Many studies have been conducted on the positive impact music has on the elderly. It has been found that for older adults, music provides an outlet for creativity, socialisation and mental stimulation. Seniors who have Alzheimer’s Disease also benefit from music therapy.

Howard Wong, Manager, Pastoral Care, Counselling and Partnerships, at St Luke’s ElderCare explained: “Music is an impactful way to help seniors understand emotions of loneliness and anxiety, or the sense of loss of identity due to dementia – feelings that words alone may not fully describe.

“Christian songs or familiar songs can help the seniors, particularly in reaching their long-term memory that associates with familiar and happy memories. As a result, there is a decrease in their anxiety, loneliness and loss of identity.” 

St Luke’s runs 18 senior care and rehabilitation centres, and 12 active ageing centres, regularly working with partners like churches to run programmes for the elderly.

Singapore will be a super-aged society by 2026 – more than 1 in 5 people will be aged 65 and above. The government’s national population and talent division has projected that by 2030, that number will increase to 1 in 4, compared to 1 in 10 in 2010.

With this development looming on the horizon, the need for services to the elderly – physical as well as mental and emotional – is urgent. While Singapore’s Ministry of Health has set a goal for 220 eldercare centres by 2025, aiming to serve 80% of the total senior population, there needs also to be an exponential growth of support services such as music ministry to the elderly.

Reaching seniors through music and community

The Bible says that we are to be “all things to all men”, and that includes using music to reach seniors. Music has a hugely positive impact on the elderly, alleviating mental health challenges and reducing depression, and the community created through these activities can help combat loneliness.

In some churches, music is already being used as an outreach tool to bless the seniors.

Jolly Jammers, a church music ministry engaging seniors through sing-along sessions

Jolly Jammers is a music ministry started by church members of Emmanuel Assembly of God who love music from past eras and wanted to serve the elderly in their church by performing a medley of oldies hits and worship songs and getting them to sing along.

Jolly Jammers are members of Emmanuel AOG who love the oldies and enjoy performing them for seniors.

After a few years of serving their church, Jolly Jammers was presented the question: “Are we going to remain just a group singing within the church? Or should we take this beyond the four walls of our church?” 

Spurred by a growing desire to serve the community, Jolly Jammers ventured out into the public space, singing and ministering to the elderly at places such as Kampung Siglap Community of Hope, St Luke’s ElderCare centres and other places. 

At one such sing-along event, a staff member of the eldercare centre who had not been going to church for many years was deeply moved by Jolly Jammers’ love in serving the elderly.

As a result, he decided to join the band to serve alongside them, and began going to Emmanuel Assembly of God with the band members. Today, he is joyfully plugged into a loving cell group community and growing in the faith. 

Heart Drive: An inter-church music ministry serving the elderly through energising performances 

Another music ministry serving the elderly community is Heart Drive. Founded by Benny Lee from Evangel Baptist Church, Heart Drive is an inter-church music ministry made up of musicians from various churches. Since their inception in 2019, they have performed at many places, such as St Luke’s ElderCare Centres and Sengkang General Hospital.

Benny Lee of Evangel Baptist Church shared how the ministry he founded, HeartDrive uses sing-along sessions to reach out to seniors.

Before every performance, Heart Drive is intentional about praying together as a band on stage. Their desire is to show the audience that they are not just any band, but one that is dedicated to glorifying God. 

When performing for the elderly community, they sing a medley of nostalgic oldies – in different dialects and languages. At the end of each performance, they conclude with a worship song like “10,000 Reasons”, “Amazing Grace” or “Hold My Hand” (Hokkien).

Following the performance, a speaker shares an uplifting Gospel message to encourage the elderly.

The new landscape for evangelism

Jolly Jammers and Heart Drive shared about their ministries last October at a One for Jesus (OFJ) Pastors/leaders Learn and Share gathering. Music ministry has been identified as a key outreach tool to the seniors for the coming years.

Over 80 leaders from local churches gathered to discuss the evangelism landscape in Singapore, which is rapidly moving towards reaching out to the burgeoning numbers of seniors.

Leaders in the eldercare sector and church music ministries gathered to share and learn last October in the event held by One for Jesus.

Founder Jason Wong highlighted the ageing population as a key challenge and area of ministry. 

“Is the Church ready?” is the big question. As the population ages, so do the congregations. 

One big opportunity for outreach lies with Active Ageing Centres (AACs) located all across Singapore, which are open to citizens and permanent residents aged 60s and above, and offer free activities. 

According to the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC): “An Active Ageing Centre (AAC) is a drop-in social recreational centre that extends support to seniors living nearby in the community. It is a go-to point for seniors to have the opportunity to build strong social connections, take part in recreational activities, and contribute to the community as they wish.” 

There is great synergy and the potential for mutual benefit between the Church and these AACs. While these centres offer resources that seniors in the church need, such as information and referral to care services, churches are also able to support the activities run by the AACs, such as ukulele performances or Christmas parties. 

AACs are also able to equip churches with skills and resources to take care of their elderly congregants. Conversely, the churches can rope in volunteers from their congregations to support the seniors in the community at the AACs.

St Luke’s ElderCare regularly collaborates with music ministries across different churches to entertain and engage their elderly clients, particularly during occasions such as Chinese New Year.

Additionally, churches can also partner and learn from one another: The ones that already have ministries to the elderly can help enable the ones looking to build such ministries. 

The One for Jesus team spearheaded a meeting last August, enabling 30 Christian leaders in the elderly space to network and find ways to collaborate with one another and with AACs to meet the social, emotional and spiritual needs of the elderly.

How does serving the elderly benefit the church? 

In engaging with seniors through their favourite tunes, both Jolly Jammers and Heart Drive have discovered that seniors visibly light up and feel young and energetic again as they reminisce about their good old days. The community is strengthened as they create memorable and fun times singing along to their favourite songs. 

Jolly Jammers, a music ministry from Emmanuel Assembly of God demonstrated a oldies sing-along session with the OFJ gathering.

Rev Gabriel Liew from Living Hope Methodist Church said: “Our church’s partnership with St Luke’s ElderCare centres enables us to fulfil our mission to be a church for others: To minister to the lost, the least and the last.

“Every Tuesday, our church volunteers engage in activities with seniors, such as singing, art and craft, fitness, and more. We are thankful to serve the nation and this ageing population with the love of God, for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14b) 

Quoting Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he said: “The church is the church only when it exists for others.” 

Have a desire to serve the seniors in your community?

Do you have a desire to move beyond the four walls of your church to serve the ageing community? If you have a desire to start a music ministry or join an existing music ministry (or any ministry efforts) in reaching out to the elderly and/or you need support or resources to do so, please contact the One for Jesus team at [email protected].

If you are leading a ministry to seniors in your church, or wish to find out how to start such a ministry, One for Jesus welcomes you to join their newly formed OFJ@Seniors group so that you can learn and share best practices with each other. Reach out to the OFJ team at [email protected].

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