise
class, or a discussion group or Bible study. Others like doing crafts, or
to play games.
“We always ask the people what they want to do
– different people like different things. We vary the
programs.”
BCCN asked what her
advice is to anybody who wants to do something for the seniors.
“Don’t just say, ‘We need to do
something for the seniors.’ Then they might as well go to a secular
program in the community. You need to pray, and the Lord has to put a
ministry on your heart. Then it will be truly effective.”
She adds: “Then you have to gather a team around
you, of people with the same heart and passion. If they don’t have it
– don’t bother. The bottom line of our program is: we want to
sit beside these people in heaven. We have had some wonderful conversions
of people in their 90s!”
October 2008
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