By Amy Hanson
Here’s some practical advice pastors can do to respond to Baby Boomers.
1. Before you put the finishing touches on your sermon, make sure that at least one illustration or one story directly relates to people who are in the second half of life. If the sermon is about marriage, what’s an issue facing empty-nest marriages and what does God’s Word have to say about this? If the message is about selfishness, consider how a 60 year old might best be challenged to live a selfless life. You get the idea.
2. Commit to making it the new normal that people who are 55, 65 and 75 serve and give their lives away in powerful ways. Stop assuming that the best way for older adults to serve is to fold the church bulletins and instead start looking for those who are serving the homeless or mentoring in the schools. Once you find those people start telling their stories. Show a 45 second video in the Sunday morning service. Include their photo and their story on the church blog. Write about them in the church newsletter. And then, make it a high priority to constantly engage older adults in significant and meaningful service opportunities. Challenge them. Listen to them. Identify their passion. Coach them. Unleash them.
3. Pray and open your eyes to those who are lost, broken and in desperate need of a Savior who are in this age category. Just as there are young people today who need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, there are thousands and thousands of boomers and older adults who need someone to pray for them, listen to them and invite them to hear the good news. Kill and bury the myth that the only way to grow a church is to reach young families. Yes, we need to be doing this, but we must equally put our efforts into reaching those in the second half.
There are many components that make up a vibrant ministry with the new old, but if a church will just begin with these three things they’ll be off to a great start!
Amy Hanson is a speaker, writer, and consultant with a passion to help older adults discover a life of Christ-centered meaning and purpose. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Family Ministry from Manhattan Christian College, a Master’s degree in Gerontology from Abilene Christian University, and a Ph.D. in Human Sciences from the University of Nebraska.
Some more practical advice… Pastors, elected leaders and interested laypersons need to consider a threefold commit to learning about the ageing process (body, mind and spirit): aging ministry, basic gerontology and second-half ministry reading certification to better understand a new “Life Stage (65-84),” called elderhood (life beyond adulthood). They expect to live longer, they are seeking to live healthier, they have more resources at their disposal and they are wired to think differently. Their second half of life challenge lies in the response-ability to give back, to find the best way to contribute money, talent, and time to address the needs of society.