Study guide “
e need more young families” is the refrain often heard at congregations where older adults comprise the majority of worshipers. Although it’s a worthy goal
to seek greater balance in the age of the membership, it’s a mistake to overlook either the needs of older members or the gifts, skills and opportunities they offer the congregation.
By Robert C. Blezard
Older adults: The church’s challenge W
Exercise 1: Young emphasis • Does your congregation have a desire and strategy to attract more youth and families with children? Why or why not? • How is this evidenced in outreach, evangelism and mission? • Does your congregation have similar efforts for older mem- bers? Why or why not? • Are older members “left out” of the equation? What would be a good balance?
Exercise 2: Burden or blessing • Do you agree with the assessment that society often treats aging as more of a burden than a blessing? Does the church? • How would you characterize attitudes toward aging? • What would be a Christian attitude toward aging and our elders? • How can we honor, serve and be in good fellowship with one another to the end of all our days?
Exercise 3: Spiritual continuum • How have you grown spiritually since you were a child? • Does spiritual growth ever stop? • What spiritual gifts do our church’s senior members possess that can enrich all our lives of faith? • Does your congregation offer resources to help your senior members continue to grow? • What are specific ways that our churches can assist young and old to grow, share and experience God more deeply together?
Exercise 4: The ‘new’ old People are living longer these days, and many find their later years as active, fulfilling and joyful as ever. Consider that Archbishop Desmond Tutu is 83, Pope Francis is 77 and U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 81. • Who are your “senior heroes”? • Do older adults have more to offer than in previous genera- tions, or are they more likely to be in a position to serve and work? • How can your congregation’s older members help revitalize the church?
Exercise 5: Service of elders • Does your church tap the gifts and talents of older members in proportion to their numbers? • Does your congregation have a strategy to keep older adults active and involved in leadership and volunteer positions? • Does it have a special survey to inventory the unique gifts, talents and interests of those older members? • How could your congregation do better in these areas? Brainstorm 10 ideas.
Exercise 6: Service to elders • Looking at your congregation’s ministries and outreach, are services to older members offered in proportion to their numbers? • Would more efforts increase the participation and enhance the congregational life experience of your older members? Brainstorm 10 ways your congregation could do better.
Exercise 7: Intergenerational • How does it benefit older and younger members, plus the whole congregation, when generations mix? • What events and opportunities does your congregation offer for this to happen? • Does mixing the generations occur by chance (an event is open to all) or by planning (there is an intention to bring old and young together)? • What strate- gies and planned events would help?
This study guide is offered as one example of the more than 400 that are currently available on The Lutheran’s website. Download guides (includ- ing a longer version of this one)—free to print and Web subscribers—at
www.thelutheran.org (click “study guides”).
22
www.thelutheran.org
Author bio: Blezard is an assistant to the bishop of the Lower Susquehanna Synod. He has a master of divinity degree from Boston Uni-
versity and did subsequent study at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.) and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52