Anna Chaplaincy to Older People began in 2010 with a vision to treat older people as fully spirtual people under God. The name is based on Anna the widow in Luke who was a faithful older person and one of the first to recognise Jesus as the Messiah, and bear witness to the fulfilment of God’s promises.
The name Anna reinforces that much of the work is with people who have suffered loss and bereavement. It is also a hope-filled ministry which acknowledges that older people have wisdom to share with younger generations and life lessons to give. Much of the work is about creating opportunities and forging partnerships. Within the Emmanuel Group this is done by Debbie establishing relationships with older people on a 1 -1 basis, and enabling them to feel a part of the wider church communities. One of the key principles of an Anna Chaplain is to be an advocate and a champion of older people in the wider community. If you would like more details of how Debbie may be able to help you or someone you know, please contact the church office and she will respond to you as soon as possible. As a rule of thumb, an older person is someone over 70.
