Dr. Charles Mueller has a helpful article in this months issue of Just Watching, a newsletter published by Wheat Ridge Ministries. It’s worth your time as Charlie reflects on a lifetime of ministry, challenges and fine insights relating to the Lutheran church. Here is an excerpt from the article,
Developing better ministry choices reminds me of what shopping in my Grandpa Mueller’s turn-of-the-20th-century Oklahoma general store was like. What folks needed or wanted might have been in there somewhere, but finding it called for digging through dozens of bins, baskets and barrels – with a sharp eye. If they couldn’t find exactly what they were after, those pioneer farmers would then try to figure out how they might adapt what they did find. Then, as now, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Robust parishes, pastors and leaders are creative adapters. They are skilled at making do with what they have or making what they have do.
Dr. Mueller has been involved in Older Adult Ministry for many years. We hope you will enjoy him as much as we do.
Peace
This is the first post in a series that deals with the differences between Demographic analysis and our Case Study approach for congregations. There are a many companies that offer demographic data products, (examples are here, and here) and are tailored to business use and market planning. They are worth it for your business, if you can afford them. A quick Google search will give you a number of free services that can offer you a look into your local data without to much trouble. If you want to download the data tables directly from the Census, those are also free. Others offer services that target your congregation. Percept, Inc. is one of the larger companies that offer this service, check them out here.
What you will find when you look at all these services is that they are packaging US Census data into attractive reports. Most let you drill through the data making it easier to find specific information. All this data is based on the Census departments long form questionnaire, here is the sample. The long form is given out every ten years and has 53 questions that focus on your age, gender, ethnicity, income and living situation. From these 53 questions all the above solution providers will give you reports, and some will try to provide interpretation.
But how helpful is demographic data to churches?
Demographic analysis is interesting, very interesting. In our Congregation Report, we include a 16+ page demographic study (as an appendix to the 80 page main report) free of charge because it is so interesting. Although the data will tell you many things, it cannot replace an evangelism strategy, or the message that accompanies your congregations efforts. These resources promise so much, but in the end can’t deliver because the census does not ask questions that deal with real need.
Unlike your local Target or Costco, your congregation has a mission, not a mission statement. The universal mission for the church is to preach Christ to your block group, tract, city, county, state, country and world. We also know that with the universal mission comes a universal message, Christ Crucified. Freedom from sin, forgiveness, release, the happy exchange, the gospel is the one message that is for members and non-members alike. This one message works because it deals with every man, woman and child in the same way, through sin.
The condition of sin is the foundation for all our proclamation, education, evangelism, and world missions efforts. If a service does not directly speak to this condition with an answer that can provide a solution, then no Census data program or service will help.
If you want to read more about the Case Study nature of the Senior Ministry Inventory click here and here. You can see some sample questions here. As you read through this material, you should begin to see the major difference between straight demographic analysis and questions designed to help answer the major reason the church exists.
There are more reasons our research tool is superior for congregational use, but you will have to wait until next week for that update. Have a wonderful memorial day weekend.
Peace
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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.”
- 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.
- 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…
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Finding good resources on the topics centering around older adult ministry is difficult. Many congregations interested in working in this field have a difficult time finding resources that don’t have a secular viewpoint. Christian themes like suffering, the cross, resurrection are few in what is available. While we don’t have any affiliation with any of these resources, except that we find commonality in the topics about which these authors are writing.
Richard and Judith Reuning have written three books that can be used for devotionals and small group settings. Visit the website of Life Crossings to learn more about their resources and services.
From Autumn of Christian Life
A powerful part of this discussion resource is that it helps each participant to look seriously at the changes, the losses, the sufferings that we all endure, but it does so by first looking through the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ Jesus!
This is a book about hope and joy, and God’s grace through each of our days continues to seep out from every page. …
- Association of Lutheran Older Adults (ALOA) has some resources available to individuals and congregations. In addition to their LutherHostels and Senior Fest their website has a list of resources on Older Adult themes.
- CASA is a premier training and equipping source for the Church’s ministry to midlife and beyond age men and women, conducting leadership conferences, training events, retreats, and Life Celebration events (at which nearly 100 Christian leaders have been honored with the Heritage of Faithfulness Award). CASA is engaged in a vital website partnership with Christianity Today where resources, ideas and dialog are posted.
If you have a product or service that highlights ministry to older adults we would like to hear about it. Drop us an email at info@elderministry so we can let others know about what you do.
More time does not increase the quality of a decision, it usually decreases the quality of the decision and the momentum for which the decision is being made. More data does not bring with it more insight, unless you have the right data. The right data and the right amount of time provides the moment to make a good decision.
This runs counter to much of what passes for decision making in business practice. When the church business follows corporate decision making, it follows the same fate. For many, Monday’s mark the start of a day of meetings that ask the question, “how will we move forward?” Whatever the product or service they offer, “how will we market it better?” Around the country, this is mimicked at our church council, deacon or elder meetings. The subject may change, but the questions share similar structure. Evangelism, foreign missions, proclamation of the gospel, filling pew seats, boy scouts, AA the list goes on.
The discussion is changed when objective data is brought in to illumine, which then shows the opportunities (solution) and not just the problem. Objective data is everywhere, we base most of our decisions on real, non-changing facts. Whether they are large or small decisions, evidence is what we demand.
Our senior population is increasing daily, many of those reading this would say that is an understatement. You are right. In America another man or woman turns 60 every 10.9 seconds. Our churches are dealing with Mass Aging and a country that has few ideas that bring any eternal help. Real help can only come from knowing what the needs are, and an objective look at those needs is the logical way to move from problem to lasting solution.
The Senior Ministry Inventory gives individuals and congregations this objective picture that can provide the lasting help that is needed. It is the most comprehensive research tool for Older Adults in use today. If you congregation is asking the questions about what to do about Mass Aging, then our research tool is a great first step. The Senior Ministry Inventory provides the right data for quality, timely decisions.
Give us a call for more information, or drop us an email at info@elderministry.com
Peace
