Nursing Home Church Initiative
Grant Amount Needed: $11,500
By supporting this project, you be helping launch the first one or two sacramental nursing home communities in Northern Virginia with a vision of up to 15. You will also be helping build a scaleable ministry model that can be replicated across the ACNA.Project Overview
Rev. Michael Niebauer’s vision is to start 15 new sacramental communities in nursing homes and assisted care facilities throughout the country. Millions of Americans live in these facilities, and around 7 out of every 10 Americans will spend at least a portion of their lives in a care facility. It is estimated that 60% of nursing home residents never receive a single visitor. Nursing homes are often the final residence for a large portion of Americans—21% of all deaths in America occur. While larger and denominationally affiliated facilities often employ chaplains to oversee spiritual care, an overwhelming number of smaller homes lack the financial resources to provide any Christian activities.
The goal of year one of this initiative (2023) is to start 1-2 new nursing home communities in Northern Virginia and develop a fourfold strategic plan, which includes advocacy, training, coaching, and resource-building, to start these congregations throughout the broader ACNA.
Project Impact
The M25i Grant and matching funds will enable Rev. Michael Niebauer to kickstart his fundraising efforts as it will allow him to present to donors the opportunity to have their donations matched 1:1. Rev. Niebauer plans to step back from conventional Sunday Parish ministry in order to focus on this new initiative, dedicating the majority of his vocational life to starting, and helping others start nursing home congregations. In making this transition, he will need to transition from a parish salary to being funded fully through fundraising and grants.
The goal of this initiative is to focus specifically on those facilities with little to no Christian presence. These facilities are oftentimes the most underfunded homes reaching the poor and destitute. These facilities are completely reliant on volunteers for all religious activities, and as such, many have no Christian activities available for residents. They are truly places where the pressing need of justice and mercy intersects with the pressing need for Gospel witness.
If Rev. Niebauer’s initiative is successful, residents will be able to hear the Gospel preached to them perhaps for the first time in decades. They will have a pastor hold their hand and pray over them. For many residents, he will be their first and only visitor outside their nursing home. Some will enter into a relationship with God months before they die. Others Rev. Niebauer will help prepare for death, comforting them through the Administration of the Sick.