By Chris Holck

Encore – The name says it all!

If you have ever been to a concert that was so entertaining, so excellent that you didn’t want it to be over, then you most likely hoped for or cheered for an encore. You stood and applauded and maybe even whistled, hooted, howled and possibly held up a flickering light. You wanted more and you hoped the best was saved for last. Performers will usually deliver an encore, but you have to ask. It is even more special when they have saved their best for last and they seem happy to share the gift they have been given.

The encore metaphor perfectly illustrates a life lived in such a way that it is summed up with, “Life has been good because God is good!” The encore generation approaches the second half of life saying, “We want more, we want more and we hope, pray and expect that the best is yet to come.”

Imagine the alternative conclusion to a great concert. The evening was fully engaging and wonderful and the audience was pleased if not exuberant so they called for the Encore. But they got nothing! No curtain call, no musical bonus and no “thanks we have a great time and we saved this special song for you tonight.”  The performers just walked off the stage. What a let down! The great impression of the fans turned sour and after they give up on the cheering, there audience had an awkward and confused departure from the auditorium. What happened? How could the band just quit like that and quickly exit the building?  That is the way a pastor feels when a mature Christian who has been active in ministry just sort of vanishes from the church scene and the word in the foyer is, “They retired from their job and they retired from ministry.”

What a shame when Christians who have been engaged in ministry call it quits too soon.  They had more to give, maybe their best! Billy Graham once said that he couldn’t find anything in the Bible that says we can retire from God’s service. He certainly led by example but many church men and women are inclined to retire from church work and possible even Kingdom work. They can be quoted as saying that they served their time, took their turn, and now “they will let the younger ones do it.” In some cases we (I’m a pastor too) may have pushed laypeople too hard and asked them too many times and they are simply “burned out” from too many hours in church. They might also have taken a few too many “arrows” and are relieved to be out of the line of fire. As they step back from church ministries they say, “ If you don’t do anything, you can’t be criticized.” Or can you?

Billy Graham was right.  Following Christ is a life-long pursuit and the talents we have been given (referring to the parable in Mt. 25) do not have a shelf life of only 65 years.  The generation that is approaching retirement is 78 million strong and when you add the Boomers to the 63 and older Builder generation you have an incredible pool of talents.

The Christian Boomers have had unprecedented opportunities to grow spiritually with access to Christian radio, Christian publishing, parachurch organizations to match everyone’s special interest, television and cable programming and a church in every neighborhood. Ministries like Bible Study Fellowship, Community Bible Study and Promise Keepers in addition to small groups, Sunday School and weekly worship hour teaching have filled those who would listen with knowledge. What are these “mature” believers to do with their Bible training? Hide it under a “bushel”?  Dig a hole and bury that talent? No, they must in turn teach others and mentor and disciple the newer Christians and the younger men and women and be a spiritual compass for their children and grandchildren. They must use their knowledge and experience to provide leadership during challenging church times and they must humbly serve with a towel and to the least of these as Christ taught them to do. How can mature believers be motivated for a strong encore presentation?

 The encore generation needs to be led!  Leaders help people do what they know they should do, but they don’t do, for one reason or another. Surely Satan is planting ideas in their brain about saying no to all church service opportunities. Surely fear or even fatigue is not “get out of ministry forever cards” that can be played whenever older adults are asked to serve in the church. Good leaders will come along side of these weary and wary veterans and listen to them, care for them and encourage them. They will also challenge them and inspire them and blow new wind into their sails. If the lead pastor doesn’t have time to shepherd them, who will? That requires a plan, but can we start with agreeing that churches must prioritize older adults. In the old paradigm of “senior adult” ministry, the shepherd over the “elderly” sheep was primarily a caregiver.  In the new paradigm of “older adult” minister, he or she is primarily a catalyst to the encore generation, helping them to keep serving and the expectation is that the best may have been saved for last.

A church that sets older adult ministry as a priority must put their goal into gear by deploying resources for the cause.  Resources like staff, finances, and square footage.  An investment will be made but the “opportunity cost” of not prioritizing your older adults means that the talented bunch of Boomers and Builders in your church will either irresponsibly play their retirement away or take their talents elsewhere where they are appreciated.  Either way you lose.

You lose their giftings that will be a blessing to all recipients like the retired small business owner who researched copiers for purchase by the church, or the respected mature mother of three, who mentored young moms, or the grandpa that listened to AWANA verses being recited. You lose their wisdom that could help the church stay Biblically and theologically true and help the church not lose sight of their calling to “keep the main thing, the main thing.”  You lose the intergenerational health that comes when old and young work together, sing together, pray together, study together, play together and generally learn to respect one another and choose unity because after all, they are family. You lose the financial strength of the generation that has already or will inherit money measured in trillions. Their motivation for generous giving is no different than people of other ages; it follows their passion. If they feel valued in their church and feel that they are part of not only the past but also the future, they will give, and in many cases they will give “lead gifts.”  You aren’t inclined to prioritize older adult ministry because of what you will get back monetarily but I challenge you to dispute the reality that they will return on investment whatever resources you deploy their way and then some. What other ministry can deliver that promise?

The age wave is coming; you can’t stop it. You will either be surprised when the tsunami hits because you didn’t prepare for it or you will harness its energy for the sake of the Kingdom. I hope you will begin to pray and research this opportunity and next you will bring the Encore opportunity to a leadership discussion where you can be a leader and look ahead. Then you can set a plan in motion that will have an end result of a healthy church with up to five generations serving side by side and the oldest generations will be role models of Christ-followers who finished well!

 

Rev. Chris Holck served three Evangelical Free Churches from 1986-2008. His interest in older adult ministry was sparked while serving in his last church which was located in a resort area and had a high percentage of older adults.  Chris served as the Director of EFCA Encore for four years and has now started his own organization called Encore Generation Inc., which seeks to assist Christian organizations in understanding and reaching the next generation of older adults.  He and his wife recently relocated to central Florida where they are planting a new Evangelical Free Church at The Villages, a large active adult community.