Faith Connection an Important Part of Life at The Living Center

April 24, 2024

Connection to one’s faith is one of the most important factors in thriving mentally when challenging times come. For those who enter long-term care facilities, questions arise about whether they will be able to maintain the strong faith connection they may have enjoyed when attending church services through the earlier decades of their lives. For residents at The Living Center, participation in worship is not only possible, but most say it is one of the most enjoyable parts of their week.

Richard DeFord, board-certified chaplain at Fitzgibbon Hospital, began the Thursday morning worship service in the early weeks following the pandemic declaration in 2020. This was during a time when visitor restrictions had to be put into place to limit the exposure to residents. The weekly service has averaged 25 attendees since then and has had as many as 40 people in attendance. When DeFord has not been able to provide the weekly service because of illness or vacation, local pastor Wayne Doolin has jumped in to assist.

“We don’t miss coming to church. We are here every week. And I don’t mean to ‘butter his cracker,’ but Chaplain Richard has done a lot to teach us. It encourages us to come every week,” said Roy Overacre, resident at The Living Center. “We really like the music, and we have learned some new songs too. All the music goes right with the preaching which we haven’t always had before.”

Overacre, a former insurance agent in the Columbia area, lives with his wife, Joy at The Living Center. Joy was a high school and adult teacher in Columbia for nearly 30 years, with 13 of those years at the Career Center in Columbia. The couple have been married for 54 years.

“We have always gone to church. I am impressed by how much church we have here,” said wife Joy. “We feel like we are really a part of a church here. I really enjoy the music too. We know all the songs.”

When DeFord isn’t preaching through books of the Bible, he plays his 12-string acoustic guitar, featuring hymns and choruses the attendees know and love. Songs like “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” “How Great Thou Art” and other well-known hymns are part of the weekly worship experience. And DeFord doesn’t pull punches with his sermons, preaching full lessons just as he would in his own church on Sunday morning, with expository preaching through the books of Romans, Philippians, Ephesians and 1 Peter over the last four years.

“We feel like we have grown a lot in our faith since coming to The Living Center, and Chaplain Richard has done a lot to help that,” said Overacre. “Some people are surprised that our church service is on Thursday mornings, but that is our time. It is not strange to us at all. Today, we had a good message about the crucifixion and everything that happened. It was just so good, and it was made so clear to us.”

The weekly service is held in the cafeteria at 10:30 a.m. each Thursday morning and lasts 45 minutes to an hour. Chaplain DeFord stays in the cafeteria for several minutes afterwards to talk to residents if they would like to reflect on the message or have other concerns or struggles they are dealing with.

“The residents look forward to church on Thursdays,” said Julie Clemons, activities aide at The Living Center and one of the individuals who help residents get down to the cafeteria for service. “It gets them out of their units. They like to see the people. They enjoy the singing.”

If you would like more information for your loved one considering life at The Living Center or would like to take a tour of the facility, call (660) 886-9676. The Living Center is connected via a hallway to Fitzgibbon Hospital. The close connection aids in the safety and ongoing care of its residents.