Are there any Christian resources to use for an Alzheimer's bible study group?
I'm unaware of Bible study materials specifically written for Christians diagnosed with Alzheimer's who are looking for a support group. But resources do exist that can be effectively used to meet the needs of Christians facing terminals diseases like Alzheimer's.
One book is Prayers and Promises When Facing a Life-Threatening Illness (Zondervan 2007), written by former pastor Ed Dobson, who has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease. The book consists of short devotionals written in a practical, easily understood format and discusses the circumstances, emotions, fears, and challenges in facing a terminal illness. Material from the book is easily adaptable into discussions.
A second suggestion would be My Journey into Alzheimer's Disease (Tyndale 1989), by Robert Davis. Although this book was published a number of years ago, it is available on Amazon, and it offers the perspective of the former pastor of a large church in Miami who is living through Alzheimer's at the time he is writing the book. His practical, emotional, and spiritual insights are extremely valuable. Pastor Davis was already in the early to mid stages of Alzheimer's at the time he was writing the book, and his perspectives on the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of the disease will be especially meaningful for your participants.
I've also written a book titled Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Discovery House Publishers 2007) that shares my caregiving experiences with a mother with Alzheimer's in a short devotional format based on personal experiences. This book might also be useful, since the devotionals are short, easy to read, and are story-driven. Each devotional offers a Bible verse, prayer, discussion question, and journaling space.
It may also be helpful to get permission to make copies of individual pages from books and enlarge those pages for your participants. Studies show that those with Alzheimer's respond best to larger sans serif fonts printed on the right side of a white page.
check with your area churches and Christian bookstores for Bible Study guides ... you may also consider checking out the children's/young adult study guides as the disease progresses. you would want to tweak it a bit, so that it doesn't come across as childish, rather taking simple stories and gearing them for your Alzheimer's students. it will take some work!
keep asking around because someone will eventually get it and do something with it. put it out there for GOD to provide :)
Thank you for your helpful suggestions. I started a support group for people with dementia and the very first meeting is tomorrow. I may post some of the materials used for the benefit of similar faith based support groups. :)
I was looking for one, too, which is why I found your question. Here is a link to a series in the UK that I found. I'm thinking about ordering it; it sounds very interesting and appropriate. http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/Shop/BeingWithGod/114458.id
I just placed an order for the kind of resource that you are looking for. Go to bigcircumstance.com
Thank you Ken. Your information was very helpful!
Thank you all for sharing your hearts and being a blessing to one another. Have your heard from Focus on the Family? I am part of this organization and we have many resources available. You might find audio and written content on various family-related topics. Below you’ll find some website links on the subject of Alzheimer:
http://bit.ly/GTTeS8, http://bit.ly/GJCrBB, and http://bit.ly/GSWkD8. Hope this helps. God bless!
Hello 'Christinaraj', Thank you for submitting your question to our community! Thanks to everyone who's provided answers. Caring.com has online support groups that offer a space for caregivers of all walks of life to share their experiences, offer advice, vent and laugh with others facing the same challenges. You may see existing support groups here: www.caring.com/support-groups or you may start your own Christian centered Alzheimer's support group at the bottom of that page by clicking on "Start your Own".
Please don't hesitate to contact our team if we may assist you during this process. Best regards, Caring.com Community Team
Recommended for you
- If I'm the primary caregiver for my parent with cancer, should I join a caregivers' support group?
- Where can I find a support group for caregivers of people with non-Alzheimer's dementia?
- How can I find a Parkinson's support group?
- Sandwich Generation: Dispatches From the Front
- Memory Classes: They Only Work if You Really Want to Be There
- See all 23 questions about Spirituality
