What does that mean? Briefly, it means helping a person through the last days of his or her life. Through LIFT, Christians can ease some of that pressure. Watch a PowerPoint presentation and learn more.
What pressures are you talking about, and how does LIFT relieve them? Terminal illness affects not only the dying person, but also family members and friends, in many ways. The spouse or family member who is the primary caregiver can become overwhelmed by the difficulty of living with a patient who is increasingly debilitated and, possibly, uncommunicative. Social life evaporates as it becomes more difficult to leave the house or entertain friends. Finances can be a strain, too, and caring for the loved one may require a spouse or relative to quit or curtail work.
LIFT volunteers help by ministering to the terminally and chronically ill and their families in simple, creative, and practical ways. Among other things, a volunteer could:
- Run errands
- Walk the dog
- Help with housework
- Bake a cake
- Bring fresh flowers
- Read the Bible out loud
- Shovel snow
- Help with correspondence
- Do yard work
- Drive patient to the doctor's office
- Be a friend
- Listen
- Bring encouragement
Additionally, LIFT can be easily adapted to enrich other church programs already in place, such as visitation programs and ministries to shut-in members. LIFT can also become an outreach of your church into the community, serving non-churched terminally ill people and their families.
LIFT is administered by a Care Coordinator, who is responsible to the pastor and deacons. The start-up and maintenance costs associated with LIFT are well within the financial constraints of local churches.
Do I need to be a professional caregiver to be involved in LIFT? No. Trained volunteers work alongside medical professionals to ensure that all of the terminally ill person's needs are met:
- Physical (pain management, patient advocacy, etc.)
- Social (maintaining relationships)
- Spiritual (preparing for eternity)
- Emotional (averting depression, etc.).
What's the connection between LIFT and Baptists for Life? In keeping with its mission of addressing all issues that touch the sanctity of human life, BFL finds a program like LIFT necessary for equipping churches to face down the threats of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Baptists for Life works alongside local churches, providing comprehensive training for LIFT Coordinators and ongoing consultation once the program has begun.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
LIFT Caregiver Conference: Periodically, Baptists for Life hosts a LIFT Caregiver Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's for anyone involved in caring for those who are chronically or terminally ill and people with long-term disability. The LIFT Caregiver Conference is designed to help you fulfill your role as caregiver to the glory of God and in true service to others. For more information, contact Baptists for Life.
Blog: Baptists for Life has a blog called LIFT List dedicated to the concerns of caregivers and full of news and information relating to end-of-life issues, disability, grief, spiritual care, and more. Please visit and subscribe!
25 Observations on Growing Old: Pastor Chris Humburg of Altoona Regular Baptist Church in Altoona, Iowa, compiled a helpful list of observations on what it means to grow old in Christ.
PowerPoint: Promote LIFT in your church, or learn more about it, through the What is LIFT? PowerPoint presentation.
How may I learn more about LIFT? Contact Baptists for Life. Also, look over the LIFT FAQ page.
