Rev. Shelley S. Gardner joined the Jarvie program as its full-time chaplain on May 1, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was surging in long-term senior care facilities and beginning to make its wayinto cities across the nation.

Although she’d worked with older-adults as Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Woodbridge, New Jersey, since 2010, this was her first foray into full-time chaplaincy and into older adult ministry.

Gardner began working on an interim basis with the Jarvie program in the summer of 2019, and by that winter had resigned her associate pastor position. It felt like the right move, and a new calling in ministry.

“I had been around older adults, but I hadn’t really taken the time to understand what that stage means or what that stage could be in life because it wasn’t a stage that I had experienced,” she said of her first years as Jarvie’s chaplain.

Established in 1934 as an elder-care program to provide social work services and financial support to elderly individuals in the New York City metropolitan region, the Jarvie program helps beneficiaries who meet certain qualifications as defined by James N. Jarvie, a lifelong Presbyterian who endowed the program.

Despite the distancing and isolation required by pandemic precautions, Gardner worked diligently to reach out to Jarvie’s beneficiaries, numbering up to 90 people at any given time. She called beneficiaries to check in on them and provide spiritual care. Before too long, she initiated bi-monthly journal based on the liturgical seasons and scripture as another means of connection.

The impact of these journals is recognized by the administrative and social work staff of the Jarvie program, who say it is just one example of Shelley’s compassionate care for beneficiaries.

“These thought-provoking messages encourage reflection and foster meaningful discussions among beneficiaries,” said Karen Appel, executive director for the Jarvie Program. “The feedback we receive is overwhelmingly positive, with many beneficiaries expressing appreciation for the inspiration and sense of connection these mailings bring. This outreach has become a cherished resource, offering spiritual encouragement and engagement even from a distance.”

As Gardner explored more ways to engage the elder beneficiaries as a chaplain, she realized the training she’d received in seminary and during Clinical Pastoral Education (required as part of her education) was primarily geared toward serving people like her: people with families, those with children, and those in the middle stages of life.

She discovered the Certificate in Older Adult Ministry program at Columbia Theological Seminary’s Center for Lifelong Learning and applied, “so I could become better equipped to minister and serve and advocate for the Jarvie beneficiaries.”

Created in the early 2000s in conjunction with the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network (POAMN), the four course certificate program found its home at Columbia in 2014 as a residential program. Sue Erickson, former director of the program and a board member of POAMN, said Gardner’s experience as working with older adults at Jarvie was different than many participants ministering in congregations.

“I invited her to speak from her context and help us understand,” said Erickson. “I said I think we can all learn from it, so her coursework did reflect that. And I appreciate how different the experience was for her to constantly make that translation.”

Throughout the certificate program, Gardner said she continually learned new things to bring into her work at Jarvie. Sometimes it was something seemingly small, such as ensuring the font size and style in her journal was appropriate for older eyes. Other times, the program caused her to better understand how receiving cards and phone calls was an important means of connection. She brought these insights into into her daily work.

Now that COVID restrictions have eased, Gardner sees up to 15 beneficiaries in person each month in addition to regular phone and letter contact with many more.

“Learning to age means accepting dependency with grace, that frailty can coexist with strengths, that someone who walks with great difficulty may have a strong voice, strong will and strong self-esteem,” she says of key takeaways from certificate coursework on the process of aging. “It’s important not to allow ageism to come into play or judge somebody by their mobility.”

Another course taught Gardner how each season of life is marked by theological inquiry and how for many older adults, identity no longer presents itself as their vocation.

“But you can return to the baptismal promise that your identity is in Christ and in in the grace of God,” she said. “It’s interesting to watch that play out in conversations with older adults.”

The work of spiritual care is integrated into the whole-person care provided to Jarvie beneficiaries and is an important part of the program’s offering, Appel said.

“The collaboration between Pastor Shelley and the Jarvie social work staff is a key element in ensuring the best possible outcomes for our beneficiaries,” she said. “By working closely together, they integrate spiritual and social support, addressing both the emotional and practical needs of each beneficiary to provide holistic care and enhance their well-being.”

This sentiment is echoed by those entrusted with seeing James N. Jarvie’s vision continue.

“Having Shelley as a full-time presence at Jarvie represents our deep commitment to caring for the whole person,” said Doug McArthur, previous chair of the Jarvie committee. “Her role embodies our understanding that spiritual and emotional wellbeing are foundational to our beneficiaries’ quality of life. By integrating spiritual care into our everyday services, we’re able to provide support that goes beyond physical needs to nurture hope, meaning, and connection.”

The ministry has been transformative for Gardner as well. Her dedication to building connections with and among Jarvie beneficiaries and their families, and learning how to better serve older adults, has encouraged her as well.

“I appreciate the beneficiaries who welcomed me into their homes and welcome me into their lives,” she said. “Their children know of me, and I know of them and, you know, it’s been a wonderful bonding experience – a wonderful experience of faith.”