THOMASVILLE — A $5,000 grant from North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry (NCBAM) will help Liberty Baptist Association churches pilot a three-month test program to discern the needs of aging adults.
BCH photo Sandy Gregory, center left, presents a $5,000 check to Mike Ester, director of missions for Liberty Baptist Association. The money from North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry is to fund a pilot project for the association. |
The association, with offices in Thomasville, will work with NCBAM to implement “Pilot One,” which will “test the concept and goals of NCBAM before expanding the services across the state,” said NCBAM Director Sandy Gregory. “We are excited to partner with the Liberty Association and its churches. There are tremendous needs in our local aging population. This is a great place to begin.”
NCBAM is operated by Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina, which has statewide headquarters in Thomasville. NCBAM aids aging adults across the state to maintain their independence and a quality life.
The ministry focuses on providing information and referrals, on connecting the aging and their families with resources to meet needs, and on coordinating practical ministries. This includes aiding North Carolina Baptist churches and North Carolina Baptist associations.
Partnering with the Liberty Baptist Association and its churches for Pilot One marks NCBAM’s first efforts in working directly with an association. The participating churches are located in the Thomasville and Lexington area.
The goals of the pilot program are to create awareness for the needs of aging adults through local churches and civic organizations, identify beneficial resources, establish partnerships with existing services to the aging, and identify a number of aging adults to be a part of Pilot One.
“Working with NCBAM is a unique opportunity for us as North Carolina Baptists to help the aging in our state,” said Mike Ester, Liberty Baptist Association Director of Missions. “As our population grows older we need to be more effective in providing services as well as developing services we are not even aware of yet.”
“Once Pilot One is finished we should have strong measurable outcomes to help NCBAM determine the specific needs of our local aging adults and the ways we can best address those needs,” Gregory explained. “The results will certainly help us proceed in taking the next step to create a statewide network of outreach.”