Dementia and the Church

Mary McDaniel Cail calls upon extensive personal and professional experience to offer insight, context, and concrete guidance for congregations and leaders seeking to better serve the growing percentage of the population experiencing life with dementia. Churches have a vital role to play, Cail explains, in alleviating the social isolation and stress of dementia, and church members have much to learn from taking part in a dementia ministry. Cail pairs poignant stories with practical advice for developing a holistic "memory ministry." Dementia and the Church includes lesson plans, advice on programming, and a rich trove of resources in addition to pragmatic information about dementia. A gifted storyteller, Cail crafts her prose with care and intention. Readers will develop "informed compassion," learning how to accept, pray with, relieve, and comfort all who cope with these increasingly common challenges - including themselves. Visit Cail's website, www.allweatherfriend.org for a chapter-by-chapter list of hyperlinks used in chapters with dementia education activities and many additional resources.