Faith is central to the Virginia Baptist Homes (VBH) Foundation. In 1949, the pastor of Culpeper Baptist Church founded what eventually became Virginia Baptist Homes and then LifeSpire of Virginia, and while our roots are in the Baptist tradition, today each community welcomes and celebrates the people of our community from every faith and background.
Chaplains are available at each community, serving as resources for residents, families and their fellow team members. Chaplains support the spiritual journey of everyone, offering blessings in times of joy and celebration, and encouragement in times of crisis, need and bereavement.
In 2020, the Virginia Baptist Homes (VBH) Foundation created the Spiritual Life Fund to support and expand the faith-based programs and the people providing those services within our communities. Linking back to the original mission of the organization, the Spiritual Life Fund supports the mission and vision of LifeSpire, which includes envisioning a future where faith, wellness and community spirit lead the way.
Your gifts to the Spiritual Life Fund support the chaplains and the spiritual enrichment programs in each LifeSpire community. Spiritual Life Fund grants are made available annually to pay for resources which each community can use for that spiritual enrichment.
Gifts to the Spiritual Life Fund have funded:
- songbooks and supplies for a new Taizé worship and prayer experience
- grief and bereavement support resources
- supplies for Advent and Christmas devotions for the residents in Memory Support, Assisted Living and Health Care
- new sets of chimes to be used in worship services and other musical offering opportunities
- a new set of seasonal banners and worship paraments to bring color and life to worship experiences
One community recently offered a lecture series from Rabbi Dr. Michael Panitz on World Religions. Over 65 residents attended and many remarked that they enjoyed the presentations immensely. Two residents commented on why they enjoyed the series:
“Rabbi Panitz has so much knowledge, and yet he makes the information understandable and engaging. He helps us learn why people believe the way they do and helps inform how we see the world. His series is so timely and I’m so glad to have heard him speak.”
“I love that our community offers faith-based programs like these, giving us an opportunity to learn new things and expand our awareness. Not all senior living communities have faith-based programming, and it’s one of the reasons why I chose to live here.”
To learn more about the Spiritual Life Fund, please visit www.lifespireliving.org/give/spiritual-life/ or call 804-521-9213 for more information.