We enjoyed another successful Inspirational Evening on March 6th with a good turn out and an interesting and thought-provoking subject ‘How can churches address dementia’? Francis Attwood gave an inspiring and challenging presentation on the place in church for people suffering from dementia and
how the church might respond.
There were some very positive messages mixed with a strong indication that many people are being let down and opportunities are being missed because the needs and value of people with dementia, and their carers and family, is not being properly understood. Frances demonstrated how churches can create a climate of uncertainty or fear causing these people to feel ‘sidelined’. She made recommendations for Christians and churches on how they might take up the challenge of reaching out to people with dementia and ensuring the church is inclusive for such people and also the wider church community of older people.
Frances has a natural and articulate style of presentation which is easy to listen to, but she does not pull her punches when highlighting the areas for improvement. In addition to an enjoyable evening, including some delicious refreshments, we were able to take away important messages for ourselves and our churches.
This was the second in our series of Inspirational Evenings and we all look forward to the next one!
