For people facing retirement, Medicare is most likely on their minds. But navigating the process of choosing a plan, enrollment and other details may seem overwhelming. Mount Joy Church of God wants to help.

The church will host a Medicare Education Workshop on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m. It will be held at Mount Joy Church of God, 30 E. Main St.

The workshop will be presented by Roxann Brown, financial consultant, and Lynette Morales, stewardship consultant. Both women work for Everence.

Participants will be guided through topics including the different parts of Medicare, understanding coverage options, deciding when to enroll and learning how to enroll.

Medicare consists of several parts and coverage options, each with its own rules, costs and considerations. The choices people make can affect how they receive health care and what they pay for services and prescriptions. The workshop is designed to provide general information in an easy-to-understand format, giving participants an opportunity to become more familiar with the Medicare system before making decisions about their coverage. Attendees can also bring questions they have about the enrollment process or available options.

"Before getting into ministry, I was a licensed financial adviser for about 15 years, so I know from experience this is a topic that confuses a lot of people," said Adam Swarr, pastor of family ministries for Mount Joy Church of God. "My hope is that those in attendance will learn a few things so they can make better educated decisions and reduce some of the stress in their life."

The workshop is another way for the church to connect with people outside its congregation, he said.

"Our church has always had a focus on the community, but this year we wanted to take it to the next level, and part of that is putting on a series of educational talks," he explained. "We did a parenting event in February, a financial planning workshop in April and now this Medicare information presentation."

He hopes anyone who is interested will come out for the program to learn more about an important life milestone.

"With my background as a financial adviser, I've seen how stressful retirement planning can be," he stated. "Most of the stress comes from not knowing enough to make an educated decision. As a church, we want to help our community and neighbors, and we believe we can do that by providing free opportunities for everyone to learn about important topics like Medicare."

There is no charge to attend the workshop, but registration is requested so there is enough seating for everyone. To register, visit http://www.mountjoychurchofgod.org.