Dementia-Friendly Church Training Session

Dementia-Friendly Church Training
Saturday 12th October 2024 – Pattingham Village Hall

Why?

We’ll focus together on dementia. There are lots of good reasons to come:

I’m affected by dementia.
We know people at church and in our community affected by dementia.
We want become more aware what it’s like for people living with dementia and how we can keep in step as patterns change.
We want our church, and groups we run in church, to be welcoming and inclusive to people living with dementia.
Dementia’s not talked about much in our church.
We’d like to know a bit more about dementia-friendly church.

None of us has to face dementia alone: we share resources, experience and encouragement across our Diocese-wide dementia-friendly churches network.

Where?

Pattingham Village Hall, High Street, Pattingham WV6 7BB

When?

Saturday 12 October 2024
Welcome and a cuppa from 1:30pm
for a prompt start at 2pm, finishing by 4:30pm

Who?

Anyone from local churches is welcome to come.
Why not bring two or three people from your church?
The session will be led by Sarah Thorpe,
Dementia-Friendly Church Enabler, Diocese of Lichfield

Booking?

For anyone from St Chad’s Pattingham please book your free place with Tracey Williams, Dementia Coordinator – or 07804 039330.

For anyone else, please book your free place by contacting Sarah Thorpe – or 0798 224 8949

TRYSULL DEANERY SYNOD
INTRODUCTION TO DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY CHURCHES TRAINING SESSION IN OCTOBER

Please share flyers for our churches

Where are you encountering dementia in your church/community? What are your experiences of dementia? Dementia is part of every community – and across all age groups 50% of people fear dementia more than any other health condition, according to a recent survey. So, as people of faith, believing that perfect love casts out fear, it’s important that we name and face dementia together.

Dementia affects many people. It brings very real challenges and changes over time. As dementia progresses, patterns of life change not just for the person with dementia but for those around them, their family and their church or community too. Many of us have direct experience of dementia ourselves, or with a partner or a parent, a friend or a neighbour.

Our Dementia-Friendly Churches Network supports churches in becoming more dementia-friendly churches at the heart of dementia-friendly communities.

In this Deanery, the Church at Perton and St Chad’s Pattingham are taking action on dementia are part of our Dementia-Friendly Church Network across the Diocese of Lichfield. More than 100 churches are involved – and we’ve got an autumn opportunity for churches in our Deanery to take next steps.

Sarah Thorpe, our Diocese of Lichfield Dementia-Friendly Church Enabler, is going to run a Dementia Introduction session for us at Pattingham Village Hall on Saturday 12 October at 1:30 for 2-4:30pm. Do come along – and encourage others from your church to do so. It’s an opportunity to:

Increase dementia awareness, so that we understand more about dementia and can stay in step as patterns change through advancing dementia; and
Work together in welcoming and understanding, respecting and supporting, listening to and learning from people affected by dementia, giving space for everyone to participate and contribute.

Dementia raises profound questions which go to the heart of our faith. Our experience, across our Network, is that as we stay in step together sharing more understanding more about dementia and listening to its impact, we go deeper in our spirituality and faith. This can help us to understand more of what it is to be human – and of where God is, as we live through the unchosen challenges of dementia.