Hymns We Love launched

Hymns We Love, a gentle, accessible evangelistic series, developed for seniors by Steve and Pippa Cramer at Holy Trinity Claygate had a media launch recently.

In the same week, Pippa Cramer, Pastoral Care and Seniors Minister at Claygate introduced a special Sunday service broadcast on BBC Radio 4 which focussed on ‘Seniors ministry and hymns’.

“I am passionate about sharing the gospel and God’s amazing love with older people, as well as helping reduce loneliness or suffering resulting from bereavement,” says Pippa.

For 12 years Holy Trinity has had a thriving Pastoral Care and Seniors ministry, which centres around a weekly group called Connections. It focusses on loving and caring for older members of the community.

“Hymns can resonate and connect incredibly well with this older generation, even those with memory impairment,” she says. "Many older people have grown up singing hymns."

It was from these seeds that the new media version of the Hymns We Love is launched to a new, wider audience.

“My prayer is that this might be a catalyst for local churches and individuals, who have a heart for evangelism and seniors’ ministry, to reach out to older people local to them and share God’s love,” says Pippa.

This first series (others are in the pipeline) includes five main sections, three introductory sessions (including ones for Easter and Christmas), and two Leaders’ Training Guides.

Each session tells the story of the hymn writer, how the hymn came to be and the Christian message behind it. The videos were recorded in a picturesque English village church. They feature beautiful performances of the hymns, alongside testimonies and prayers. Hymns We Love is also available to use in print form. The talks can be adapted to suit many different settings, not just larger groups for seniors - including care homes, and individual one-to-one pastoral home visits.

Hymns We Love launches on 1st June and can be purchased at The Good Book Company’s website.