New Life at any Stage

New Life at any Stage

Easter is commonly tied to the sacrament of baptism, following St Paul in Romans 6:3-5:

Do you not know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Towards the end of 2025, the Australian government passed a new Aged Care Act.  Significant for Lutheran Services, which operates a dozen aged care facilities in Queensland, is that spiritual care is deemed to be an essential part of person-centred care, and that everyone has the right to receive it.

Across Lutheran Services, chaplains help keep that thread strong. In fact, spiritual care is part of our DNA.  In the past year alone, our chaplains served more than 23,700 hours across aged care and hospital settings—offering pastoral care for everyone, building relationships, supporting people in life’s important moments, and gently helping them reflect on meaning, hope and purpose. Today, 19 aged care chaplains serve in 12 communities, walking alongside more than 1,000 residents. They are deeply valued and in high demand—playing a vital role in keeping our faith identity alive, meaningful and dynamic.

For some, that desire to express a spiritual connection grows stronger in later years. That was the case for Barry Pollock, a resident at Zion Aged Care, when he voiced his wish to be baptised. Barry had not been baptised as a child and had long held an interest in religion, but for him, baptism felt like stepping into something deeper. What surprised Barry most was not the ceremony itself, but the sense of belonging it stirred within him.

‘I’ve always found religion interesting—how people made sense of life over a 3000-year period. I like listening to the stories, and I just kept going further into it,’ Barry shared.

Barry has lived at Lutheran Services’ Zion Aged Care in Nundah for more than 18 months. During that time, he has joined Lutheran church services. Then, one simple moment opened a new door. One Sunday, the local pastor talked about baptism during his sermon.

‘(He said) “Who hasn’t been baptised?” I put my hand up. From there, I thought, I’ll just go and ask (Chaplain) Gillian how to get baptised.’

Soon after, supported by Zion’s Chaplain Gillian Reid, Barry gathered with fellow residents to begin the journey.

‘When it was organised, I thought it would just be a quiet thing. Then one of the girls pulled out chairs in front of the altar, and suddenly we had a small gathering for the whole group,’ he said.

The baptism left Barry feeling part of something greater—embraced by a community willing to share the moment.

‘Really, I felt as happy as you can get. It was special that others joined in,’ Barry said.

‘One of the residents even gave me a high five afterwards.’

Barry’s story reminds us that the Spirit moves at every stage of life—inviting, surprising, and drawing us into a community of faith. And it’s a living picture of our chaplaincy ministry: present in the everyday, attentive to the heart, and there for people.

This story was first published internally by Zambella Anosa, Communication Manager at Lutheran Services, for Spiritual Care Week; the current version has been slightly edited by Dr Russell Briese, Director of Chaplaincy and Ministry Development, for the LCAQD eNews.