Preparing for the Age Wave in Your Church
Dr. Charles Arn, Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center
Most churches in America are following a course that will miss one of the greatest social changes and greatest opportunities in American history: the coming age wave. Like beach residents unaware of the approaching tsunami, most congregations still assume that “the future of the church is its youth.” Today, tomorrow, and well into the 21st century the more accurate description is: “the future belongs to the old.”
Of course, most churches have a token seniors class, perhaps a monthly potluck or field trip for their older adults. But such approaches are woefully inadequate, if not entirely irrelevant, to the task of reaching and ministering to the rapidly growing community of persons over 50.
Why are most churches so ‘senior insensitive’? It is generally one or more of the following reasons:
1. Ageism. This disease discriminates against, diminishes, and demeans age. Unfortunately, it is alive and well, not only in our society, but also in our churches.
2. Ignorance. A minuscule number of today’s church leaders have been trained in the unique needs, opportunities, and outreach strategies required for persons over age 50.
3. Irrelevance. Most existing senior adult church groups are operating on assumptions that grew out of a different time and place. Today’s senior adults are far different from their parents or grandparents.
Isn’t it ironic that in the midst of decreasing resources, most churches don’t realize the “human treasure” inherent in the senior adults of the church? Consider the chart on page 2 that illustrates the potential that senior adults have in responding to many of the present limitations on the ministry of churches.
There indeed are effective ways for churches to respond to the challenge of an aging population. The graying of America provides an enormous opportunity for the church; perhaps unique in this century. But without a major retooling of strategy and tactics, the church will be left behind. To restate: the approach most churches presently have for ministry to the aging adult population is woefully inadequate, if not entirely irrelevant.
So, what can be done?
1. Realize that all seniors aren’t seniors. A new generational grouping has emerged in our society during the past generation. Their members are called “middle adults” and include those people between 50 and 70 years of age They are, as U.S. News & World Report says, “a new generation, different not only in size, but in vitality and outlook.” Older adults are living healthier, more active, productive, longer lives. In reality, a person 50 or 60 can expect to live fifteen, twenty, thirty more years. These are, indeed, their middle years. They are not, certainly in their own minds, “senior adults.”
2. Realize that age does make a difference. People 30 years old are different than people 60 years old; not only in the hair on their head, but the mind inside. Older adults think differently than younger adults. David Wolfe, a knowledgeable researcher and marketer, draws some fascinating contrasts (see the chart on page 3).
Implications for the Church
What does this changing demographic landscape mean for the church?
Most importantly, it means that the old ways of doing senior adult ministry must be reevaluated. It is my belief that even the term “senior adult” will become politically incorrect. As more and more baby boomers inch toward that age category (the first boomers will turn 50 next year), the stigma attached to the word “senior” will make it a liability to effective ministry.
Even now we are finding that when churches offer a “senior adult” program less than 15% of those who qualify to be there, actually are. As we have researched this pattern we have found that most do not want to be lumped into the category of senior citizens, either in the minds of others, or their own.
The new and still emerging strategies that will be necessary for effective ministry to middle adults have many implications for programming, evangelism, and scheduling of church activities. The church that is “age sensitive” will be providing a variety of groups to appeal to the diversity of interests, needs, and activities for each age group.
Getting Started Right
We are often asked the question, “If you were to develop an age sensitive adult ministry, how would you begin?” Here are five components:
1. Find, select, train leaders. The success of your adult ministry will be directly related to the quality of your leaders. Someone needs to own the goal of ministry/outreach to young, middle, and senior adults. The leaders who will be most successful in each group have a genuine love for people in that group. It’s not a job, it’s a ministry.
In research conducted with 500 churches that had a full or part time senior adult staff member, we found that the leaders who had received specific training in this area were far more effective and their adult ministries were more likely to be growing than were leaders who had received no training. (80% of older adult staff had received no training at all in their field.) We also found that retired pastors are generally ineffective as middle and senior adult leaders unless they have been retrained in the unique issues and challenges of senior adult ministry in the 1990s.
2. Get the facts. Here is a proven principle: “Abundant, accurate information, properly interpreted and applied, enables churches to be good stewards of the grace of God and effective communicators of the gospel of Christ.”
What are the actual statistics in your church? How many members are over age 50? 55? 60? 65? What are the age groupings in your community? How many are homebound? What percentage are males; females? What are the various needs and interests represented in your prospective constituency? Effective programs and activities will be based on the findings of your research.
3. Begin with an adult ministry, not a senior adult group. This distinction is important. If you have a “senior adult group, you limit the potential involvement to those individuals who see themselves as “senior adults.” Many other seniors adults in your congregation and in your community will not identify with “those old people.” In contrast, if your paradigm is an adult ministry, all kinds of groups can develop, many of which would not even be identified as “senior adult.” A church of 300 members could have ten to fifteen adult groups responding to the variety of needs, and touching the lives of many more people.
4. Develop a Purpose Statement. A clearly written purpose statement will be the guiding light for a successful older adult ministry. This purpose statement should be owned by the members and be a yardstick to regularly measure progress. If a clear purpose statement is not established and used early in the ministry, the activities will become increasingly self-serving and self-centered.
Here is one purpose statement developed by an age-sensitive adult ministry. Use or adapt it if it describes the purpose you desire for your adult ministry. If not, create your own.
The adult ministry of First Church has as its purpose to communicate and share God’s love to those in the church family, and to those outside the church family, and to those outside the church. The assumption behind the adult ministry, the groups, and the activities sponsored by this ministry is that they exist for the purpose of serving, not being served; of giving, not receiving.
5. Build your adult ministry on adult motivators. Marketing researchers spend considerable time and money seeking to identify the reasons today’s older adults buy or don’t buy certain products. Their discoveries are of value to church leaders seeking to reach this same generation, and encourage them to buy a new lifestyle in the Christian faith and community. According to these studies, older adults are motivated by one of five values that form the foundation of most of their meaningful activity. (For a more comprehensive discussion of these values, see the mentioned article by David Wolfe in American Demographics.) These values are:
- Autonomy. They desire to be or remain self-sufficient.
- Social and spiritual connectedness. They respond to people more than programs.
- Altruism. They desire to give something back to the world.
- Personal Growth. They desire to continue developing as human beings
- Revitalization. They respond to activities that bring fresh and new experiences.
Effective older adult ministries of the 1990s and the 21st century will be those that integrate these values and motivators into a creative variety of activities and experiences.
The “age wave” is rapidly approaching! Those churches that are not prepared will be swamped by the sheer numbers, diversity, and impact of these older adults. Of, if they are prepared, they will get out their surfboards and catch the ride of a lifetime!