Archive for July, 2011

 . . . “There’s Work to be Done!”

 by Wes Wick

 

A good friend told me recently he was trying to introduce a stronger serving emphasis among seniors at his church, but his survey results were not encouraging.

Unfortunately, only four percent of those who responded showed an interest in mentoring young people, serving food to the homeless, or participating in other forms of serving, outreach, and evangelism. We didn’t see the full survey and haven’t yet had a Family Feud with this active group of seniors, but we’ve encountered similar stories as we’ve traveled from church to church.

We know there were many mature Christians among those being surveyed, still with so much to offer, but many older adult groups appear to be running on fumes when it comes to serving.

So what causes these older classics from the 30’s and 40’s to pull out of the serving lane? Their survey pencils seem to be magnetically pulled to sightseeing checkboxes. And reverse magnetic fields appear to push their pencils away from serving opportunities.

Besides obvious deterrents of physical decline, day-to-day uncertainties, and influences of our consumer-oriented culture, could there be other reasons for responses skewed so heavily toward entertainment? These adults have the stamina to get on tour buses and traipse through local museums, but their engines are prone to stall when serving shows up on their destination map.

 

Consider these three contributing factors if your older adults appear to be running out of GAS at the service station:

Generational Isolation.  We find great solace in hanging out with our peers, but when we stay inside a comfort zone too long, “senior adult ministries” can easily morph into an older adult social club. When asked what we’d like to do in the context of a social club, it’s natural to come up with peer-insulated, self-serving responses—high in pleasure and low in pain.

We may assume that God is pleased that we’re still getting out of our homes and hanging out with Christian friends. But does He really expect us to venture outside our cozy generational bubble? Trouble is, many of us are in need of some high octane fuel, but we’re only drawing from the pump of our lower octane peers.

We need energetic young people in our lives, and they need us. Our serving options multiply when we partner with younger people who have the spark to get us moving forward on all cylinders, away from complacency. Just as cars are more than a collection of multiple parts, members of the Body of Christ are not designed to operate in generational isolation. Each part contributes to the function of the whole, and the ride is so much better when the whole brings out the best of each individual part.

Ageism.  It’s no secret. Here in America, we live in a youth-oriented culture. It is what it is. 

We may have been told that our time of impact expired or that we now represent the Church of Yesteryear. Messages of ageism, usually discounting a person’s value based on advancing age, are painful and wrong—they need to be rejected, both outside and inside the Church.

It’s tempting to play the role of victim, becoming bitter and sulking in self-pity. But if we internalize these negative messages, we can become more timid, discouraged, and angry. Ageism can erode confidence, passion, and opportunity, causing us to pull back from serving. This, in turn, reinforces the obsolescent labeling of older adults—a vicious cycle.

Preferring one generation over another is sort of like picking your favorite tire on a car. C’mon—we need them all, fully inflated! Remember, we serve a God who is passionate about every generation! And all living followers of Christ make up the Church of today.

Spiritual retirement.  Life is too short to get stuck in the victim lane, so some of us gladly succumb to the notion that our later years are express lanes exiting to leisure and entertainment.

Sure we need some rest, but we’re not designed for a permanent pit stop until our race is over! The padded seats of the grandstand beckon, and we surmise now is our time to just sit back and watch other racers circle the track. It’s sure more fun than whining and complaining!

Not grasping our changing but still influential roles as older adults, we can lose the drive to stay fully engaged in our churches. When it comes to making a real difference in others’ lives, many older adults shift into idle gear. Allowing vocational retirement to propel us into spiritual retirement, we climb all too willingly into the grandstand, fully investing ourselves in the role of spectator. Some see the grandstand as a pre-taste of heaven, finally receiving the good things promised, now with minimal responsibility or accountability.

“This is the life! It’s what we’ve worked so hard for—all these years. So please don’t think we’ve retired to serve more. This is our time to kick back and enjoy. We’ve earned it.”

One mistake here is associating joy only with kicking back. Kickback joy can be real, is often well deserved, but is always temporary. Give back joy found in obeying God and serving others is both real and eternal.

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” Jesus in Mark 8:35 (NLT)

Another mistake is trying to convince older adults that they are not entitled. Good luck!  It’s a losing battle. We’re so quick to criticize entitlement attitudes in others but remain intensely protective of our own entitlements.

Jesus, the rich young ruler, and the Apostle Paul were all entitled. Becoming a servant is really a test of our willingness to lay down our earthly entitlements to please and obey our Heavenly Father.

 

runners

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)

When I Survey, the Wondrous Cross Usually Gets Bumped

In the first verse of Hebrews 12 we’re reminded that we have a great grandstand or cloud of witnesses surrounding us as we run the race with perseverance.

The grandstand of witnesses named in the preceding chapter had a few things in common. They all walked in faith, made culturally unpopular choices, and didn’t enter the grandstand until they departed from life on earth. The grandstand isn’t a viable option for living heroes of faith. Even as our age advances, God may call us away from what’s easy, routine and comfortable.

By definition, unpopular choices requiring faith will not be popular in most group activity preference surveys. We need to individually and collectively hear God’s voice, deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34). Group preference surveys may have some value, but they don’t typically lead us to the cross!

At the core, it’s about walking in faith to the very end, being willing to do whatever God is asking of us. He may want us to slow down and visit a museum with friends, perhaps share Christ with a friend we’ve invited to accompany us on the museum tour. At times He calls us to step up and offer a helping hand. Sometimes He wants our wisdom to touch a young couple needing direction. At other times He may call us to step away from the crowd to hear His voice, simply to be content in His presence. And often He wants us to choose seemingly harder, less popular, and less predictable paths.

The 18th century German writer, Goethe, penned this, “The dangers of life are infinite, and among them is safety.”

Those who lived their lives based on popular personal preferences, with attitudes of earthly entitlement and early spiritual retirement, did not qualify for the Hebrews 11 Hall of Fame.

In chapter 11:13-14 (NIV), the writer of Hebrews says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own [heaven].”

 

So, if you’ve administered a survey and learned where all your adults want to play, rejoice in your job security! You have a big job ahead, helping this playful bunch discover the joy of full-throttle serving and obedience.

As you lead your group further down the serving track, we encourage you to move the discussion beyond where they want to go to where God would have them serve. No matter what surveys say, stay close to your calling as a leader with this Scriptural mandate:

“to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ…From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:12, 13, 16 (NIV)

 

Wes and Judy Wick are co-founders of YES! Young Enough to Serve, an organization that celebrates the joy of extended fruitfulness. YES! helps harness the gifts of longevity, health, wisdom and life experience of adults in life’s later seasons. Learn more at www.yestoserve.org.

 

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Like a Physical Workout, Spiritual Maturity Requires Day-by-day Effort

strengthening by Jodi Detrick


What is it about summer that makes a somewhat sedentary person want to dust off the treadmill, dig the wrinkled workout garb from the bottom of the drawer and opt for running shoes over house slippers? Maybe the extra daylight hours create a burst of energy related to elevated serotonin levels. Or just maybe (more likely for some of us) it’s the probability that all that extra light makes it easier for people to see the additional pounds we added during the winter months. Sigh.

Here’s something I’ve learned in the past couple of years: After 50, pounds don’t just creep up on you. That implies they are sneaky in their approach. Oh no! After 50 they just saunter in, look you in the eye and say, “I’m here to stay — you got a problem with that?”

I do have a problem with that, actually. That’s why about three years ago, my husband and I took the plunge and invested in one of those big combination treadmill-elliptical machines, the kind that’s supposed to burn twice the calories in half the time. To be honest, the biggest workout I got during that first year of ownership came from lugging the huge box up the stairs and getting it set up. After the first week, it was easy to think of it as just an odd piece of furniture, like something a graffiti-artist-turned-interior-designer might have come up with.

I would virtually ignore the beast throughout the long winters and drizzly, gray springs. Then, when the weatherman predicted days of increasing sunshine, I’d attack it like crazy, praying for that “twice the calories in half the time” thing to kick in.

But this past year, with a few notable lapses, I’ve actually managed to use my treadmill several times a week. Did I mention I did that all year long? (I’m still wondering what got into me!)

As this summer approached, there was no mad dash to do overtime on the treadmill. While I’m still no candidate for the cover of a fitness magazine, I’m a few pounds lighter and happier with the fit of my clothing (even the dreaded summer version). But the main benefit is feeling stronger, healthier and more energetic.

Here’s the deal: You just can’t fit a year’s worth of fitness into two weeks. Workouts work best over the long haul.

There’s an interesting verse in the Bible that talks about a different kind of “work out.” Philippians 2:12 tells us to “work out our own salvation with reverence and awe.” The next verse says that God works in us to give us both the desire and the ability to do what honors Him. So, we work out what God’s grace has worked in. For a Christ follower like me, growing in faith is a day-by-day process of cooperating with how God is at work in my life.

I sometimes wish I could bestow instant spiritual maturity upon myself and others — twice the patience, kindness, peace, joy, holiness and love in half the time.

But like exercise, spiritual maturity requires consistent effort. As I practice what Christians through the centuries have called the Spiritual Disciplines — prayer, reading and meditating on Scripture, admitting my failures, listening for God’s voice in my heart, being honest and accountable with others, and worshipping Him — over time, there will be change. Endurance for life’s struggles will build. The muscle required to love my neighbor, or even an enemy, will grow stronger. What God has been working inside will be worked out in the way I live.

When that happens, I won’t need to fear what the light of day might show to others, since they’ll see someone who’s beginning to look a little more like Jesus. Now that’s a worthwhile workout!

Jodi Detrick serves the Northwest Ministry Network (Assemblies of God) as Women’s Ministries Director. She is also a public speaker, an author and a Life Coach. 

Copyright © The Seattle Times Company

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If You Have Passed the Baton…Take It Back

 Dr. Chuck Stecker

 

If you say something long enough and with a sufficient certainty in your voice, soon others will repeat it as fact without giving it a second thought. Now with the internet, anyone can launch an idea, quote or concept without any justification.

Think about all that we have heard that gets repeated as fact. Things such as “God helps those who help themselves” and “God will not give you more than you can handle.” One of my favorite totally unmerited statement centers on the idea of “Passing the Baton.”

“Passing the Baton” is a modern day term based on a relay race. There is no Biblical basis for this flawed concept when it is applied to leadership development and relationships. Consider for a moment that when a runner in a relay race passes the baton to the next runner, the first runner must immediately do three things:

1. Quit running
2. Step off the track
3. Get out of the race

If the runner continues to run even after leaving the track, the runner is charged with “pacing” and the team is disqualified.

As a society, we have bought into a lie and confused the “baton of engagement” with the “mantle of leadership.” Virtually every study that I have read indicates that one of the greatest needs of young men and women is the continued investment into their lives of older men and women.

There is a very clear biblical basis for training up new leaders and trusting their leadership. I would go as far as to say that as older men and women, we should not just trust the leadership of younger men and women, but we should be willing to serve under their leadership.

We find our nation and our churches have fallen into the unfortunate situation of losing far too many of our “seniors” who have a significant amount of time and experience to offer to younger generations. This is happening because we have fallen prey to someone wrongfully telling seniors to “pass the baton.”

Never have our churches and our nation needed our seniors more than we need them today. Clearly our roles need to change. We may not be able to physically do the same things we could do 10 or 15 years ago. We may lack some stamina for other things as well. Yet, years of experience should not be lost because someone was told to “pass the baton” by a person who has failed to consider what that actually means.

I am a senior and my life mission is to raise up leaders in all generations. To do this, I must stay engaged. God is not done with me, and I refuse to let others bury me until God is ready to receive me. Please do not tell me to “pass the baton” unless the message you want to relay is that I no longer have any value.

If you have bought into the lie and passed the baton, take it back. God will tell you when you are done.

 

Dr. Chuck Stecker will be sharing more on this topic at the upcoming Leadership Conference in Anaheim, November 9-11.

Chuck Stecker is the President and founder of A Chosen Generation. Chuck is an ordained minister of the Gospel with the Evangelical Church Alliance and has earned a Doctorate of Ministry specializing in Christian Leadership. As an Army Lieutenant Colonel, Chuck served on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon. After his retirement, he served with Promise Keepers. In 1997, Chuck launched Mission Capable Men, and A Chosen Generation in 2000. Learn more on his website, www.achosengeneration.org. 

 

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Positive Parenting: Family

 by Dr. Dick Hardel

 

My wife, Carolyn and I were invited to a family milestone celebration of the 60th anniversary of the marriage of Irene and Merton Strommen. The invitation stated that the celebration would be at the home of one of the sons of Irene and Mert, there should be no physical gifts, and it would be a family celebration.

I felt so honored to be invited and checked to see if we would be returning from my speaking engagement in time to attend. I was pleased to discover that we could make it just in time. I did not want to miss such an event. Not many have had the privilege of celebrating 60 years of a marriage centered in the love of Christ.

Because our flight from South Carolina was delayed for a short time, Carolyn and I were the last guests to arrive. Cars were parked along the street for blocks. I was still amazed that we were invited. “The invitation said that this was a small celebration for close family, but we aren’t family. I’m not with these people very often,” I thought to myself. As we entered, so many people greeted us by name. If there was a member of the gathering, this family, who did not know us, they were quickly introduced. Two people even said, “I recognize you from your picture in the Metro Lutheran.”

I had become trapped in my own narrow thinking of what it means to be family. So often we only think of blood relatives. Many times at The Youth & Family Institute, where I formerly worked as the Executive Director, our staff had been challenged to use a word other than family in our presentations and our writings. The narrow definition of family as those immediately blood-related, living in the same house has only been with us since World War II. There is no biblical word for family in either the Old Testament Hebrew or the New Testament Greek. The biblical understanding of family goes beyond being related by blood to include households, hired workers, servants, tribes, clans, and even an entire nation.

I have been told that it would be better to use a more inclusive word than family. So I tried phrases like bonded relationships or primary relationships. But they don’t communicate as well as family. The word family comes from the same root word as familiar. One is recognized because she lives closely with another. It is an intimate relationship that stresses closeness rather than the frequency of personal association.

Throughout the anniversary celebration of Irene and Mert Stommen’s marriage, I kept looking around at the family. Many were not related. Many would not even reach the same conclusions over political issues of our day. As the Strommen boys, a quartet, sang faithful songs that shared 60 years of family milestones, we smiled, laughed, and even cried. We could see that the closeness of this family was faith in Jesus Christ through the history of Norwegian piety and the Lutheran Free Church. The grace of God was shining in Irene’s face as she so eloquently spoke of the fun of growing closer in Christ. Even Merton–strong, stoic, Norwegian pietistic male–struggled not to have his voice break with deep emotion of the presence of a gracious God in Jesus Christ, throughout his very well prepared thanksgiving speech.

Family is much more than being related. It is living closely with Jesus Christ. Carolyn and I rejoiced when Irene and Mert invited us back to celebrate their 75th anniversary.

 

Family Activities

1.  If you were planning a wedding anniversary celebration to be held at your house, how many family members could you invite? Who would you invite? Make a list.

2.  A FaithChest® would be a wonderful gift to give at a wedding anniversary milestone celebration. The family stories and photos could be burned on a CD or DVD.

3.  Make a list of the folks that you consider family, those with whom you are familiar and live near. How might you let them know that they are considered family?

4.  Discuss the common thread that weaves and holds your family together. How will you keep that common thread strong?

5.  Whose families are you part of, and yet are not related?

 

Dick is an ordained Lutheran pastor and served as a parish pastor in congregations in South Dakota and Florida, and as assistant to the Bishop of the Nebraska Synod of the ELCA. Since 1994 Dick Hardel has served at The Youth & Family Institute as Executive Director, Director of Vision and Creative Ministry, Director of Wellness Ministries, and now Senior Fellow. 

This article on Positive Parenting was originally written for and published in the Metro Lutheran, a monthly newspaper in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN area. For more information about a FaithChest® see Dr. Hardel’s website: www.faithwellmt.com

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Rewire Your Brain for Change

 by Dr. Keith E. Webb

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” We all know how difficult it is to change. We get set in our ways.  Neuroscientists used to explain our difficulty in learning “new tricks” by saying the brain didn’t change during adulthood. Our brains, they thought, are wired to do what we’ve always done. New research shows our brains can change. We can rewire them. Your brain is like a circuit board with impulses shooting from neuron to neuron along pathways called synapses.

Let’s try it. If I say “chocolate,” what came to mind? “Yumm!” “Let’s eat.” “Where can I get some?” The thought of chocolate started in one neuron and shot across a synapse to your response neuron. Synapses are like muscles, the more you use them and the bigger they grow.

The trouble is, our thinking forms ruts—like deep ruts in a road. When the synaptic pathway is well-formed it’s difficult to respond in a different way—like trying to steer a car out of ruts.

The solution, neuroscientists say, is to form new pathways, and strengthen and enlarge those preferred thoughts. In other words, change your mind and literally grow your brain.

The Bible told us as much. The Greek word for repent means “to change one’s mind.” “Do not conform to any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2a).

 

“Stop It!” Doesn’t work.

When you focus on stopping doing something, you are still sending impulses along the old pathway, strengthening it further. The more you focus on that pathway, even negative attention, the stronger it grows. Thus, making change all the more difficult.

 

From… To…

Again, the Bible helps, look at the pattern of turning from something to something better: “You were taught…to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22

The pattern is significant. Move from what you want to change, to how you want to be. The key is to focus on the new thought or behavior to strengthen that new neural pathway. Or as the Bible says, renew your mind.

 

3 Steps to Change and Grow Your Brain

1.   Recognize: What thought or behavior would you like to change? What do you want to move from? What reasons do you have to change at all? Why change now?

2.   Refocus: What would you like to change it to? Be specific. What would it look like? How will you know when you have achieved it?

3.   Revalue: What benefits will you receive from the new? What will change? How will you feel? What will make this change worth it?

Change means renewing your mind: starting with making a decision to move from something, then focusing attention to a new way of being until that new way forms a strong pathway.

 

Dr. Keith E. Webb is a trainer and experienced cross-cultural leadership coach helping non-profit organizations, teams, and individuals multiply their cross-cultural impact. Find free articles at www.CreativeResultsManagement.com. 

Copyright © 2010 Keith E. Webb & CRM

 

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Latest edition available for download to use in your ministries.

Read the story of a family who waited out a severe E4 tornado beneath the church stairwell.

Missy Buchanan relates a classic RV story, but with a twist.

 

Download the editable Lifelong Significance Summer template 2011 (docx)
Download the PDF Lifelong Significance Summer template 2011

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Small Bites…Adventures in Downsizing

Jan Kinzel

Over the years, I have observed that everything is composed of elements.  A sculpture, a building, a painting, an outfit to wear, a meal – all of them have necessary elements that complete the undertaking.  And, each finished project is held together by a theme.  Years ago, I attended a show in San Francisco called “Beach Blanket Babylon.”  The playbill had a list of thirty or so musical numbers.  I looked at the first and the last, and wondered how they related to each other—and to all the others in between.  The show began and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz stepped on stage to announce that she was looking for a “rich doctor.”  Then I understood that she was the thread that held all the musical numbers together.

A strand of pearls is held together by the silk thread on which they are strung, but snip the thread and the pearls go all over the place. As my husband and I are choosing the ‘pearls’ that comprise the décor of our new condo, we are stringing them on the silk thread of Rustic Tuscan Elegance, a décor style that compliments the architecture and landscape of the whole complex. Warm and vibrant Tuscan gold wall color set off by creamy white ceilings, crown moldings and window trim with plantation shutters create a great backdrop for the other elements. Nutmeg stain on cherry wood gives a cheery feel to the cabinetry.  Anchoring the main living areas with dark plank hardwood flooring brings just a touch of formality to the rustic style.  Soft gold sculptured carpets in the two bedrooms add some softness and a Persian area rug in the living room highlights the furniture that sits on it.  The accent colors are cinnabar red and creamy white.

Because texture is a very important design component, both hard surfaces and soft textiles are needed.  Natural stone is added in various places. One whole wall in the living room has calm, creamy white ledge stone surrounding the fireplace.  Granite, with big swirls for the counters, Travertine tiles, and polished marble complete the stone element.  For the soft textures we have chosen a ‘mushroomy’ white velvet couch and cinnabar Italian leather chairs for the living room.

Decorating a small space for comfy living takes lots of research and planning! With downsizing, keeping every element to scale influences all other considerations. Every inch counts.

 

Deconstructed as a food term means the elements of the dish stay separated. Cobb Salad is an iconic example. Deconstructed – good! Decomposed – not so good.

 

DECONSTRUCTED CHOPPED SALAD

4 cups gently packed baby arugula washed and dried

2 cups tomatoes cored and seeded, diced to ½ inch

1 medium English cucumber seeded, diced to ½ inch

1 cup Kalamata olives pitted and quartered

8 ounces firm feta diced to ½ inch

3 cups garlic croutons

Garlic croutons

3 cups sturdy bread (such as ciabatta), cut into ½ inch cubes

1/3 cup garlic flavored extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fined grated lemon zest

Toss bread in olive oil

Bake in 375 degree oven on cookie sheet for 12 minutes until golden. Return them to large bowl toss with zest and salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

Dressing

¾ cup good extra virgin olive oil

½ cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chopped oregano

½  – 1 teaspoon anchovy paste

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix in a bowl and let stand for at least 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Lay arugula on a large platter and artfully arrange, in strips, all the chopped ingredients atop the arugula, sprinkle the croutons. Whisk the dressing together and drizzle lightly over the entire salad. Allow guests to spoon elements of the salad on their plates and drizzle some dressing.

DECONSTRUCTED PESTO PASTA

Large pot with 4 – 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. dried corkscrew pasta

½ cup toasted pine nuts

4 oz. coarsely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves cut into ¼ inch-wide strips

(Keeping the pesto ingredients intact is the reason this dish is considered deconstructed.)

Bring water to a boil.  In a large skillet, gently heat the olive oil and slices of garlic over low heat stirring frequently, until the garlic starts to turn golden. Remove from heat and stir in about ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water, drain the rest from the pasta. Pour the garlic and olive oil over the hot pasta and toss. Deglaze the skillet with the reserved pasta water and add that to pasta and toss well. Add the pine nuts and cheese to pasta and toss again until thoroughly mixed. Transfer to a serving bowl. Just before serving, toss in the basil. Pass extra cheese with a grater for those who want more.

 

 

Tip: The theme (thread) and elements (pearls) principle can be applied to many life situations.

 

Genesis 1:1-31 & 2:1-4 … God designed everything! He is in each element.

                   Blessings from JAN KINZEL

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Seminar: Igniting Boomers for Significant Impact

“Why are the Boomers in our congregation so uncommitted?  It seems like they used to be so involved and now all they do is attend.”

This question from the Outreach Pastor of a nearby church expresses a growing concern throughout North America. What’s happening to this generation of believers that is supposed to be so interested in “finishing well,” investing their skills and talents, and making a significant impact with the remaining years of their life?

The Finishers Project, partners with the CASA Network, has studied this phenomenon and now offers local churches an opportunity to delve into this challenge. An insightful, one-day seminar is designed to enable church leadership toward a better understanding of, and communication with, this unique boomer generation. It is possible to help them connect with fulfilling ministry roles.

Facilitated by Tom Adelsman, Director of Church Ministries, and Don Parrott, Finishers President, the “Igniting Boomers For Significant Impact” seminar provides a practical understanding of the boomer mindset, why they become less engaged in our churches, and insights into communicating in ways they will hear. The desire of Finishers Project is to help churches mobilize this powerful force of workers for kingdom impact locally and worldwide.

This one-day, adult-learning workshop rotates between short presentations by Adelsman and Parrott, then round-the-table interaction on the questions and challenges presented. Participants and church staff, working with mid-life and beyond adults or lay leadership, leave the four-hour session with a greater understanding of how to help these vital people connect with ministries that utilize their God-given passions.

One recent participant stated, “This meeting was very beneficial to me. It was as advertised!”

We encourage you to contact Finishers Project by phone or email to see if this seminar might be offered in your area. Email: toma@finishers.org, or call 480-854-4444.

 

Don Parrott is President of Finishers Project. For more information, see their website http://finishers.org/.

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Did you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776?

(One may find slight variations on this topic, but the following is generally accepted as a common description of folding the American flag.)

All Americans should be given a lesson on the significance of our flag draped over the coffin of one who served the country. Those who think that the United States of America is an arrogant nation should really reconsider. The founding fathers used God’s Word and Christian teachings to establish the nation, and it is time Americans are reminded of this nation’s history.

Take the time to read this, to understand what the flag draped over the coffin really means, the flag that is surrendered to so many widows and widowers. Pass this message along and be proud of the country we live in, and even more proud of those who serve to protect our God given rights and freedoms.

Have you ever noticed how the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the American flag 13 times? You may have thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day.

The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents the weaker nature; as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”

The 6th fold is for where people’s hearts lie. It is with their heart that they pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America , and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The 7th fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.

The 11th fold in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christian’s eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

The 13th fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their nation’s motto, “In God We Trust.”

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the sailors and marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today.

There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future when you see flags folded, you will know a little more. So, share this with the children you love, and all others who love the symbol of liberty and freedom.

Taken from Wikipedia and other sources, including Charles F. Hamblen, American Legion Post 37, Department of Florida. See also a website dedicated to the American flag (http://www.usflag.org/foldflag.html)

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INVEST IN YOUR 50+ MINISTRY LEADERS!

Here’s an encouragement to Senior Pastors everywhere. Invest in your 40/50 ministry pastors and lay leaders! Often overlooked and under appreciated, they set the bar for the 40 percent (or more) of your congregation who are 50+ in age. You’ve given them the task of motivating, encouraging, teaching and caring for the older adults in your church family. They may also be a key to success in the intergenerational emphasis you want for your congregation. But to do this they need your support.

The truth is that most who accept this assignment have received little or no special training for the task. The rest of your team is likely better prepared than those charged with older adult ministry. Even if they have years of pastoral experience, even if they were fortunate enough to receive higher educational training in a Christian university or seminary there is a good chance they’ve received little or no preparation for what you’ve assigned them to do. And if you are still unsure about investing in these leaders, think church budget. Remember, you’ve given away the responsibility of working with a demographic that controls 65 percent of the nation’s wealth!

It’s Why more and more churches across the USA and Canada are becoming ministry partners in the CASA Network. It is How senior pastors have been empowering those who lead older adult ministry in their churches: they expose their team to some of North America’s leading pastors, educators and 50+ ministry leaders at the CASA Network’s International 50+ Ministry Leadership Conferences–like the one set to happen on November 9-11 in Anaheim CA. Don’t you think you should, too?

Think Dr. Richard Gentzler, National Director of the Center on Aging and Older-Adult Ministry for the United Methodist Church, sharing the “why” and “how” on starting intentional older adult ministries. Think Dr. Laura Carstensen, Founding Director of the Stanford Institute on Longevity, and her fresh views on “a long bright future” for the longest living generations. Think David Fraze, Student Ministries Director at the Hills Church of Christ in North Richland Hills, TX, as he “revisits our definition of family.”

Think Pastor Rod Toews of the Peninsula Covenant Church, Redwood City, CA, who personally visited 44 churches in the USA to study their older adult ministries. Think author-to-older-adults Missy Buchanan, a recent guest on ABC’s Good Morning America as she talks about faith and aging. Think Chip Arn, one of America’s leading researcher/teachers in church growth and 50+ age ministry. Think Robin Carey, M.S., and discover the power of spiritual coach/mentoring with CASA’s new project, Start the Conversation! Then remind yourself that these are only part of what will be happening during ILC—Anaheim. There is much more!

Invest! Become a CASA Network ministry partner. You are already reading this on the gocasa website. The rest is easy. Do whatever it takes to get your people to ILC-Anaheim on November 9-11. Better still: bring them with you! Show that you understand how important their part of Kingdom ministry is to your church. For those who are intentional about being (or becoming) an intergenerational church, bring your youth pastor, too. His understanding of older adult ministry is another key to your success.

The CASA Network ILC is not showy, just solid. It is built on the premise that nearly 40% of America and Canada is 50+ in age and getting older. With lifetimes of experience and skills, knowledge and wisdom, the Christ followers in this age group can be your greatest ally for Kingdom ministry.

 

 

 

 

Ward

 

Where in the World is Ward?

2011

Aug 10-11 – Fresh Horizons 50+ Ministry Leadership Conference - Tauranga, New Zealand

Aug 18 – Fresh Horizons 50+ Ministry Leadership Conference – Caloundra QLD, Australia

Aug 19-21 Regional Senior’s Retreat – Caloundra QLD, Australia

Sept 24 – The Intergenerational Challenge – Denver CO

Oct 18-20 Mount Hermon Fall Adult Conference – Mount Hermon CA

Nov 08 – CASA Network Board of Directors – Anaheim CA

> Nov 09-11 - ILC-Anaheim – The CASA Network International 50+ Ministry Leadership Conference

 

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