Yesterday I shared some statistics to illustrate what our country and congregations in America will encounter in the near future. But our hope is in Christ and what we need is to orient our view upon Him and the perfect work done for us which changes every perspective. Here are some Christian propositions regarding aging?

1. The Bible teaches that God has a purpose for people in all age categories.
   Do you agree with that proposition?  I’m confident you do and my confidence is based on never finding a Christian who disagreed.  In all of Church Resources’ workshops and training seminars there is 100% agreement 100% of the time.  God has a purpose for people in all age categories.  Of course the logical consequence of this first proposition is the second proposition.
2. There is no retirement age in the ‘royal priesthood,’ the ‘priesthood of all believers.’
   Since God has a purpose for people in all age categories, he will continue to enable and empower his people to accomplish his purpose… independent of their age.
3. Life as an older adult can be a time for continued learning, productivity and meaningful ministry.  Seniors do not only seek or desire “busy work,” but also meaningful kingdom work.
   We need to be clear that “busy work” can be meaningful kingdom work… busy work needs to get done even in the Kingdom of God.  What do we mean by “busy work”?  Sharpening pew pencils, dusting pews, folding bulletins, arranging hymnals and bibles in the pew racks….  Do older adults form the available volunteer labor force to get these jobs done?  “Yes.”  Do they do these tasks willingly and joyfully?  “Yes.”  However, are they adequately challenged by these tasks?  In almost all cases, “No.”
4. Older adults seek new ways to answer life’s basic questions:  Who am I?  Why am I here?  Where am I going?  Is God with me?
   These are the questions we ask in 7th and 8th grade confirmation programs.  But older adults and seniors also ask these same questions, and they often have an increased urgency because older adults often face these questions in the midst of an end-of-life crisis. Seniors are confronted by gigantic challenges to faith.  When you bury a spouse, when you are the last living sibling in your family, when your body falls apart so you can’t even fold a bulletin and get the corners to match, when the church has no use for you and when you have outlived many of your friends… the consequences of these senior life events are not merely sociological and psychological… they are spiritual and affect faith.
5. A high percentage of seniors are un-churched and do not know Christ.  Senior evangelism needs to become a high priority for the 21st century church.
   How many specialized church sponsored ministries and programs can we name that specifically focus on challenging youth with the gospel of Jesus Christ and his call to discipleship? We have programs for the very young.  Pre-school children watch cartoon series VeggieTales and Davey and Goliath.  Then we have grade specific Sunday School materials, Confirmation curriculums, retreats, camps, youth choirs, church sponsored sporting programs, scouting, national youth conventions, special bible translations with youth-oriented application questions… and the list goes on and on.

   But how many specialized church sponsored ministries and programs can we name that specifically focus on challenging older adults with the gospel of Jesus Christ and his call to discipleship?  Are there any evangelism programs that focus on reaching the fastest growing segment of our culture?  Senior evangelism needs to become a high priority for the 21st century church.

   Why do we need to focus on the evangelization of older adults and seniors?  Because, and this leads us to our next Christian proposition…

6. Sin doesn’t lessen with age.  The longer a stain remains the deeper it sinks.  Only Christ can both forgive and cleanse (I John 1:9).
   Our culture promotes a national myth regarding sin.  One half of the myth is that teenage years are the Velcro years—sin sticks to them.  However, the other half of the sin-myth is that older adult and senior years are the Teflon years—sin just slides off them.

   But older adults and seniors know this is not true.  The process of aging doesn’t lessen the attacks of Satan—or the allure of the world—or the desires of our flesh.  Older adults are deeply troubled and bothered by sin.  Satan does not lessen his attacks because of our age.

   Further, older Christians are the ones who need to be trained and equipped to evangelize their contemporary non-Christian neighbors and friends.  Older adults and seniors who are troubled by sin need to know Christ who alone can forgive and cleanse from sin.  But this will happen only if we make evangelism to older adults a top priority.

7. The Median Age in Christian churches requires that we prioritize ministry to, with and by older adults.
   In 2002 the Lilly Foundation funded a study of the median age in protestant denominations.  Various national churches participated.  Individuals, 15 and older, who attended church were asked to complete a 4-page survey.  While the median age varied, depending on the church body, there was a striking similarity as depicted in the comparison chart below. This median age study is extremely helpful in identifying the two large  groups that challenge the ministry of all congregations.



The first group that challenges the priorities of the church are those NOT represented on the chart.  Notice all the space below the national median line for those who are between the ages of 15 and 39.  This space illustrates the reason why congregations have made a high priority to reach out to youth and families with young children.  The church has been targeting youth and family ministry ever since the mid-1960’s when Dr. Merton Strommen and Search Institute compiled their data that was later published in The Study of Generations (1970) and The Five Cries of Youth (1974).

The second group that challenges the priorities of the church are the ones who ARE represented on the chart.  They are the ones who are represented by the orange bars that extend above (way above) the national median line.  These orange bars represent the need for the church to add a second main priority to our ministry agenda.  We need to prioritize ministry to, with and by seniors.

For example, notice the bar that represents individuals between the ages of 70 and 74.  Approximately 9% of those who attend church fall in this age range… however only 4% of the general U. S. population are in this age category.  Church attendance is two times greater in this age range as the national median.

Also notice that the aging of the church, for most congregations, will get greater every year.  Mass-aging is taking place within the general population and the church is running ahead, way ahead, of the aging curve.

8. Every congregation needs to develop a strategy of how they will minister to the fastest growing segment of their congregation and the community they serve.
   The 21st century will be a “century of age” just as the 20th century was a “century of youth.”  Every individual, family, congregation and national church needs to engage in a guided assessment that helps them prioritize the older adult needs to which they should give attention.  Healthy, active, growing congregations in the 21st century need to gather information on their community of older adults and families of seniors.

   What short and long range plans should be implemented as congregations face the challenges of evangelizing an aging population in the 21st century?  What facility, budget and staffing considerations need to be implemented?  What ecumenical cooperation and networking among congregations is possible as they fulfill their commission as Christ’s apostles, sent-ones, or representatives (apòstolos, gk.; shäliach, heb.) in the 21st century?

   The Senior Ministry Inventory provides the objective data that a congregation needs so they can develop a strategy for older adult ministry and outreach.