In Singapore today, dementia is quietly becoming a reality for many families. According to the 2023 Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health, one in 11 people aged 60 and above in Singapore lives with dementia.1 This means that in every congregation, there are likely individuals and families walking this journey—yet many are no longer present in our pews. Not because they no longer need the Church, but because the Church has not yet re-membered them when their memory fades.
Some of these “forgotten sheep” have been faithful members of our churches for many years. It is a tragedy if we, the beneficiaries of their faith, are unable to faithfully journey with them through their time of need. It is precisely in such seasons that more support, prayer, and assurance is required from the church community. It is in these areas of spiritual nourishment where the Church is set apart from community services. In a holistic understanding of dementia, the Church has the privilege and responsibility of being involved in the spiritual lives of believers with dementia. While community care providers support the body and mind, the Church is uniquely positioned to care for the spirit and soul. In this article, we look at four dementia ministries that have responded to dementia by practically loving and caring for their members with dementia and their families.
This means that in every congregation, there are likely individuals and families walking this journey—yet many are no longer present in our pews. Not because they no longer need the Church, but because the Church has not yet re-membered them when their memory fades.
1. Bring church to them.
Dementia is a progressive disease that generally goes through three stages: mild, moderate, and severe. This means that as the condition progresses, one would increasingly develop more needs, eventually requiring round-the-clock care. For some, they would become homebound or bedridden at the severe stage. Due to such mobility challenges, many are unable to attend church.
Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church’s Dementia Fellowship is a church ministry under the larger SENIORS360 senior ministry umbrella, ministering to people with dementia and their caregivers. They meet every fortnight to read the Bible, worship the Lord through songs, and pray together. As relationships in this ministry formed and matured, befrienders went beyond their fortnightly sessions to have meals with people with dementia and their families. In addition, they would accompany them to medical appointments, invite them to church events, visit them at home and even house them in their own homes during crisis situations.
When we are willing to be involved in the daily lives of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we remind them that they are remembered and cared for. Beyond the physical challenges of being homebound, the pain of dementia can be compounded by social isolation and loneliness. It is opportune then, for churches like Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian, to think beyond the confines of its building or designated ministry timings, to respond in love to remember those with dementia through fellowship, service and love.
2. Create opportunities for seniors to serve.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes the body of Christ as one, and that every part is needed. There could be a tendency for the community to exclude some parts when the need for them is not obvious. The converse is also true – some individuals may choose to self-exclude when they no longer feel they can contribute. However. the Bible is clear: without just one part, the whole body is disabled! Have we considered that our elderly brothers and sisters too have been equipped by the Lord to build up the Church, not in spite of their stage of life, but even within it?
Woodlands Evangelical Free Church runs the Love The Elderly Ministry with a seniors-helping-seniors model. In order to influence the church to become more dementia-inclusive, they empowered the seniors themselves to care for their peers—other seniors with dementia. By identifying the gifts of the seniors in their ministry, the church provided a platform for these seniors to contribute and serve through befriending, planning activities, and blessing their peers.
Besides the spiritual growth that this model facilitates, actively involving seniors to contribute meaningfully can also help delay the progression of dementia by keeping their minds and bodies active. Through the act of serving their fellow brothers and sisters, the seniors are themselves ministered through this ministry.
3. Care for the caregivers too.
In dementia ministry, there could be a tendency to attend only to the people with dementia, inadvertently overlooking their caregivers who are impacted in varying ways. For example, when a person with dementia becomes homebound, their caregivers would tend to be homebound too. They may not be able to attend church, miss out on fellowship, and consequently, their spiritual needs would be unmet.
In 2023, caregivers who brought their recipients of care to Barker Road Methodist Church’s (BRMC) Shalom Dementia Care Fellowship asked for support beyond the few hours of respite at each monthly session. Between each session, they shared their psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs as they journeyed with their loved ones. Seeing this gap, BRMC invited Mindfull Community to equip their caregivers with emotional awareness training. They also started a caregiver-for-caregiver support group in 2025, to run at the same time as the dementia fellowship every month.
Caregiving is physically, mentally, and emotionally difficult, with the added challenge to adapt to ever-increasing needs. Family members who witness a loved one’s condition deteriorate over time experience what is called ambiguous grief. Caregivers often mourn about who the person used to be, while having uncertainty about the future. Churches can support caregivers in their congregations by recognising the complex struggles they face and creating safe spaces for them.
4. Extend care beyond the church walls.
The Great Commission asks us to make disciples of all nations. If there are unreached seniors with dementia in Singapore, would they not be a group that we are called to reach out to? It can be tempting to feel resigned when sharing the gospel with those living with dementia, as declining cognitive ability may lead us to question whether our efforts make a difference. Yet if we truly believe what Romans 8 tells us about the unfailing love of God, we can trust that His love surpasses every barrier of communication and understanding.
Rather than leading us to hopelessness, this should challenge us to broaden our understanding of evangelism and discipleship—trusting that God is at work even beyond what we can see or comprehend.
Salem Chapel started D’Fellowship, a programme held in both Hokkien and Mandarin, dedicated to the needs of their elderly members in their congregation in 2019. The committee members collaborated with Dementia Singapore to learn and observe their sessions, adding their own elements to cater to the spiritual needs of their members: biblical sharing, public testimony, and personal prayer.
Seeing how positively this ministry impacted their own members, Salem Welfare Services (SWS), a non-religious social service agency affiliated with Salem Chapel, decided to start a dementia day care programme for seniors living in the North area of Singapore. Due to Singapore’s ageing population, the SWS leaders foresaw how demand for dementia services would increase over time. Together with Dementia Singapore, they set up the Meeting Centre Support Programme, a community-based social club with activities for seniors, allowing them to care for the wider community around its church.
God has used this ministry greatly, as the original ministry for the church’s members eventually expanded to serve seniors regardless of race, language and religion. This way, pre-believers can be reached and ministered to feel the love of Christ, and the Church can bless the nations with the gifts and skills God has equipped us with.
The faithful responses of these four churches embody God’s unconditional love for His creation. Isaiah 49:15–16 says:
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me.
God reassures us that as unlikely as a mother would forget her own child, He will not forget those whom He has adopted as His children. Our Lord remembers us even when we forget Him so easily in our day-to-day life. His promises are not dependent on our faithfulness, but His faithfulness. So let us remember those with dementia in our midst, and love them just as He loves us.
Dementia-care Ministries At A Glance
Shalom Dementia Care Fellowship meets every 3rd Saturday of the month, 2pm – 4pm at Wesley Hall of Barker Road Methodist Church. The ministry welcomes people with dementia and their caregivers. To find out more, visit https://www.brmc.org.sg/get-involved/connect-groups/ and read more under ‘Seniors’.
Salem Chapel holds their monthly D’Fellowship meetings every last Thursday of the month at 10am. Their sessions are held in Mandarin and Hokkien. Visit https://salemchapel.sg/local-outreach/ for more information.
Woodlands Evangelical Free Church’s Love The Elderly ministry organises many events that you can see here: https://woodlandsefc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1375443. Held in conjunction with the Chinese ministry, many of these events are bilingual.
Dementia Fellowship in Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church also has bilingual events available. Check out their latest events here: https://www.zionbishan.org.sg/category/outreach/local/seniors360/.
This article is adapted from Chapters 7-10 of Yet I Will Not Forget You: Nurturing a Dementia-Inclusive Church. Written by Rev Dr Leow Wen Pin, this dementia ministry guidebook contains contributions from the above four churches as case studies on dementia-inclusive ministries. This book will be launched on 30 May 2026 at the inaugural Dementia Ministry Conference organised by Koinonia Inclusion Network (KIN). If you would like to purchase the book or find out more about disability inclusion in the Church, visit https://kin.org.sg/.
KIN’s Inaugural Dementia Ministry Conference
If you are interested to hear more of their stories, KIN is organising the inaugural Dementia Ministry Conference on 30 May 2026, Saturday. Held at the Singapore Bible College, the Conference features Reverend Professor John Swinton as its keynote speaker, who will bring biblical and theological insight about dementia inclusion in the Church. The Conference hopes to inspire every participant to be filled with the hope of the gospel, especially in such a ministry that is often associated with illness and suffering. Register before 20 May at bit.ly/kinconf26.
Date: 30 May 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 9a.m. – 5p.m. (Lunch is provided)
Location: Singapore Bible College
Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens (CC19/DT9)
