Archive for August, 2011

Dreams are Powerful Motivators

off the rockersDr. Charles Arn

Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

 

Senior adults in most churches have more available time … give more financially (one study indicated seven times more) than younger members … have years of valuable experience working in the church … don’t go “church shopping,” nor do they often move their residence … their work quality is high, and church loyalty solid.

There’s only one problem.  Many seniors have given up on the idea of getting involved. And worse, many churches have given up on them, too.

 

Out of the Rocking Chair

So, how do we tap into this bountiful resource of human spirit?  What can church leaders do to help senior adults out of their rocking chairs and back into active ministry?  Here are some suggestions:

#1: Help senior adults re‑capture a dream.

Sherwood Wirt, author of I Don’t Know What Old Is, But Old Is Older Than Me, opens his book with the following comment: “The number one problem facing older people today is not aging itself. Nor is it a diminished income, or dependence on relatives or loneliness, or mental depression, or unhappy memories, or fear of death. The number one problem with us older people, as I see it, is a lack of vision.”

How do senior adults re‑capture a dream? The first step is to help them focus their attention away from themselves onto someone or something else. Dreams journey beyond oneself. Help seniors find a cause to support, a person to mentor, a mission to pursue. For “… unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone. But if it dies it brings forth much fruit” (John 12:24).

Next, integrate the pursuit of the dream into a ministry of the church. If there are dreams in the hearts of some seniors for helping young children get a fair start in life, work with the seniors to begin a parent effectiveness training course and adopt-a-grandchild program. If some seniors dream of learning new skills, begin a series of stimulating courses open to members and non‑members alike. If some dreams are for seeing friends reached for Christ, develop a friendship evangelism training strategy.

Solomon’s words of wisdom apply particularly to senior adults: “Without a vision, the people perish.”

 

#2: Help senior adults discover and use their spiritual gift/s.

Senior adults who have found and are using their spiritual gifts have discovered that,  a) they are more productive in their Christian life, and  b) they are happier and more fulfilled.

There are numerous books and discovery guides to help senior adults (and others) discover their gifts. The value of such a process is substantial:

  • Retirees find identity in their spiritual gift/s, even though their occupational identity has been taken from them.
  • Those using their gifts are more effective and productive.
  • Unity among members and harmony in the church are by‑products of people using their gift.
  • More significant ministry can be accomplished in a church.
  • More senior adults will be involved.

 

#3: Help senior adults do “kingdom work” rather than “busy work.”

Kingdom work is activity that touches lives for Christ and the church. Busy work is activity for activity’s sake. Seniors, more than most, know the value of time.  And their time, more than most, is limited. Consequently, older adults want to use the time they have as productively as possible. Folding bulletins, arranging chairs, and stuffing envelopes may be important to the functioning of the church, but it is not a very effective way for senior adults to touch people’s lives.

The Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena, CA has focused on deploying seniors in kingdom work. They have developed a “Helping Hands” ministry that is managed entirely by their retirees. Needy families in the Pasadena area come to receive food and clothing, and the members they come in contact with are the seniors. Another ministry of the church is “Heart to Heart,” where members scheduled for open heart surgery receive a visit from a senior adult who has had heart surgery themselves, who serves as a reassuring counselor. A widow support group brings together people who have recently lost a spouse with those who have experienced this loss earlier. These are examples of “kingdom work”–work that is significant and fulfilling.

 

#4: Involve senior adults in short‑term tasks rather than long‑term roles.

In our research, we have found that one common characteristic of older adult men and women is that they prefer short-term tasks over long term roles. A short-term task may be anytime from three weeks to six months. It might be serving on a task force to raise money for a missionary. It might be organizing a greeter training program. It could be organizing a small Bible study group for new retirees. But there is a singular goal with an identifiable completion date. In contrast, many churches have one, two, even three year terms on various boards or committees. And some positions (such as Sunday School teacher) often sound like life sentences. Senior adults value flexibility. They want the freedom to leave for weeks or months at a time. They don’t know what health situations may change their mobility. And they want to participate in tasks they can see through to completion.

 

#5: Recognize achieving senior adults. 

How do you reward and praise your senior adults who are willing to get out of their rocking chairs and back into the mainstream? Positive reinforcement is one of the most powerful motivators for continued behavior. Public affirmation. Private gratitude. Notes of thanks. Words of praise. Seniors know the value of their time. Do you? And do you thank them for it?

One side benefit in frequent public affirmations is that the more seniors are thanked for their involvement, the more those uninvolved members will see what their peers are doing. Anyone — of any age — is influenced by what his or her peers are doing. Through public affirmation you are trying to “get the ball rolling” and build momentum that will become self‑perpetuating in senior adult involvement.

 

 

Dr. Charles Arn serves as Visiting Professor of Outreach and Christian Ministry at the new Wesley Seminary in Marion, Indiana. He completed his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Southern California, majoring in Instructional Design and Technology. Learn more at his website: www.HeartbeatMinistries.net.  

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Small Bites … Adventures in Downsizing

family graffitiJan Kinzel

 

Yes!  We bought cans of spray paint for our five grandchildren! There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this aberrant behavior of perfectly dignified, law-biding, gray-haired grandparents.

The condominium we purchased, and soon will be moving into, had no model for us to sit in and visualize how we might plan our new living space. The model of ours is the sales office and is not configured the same as ours. The wonderful saleswomen guided us to Linda, a woman who has the same style of unit that we will have, and made arrangements for us to meet her. She invited us to come to her home to see the layout and take measurements and the like. Of course, we had the blueprints, but seeing the build-out was invaluable to us. Linda has become a great friend. We decided to begin our friendship early. We go to lunch and movies and sometimes I walk Sonny, her dog, with her.

One day when I was at Linda’s, she showed me some pictures of graffiti on concrete. And then she shared a very fun activity that she and her grandchildren had done. Before any of the decorative flooring was installed, she had her grandchildren spray messages on the slab of her home. I loved the idea and asked permission from Linda and the builder to do the same in our unit. When all of our family were together a month or so ago, we went to Wal-Mart, purchased the paint with trigger tops and went to our condo which was at the perfect stage to do this. My husband sprayed several large frames on the floors throughout the rooms – this gave the kids some boundaries. They donned hard hats, received the cans of paint and went for it!  We all had so much fun. My husband took pictures of their artwork. Once the floors are installed the artwork will no longer be visible, but as we walk through the rooms we can imagine the pictures under our feet and revisit the fond memories of that day.

 

STAINED GLASS DESSERT

This dessert/salad looks like a work of art! It’s a holiday favorite for our family, we use it as a salad with turkey dinner.

Jell-o Squares

1 large pkg. each – lime, cherry, orange Jell-o
1½ cups boiling water for each package

Dissolve each Jell-o in separate containers keeping colors separate.  Glass pie plates or square disposable plastic containers with seals work well.  Lightly spray containers with Pam before adding Jell-o.  This helps with removal and keeps the edges neat.  Chill overnight.

 

Cream Mixture

1 cup pineapple juice
1 large package of lemon Jell-o

In a saucepan, heat lemon Jell-o in pineapple juice until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add 12 ice cubes. Stir until mixture is syrupy and chilled. Remove any un-melted ice.

Whip 1 pint of heavy cream and add ¼ cup sugar. Whip until peaks hold. Fold whipped cream mixture into pineapple mixture, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream.

Cut the colored firm Jell-o into 1 inch cubes.  Carefully fold the colored cubes into the whipped cream mixture.

 

Crust

24 crushed graham crackers (do this in a food processor, or purchase the crumbs in a box)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar then stir in melted butter, coating all of the crumb mixture. Line a spring form pan or an English trifle bowl with 2/3 of the crust mixture. Bring the sides of the crust up only about an inch or so.  This way the colors of the Jell-o squares will show. I like to use the clear trifle bowl because it shows off the colors but is much less messy to serve. Turn the cream & Jell-o onto the crust. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 6 – 12 hours.

 

Tip:  Sometimes you have to think ‘inside the box’.

John 8:8 ……Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground…….

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conversation

As a pastor, I know that many Christ followers experience more guilt than success when it comes to fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:19. Especially the part about, “Go and make disciples.” It was not a request, not an optional volunteer opportunity to somehow work into our busyness. It was a command. Something Jesus seemed to think was part of our spiritual DNA. So why do so many of us feel so guilty about something so important as this?

In his book Mentor Like Jesus, Regi Campbell states, “Life doesn’t happen in church. Church can prepare us for life…but life happens at home, at work, on vacation, in our neighborhoods. If we’re going to share a ‘piece of our map’ with the next generation, for their benefit, then we must be out on the road with them, doing life together. The lessons get taught in the context of everyday life, in everyday situations, through the wisdom of God planted and nurtured in the life of one of his more mature kids.”

When it comes to “making disciples,” the reality is, Jesus didn’t say, “tell” them. He said, “make” them. He was in essence saying, “Start the conversation. Build a relationship. Invest more time with fewer people.”  He didn’t leave us a success formula or an impossible task. Nothing is worse than to be handed a job you aren’t suited for, one in which you are bound to fail. Jesus would never do that. Yet he gives a command with the expectation that “making disciples” would be our normal lifestyle ingredient.

So the question is, how have we been tricked into believing that making disciples is too hard, too presumptuous, someone else’s responsibility? Like Moses, we have said, “O my Lord, I am not…eloquent…I am slow of speech and slow of tongue…please send anyone else whom you wish to send!” (Ex 4:10,13). (It was following this rather pathetic plea that the Lord became angry with Moses. Just saying.)

The truth is, “making disciples,” whether it’s with our children, parents, grandchildren, neighbors, co-workers, students on campus, business clients, or just about anybody, is often more about “listening” than “telling.” More about knowing how to ask good questions than having all the answers. It’s about stirring the glowing embers of faith and value in our peers and leaving a light of hope on for the next generation.

 

Influencing the Generations.

With this in mind, the CASA Network introduces an exciting new Coach/Mentoring workshop, Start the Conversation – ‘Leaving a Spiritual Legacy,’ in which key coach/mentoring skills are married with the desire we all have to share life with those that Jesus wants to love through us. Workshop participants learn key coach/mentor skills, including how to listen effectively, how to ask powerful questions, the COACH Model™, how to maximize the potential in others, and how to create more meaningful and supportive conversations as leaders, family members, co-workers and friends.

Start the Conversation will not make you a professional coach or mentor. It is a uniquely designed, intergenerational workshop for seniors in high school to seniors in life (ages 18-88), providing key coach/mentor skills that you and those you serve as pastor, teacher, husband, wife, parent, student or friend will use every day to build up, strengthen, encourage and share life together. In this fun and highly interactive workshop the mystery of “making disciples” is stripped away as fulfilling Christ’s command becomes an everyday life experience. Each STC participant receives a workshop manual.

Start the Conversation will be introduced at the ILC—Anaheim Leadership Conference, November 9-11. For an STC brochure and information about hosting this workshop in your church, denominational group or parachurch organization, contact info@gocasa.org or call 888.200.8552.

That’s right. It’s time to stir the glowing embers in your peers and leave a light on for the next generation. Let’s Start the Conversation and Influence the Generations!

 

 

 

 

 

Ward

 

 

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS WARD?

2011

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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chess Is your closet running low on board games? 

 

A company in California has recently come out with a game that’s as accessible as logging in to Facebook.

Incorporating high production quality, music, graphics, effects and the newest Facebook social features while telling the story of a very important historical figure, Hexify has developed a new game, Journey of Moses, to meet a void in the market for a biblically based game.

“Weaving throughout ancient Egypt and the Middle East, the Journey of Moses is a fun, immersive adventure game, complete with complex characters, engaging quests, puzzles and mysteries,” said Brent Dusing, CEO of Hexify. “Whether you already play social games or you are interested in the story of Moses, we believe we have created a game that everyone can enjoy.”

Players will experience the many twists and turns as they explore milestones in the life of Moses – from growing up in the king’s house as an Egyptian to his exile in the wilderness. Then, after an encounter at the burning bush–spoiler alert!–Moses’ life is changed and he eventually leads the Israelites out of Pharaoh’s rule.

Journey of Moses, like many other social games, provides a forum for community, entertainment and gaming with friends. The game is free to play, though as with other Facebook games, players can purchase goods along the way to help enhance their experience.

 

About the company: out of a passion for games, Dusing and Chief Technical Officer Preston Tollinger started Hexify, Inc. in 2010. Already well-known within Silicon Valley, Tollinger and Dusing quickly built a brand and credibility among the social gaming industry. The Journey of Moses is Hexify’s third Facebook adventure game.

To find out more about the game visit the Hexify website Journey of Moses page. To play the game visit: http://apps.facebook.com/journeyofmoses/.

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 Small Bites… Adventures in Downsizing

breakfast Jan Kinzel

Oh, what a beautiful morning…..sitting by the serene sun-drenched hotel pool, enjoying a cool and very gentle breeze. The birds take their perches on the pitches of the Spanish-tiled roofs telegraphing to each other their plans for the day. It’s the first day of August and we have a move-in date of September 12!  Six more weeks to moving time and six more weeks of biding my time at the hotel. It’s vibrant here. The last couple of weeks the hotel has been filled with traveling teams of young people playing in various sports tournaments. The parents and coaches come along, too, making it a fun and interesting mix. Many different areas of the USA are represented, and represented well. The kids are pleasant, cheerful and excited about what each day will bring. Joeux d’ vie!

Morning is aging and soon they will stir, go to breakfast the hotel provides, and break the serenity I have been enjoying while I lounge at the pool. Now the space will be filled with exuberance, texting, giggling, rough-housing and the like. Am I disturbed by all of this? No! I feel privileged to be here among it all, and for a few moments, remember the days when my children were in their growing-up years! It’s time for me to get moving anyway to get ready for the day. We have a wedding to attend and other activities. But it’s great to take the time to enjoy the early moments of a beautiful morning in the sunshine with the birds chirping away on the rooftops.

Breakfast!  A great way to greet a new day and express love to family and friends!

 

The Menu: 
Baked Eggs with Fresh Herbs and Cream
Croutons
Little Smokie Links
Broiled Grapefruit
Toasted English Muffins with Sliced Strawberries
Freshly Squeezed Orange juice
Steaming Coffee

 

Baked Eggs with Fresh Herbs and Cream

Use two extra large eggs per person. With vegetable spray, coat a ramekin for each person. Place a small pat of butter in each dish and carefully add two eggs per dish. Season the eggs with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle a mix of finely chopped fresh herbs on and around the eggs. I like to use a little sage, thyme and basil. Add a teaspoon of crème sherry wine and 1/3 cup of half and half cream.  Bake in a 3750 oven until whites are set and yolks are cooked to desired doneness. Remove from the oven, garnish with a couple of basil or sage leaves. Place two of the croutons in one side to finish the presentation.

 

Croutons

Slice a sour dough French baguette on the diagonal making thin large pieces. Lightly butter the slices and toast them on a baking sheet until very crisp. Rub a clove of garlic over the toasted bread.

 

Little Smokies

Place Hillshire Lil’ Smokies on a baking sheet lined with release aluminum foil. Bake at 4000 until they are lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and serve family style.

 

Broiled Grapefruit

Use tart grapefruits and cut into halves. To make them easy to eat, cut between the membranes and around the rim loosening the sections. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of brown sugar and place a maraschino cherry with a stem in the center of each grapefruit.  Place under the broiler until the sugar bubbles and begins to caramelize. Serve each in a bowl.

 

Toasted English Muffins with Sliced Strawberries

Toast English muffin halves in a toaster or on a baking sheet in the oven. After toasting, spread with butter or your favorite spread.  Sprinkle the buttered side with ½ teaspoon of granulated sugar. Top each one with sliced strawberries. Place on a platter and serve family style.

 fresh squeeze

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Serve the juice in a special way of some sort.  I like to serve it in a pitcher with matching juice glasses that are hand painted in a rooster motif. (I also use rooster and chicken printed paper napkins and color coordinate the rest of the table.) I tell my grandchildren that we are “having breakfast with the chickens!” Another serving suggestion is to pre-pour the juice in flutes or martini glasses and garnish with a thin orange slice and sprig of mint.

 

Steaming coffee in French press pots is a fun touch!

 

Tip: Look for the rare soulful opportunities and appreciate the gift.
This is the day the Lord has made…be glad… Psalm 118:24.

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Footprints in the Mud

grandfather grandson

I grew up as a young lad on a farm in eastern Washington State—high desert for those of you who have never visited this northwest region of America. We were “dry land farmers,” more than a few of whom possessed sturdy Danish heritage. Grain crops varied in bushels per acre depending on a rainfall averaging 7-15 inches annually. It goes without saying, when the rains came, it was gratefully received.

And for me the rain was first and foremost an excuse to play. To carve out mighty rivers from ruts in the dirt road in front of our home. To turn small puddles into great lakes, and blocks of wood into battleships and aircraft carriers fighting wars in which the good guys always won. To dream, to imagine, and to play as raindrops fell during springtime squalls was a grand occupation for a boy who lived in the country.

A time to leave footprints in the mud.

Eventually, however, the rains ceased. The sun came out. And all too quickly, things changed. The road steamed and baked in the heat of the day. Mighty rivers and great lakes that had been scenes of great battles quickly disappeared. Cars and trucks, tractors and animals ran over them. Imagining was over. Reality set in, and life went on.

The footprints were gone.

A few weeks ago we took our 10-year-old grandson, Jesse, who was visiting from Savannah, Georgia, to the farm where his grandpa grew up, and where his own father had spent two summers working. I wanted him to experience …what? A childhood memory? How it was when I was 10? We stood on the roadway and looked around. Everything was the same. And everything was different, too. The dirt road was still there, but it too had changed somehow. Or was it I who had changed? Was this a mere youthful regression or would it arrange itself meaningfully in the memories of our grandson?

Memory is a beautiful gift, reminding us of where we’ve been, what we’ve done, how we’ve lived our lives. We can share it (and we should) with our children and theirs. But we can’t expect it to be for them what it was for us. Times have changed. These are the days of Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3; cell phones and movies on demand. We can’t possibly connect with the generations that follow us. Or can we?

I watched the evening turn into night as we sat ‘round an outdoor fire, cooked burgers and chili and roasted marshmallows, while Jesse and his cousin’s dog wore each other down chasing a ball. And later, working at a table, I watched him form up the “Seven Wonders of the World” with wood blocks of varied shapes. Impressive to say the least. Why hadn’t I thought of doing that? Then he took pictures of it with his Nintendo DSi. Okay, there are some things I could never have thought about. One thing for sure though, new/old toys do mingle. So do new/old ideas and experiences. And new/old generations.

After almost two weeks together, we sat with Jesse in the airport, waiting for his call to board the plane and begin the journey home (one more thing I never dreamed of doing when I was 10). Just before it was time to go, he looked up at us and said quietly, “I’m sure going to miss you!” My words exactly.

 

What are the takeaways for each of us? Here are three:

  1. We can and should share our past with those who follow us; we just can’t live there.
  2. It is a new day, but dogs and balls and burgers and chili, roasted marshmallows and wooden blocks still work their magic with any generation. Linking the changeless with that which is ever changing is a good thing for any generation.
  3. When connecting across the ages, with 50s or 30somethings or teens or even 10 year-olds, often all it really takes is enough time invested in listening, reflecting, laughing and sharing.

…And making footprints in the mud.

 

 

 

 

 

Ward

 

 

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How Churches are Becoming Intentionally Intergenerational

church choir Article by Amy Hanson

 

Article Summary

Today’s society often segments people by age and young and old have few opportunities to interact. However, some churches are discovering that intergenerational ministry is a rewarding, Godhonoring work, and they are finding ways to encourage meaningful connections across generational lines.

 

This article is available through leadnet.org. Download it here.

 

Amy will be joining us this November at the CASA Network International Leadership Conference. For more info, go to the conference page.

Dr. 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. Learn more from her website: www.amyhanson.org. 

 

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Some Thoughts on Change

by Pastor John Coulombe

 

I read a recent article entitled “12 Things that Became Obsolete This Decade.” It was a stunning read and a wake-up call regarding how quickly our world is changing! Note the facts, and I’m sure we could add to the list:abacus

  1. Calling (replaced with text messaging, Instant Messaging, Tweeting, and emailing).
  2. Classified in newspapers
  3. Dial-up Internet
  4. Encyclopedias
  5. CDs
  6. Landline phones
  7. Film (and film cameras)
  8. Yellow Pages and address books
  9. Catalogs
  10. Fax machines
  11. Wires
  12. Hand-written letters

We feel the pressure to keep up with the times, to stay in touch with our world and the people in our world. After all, the Scriptures seem to be clear regarding the importance of ‘world awareness’…the sons of Issachar were men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do…(1 Chron. 12:32). We’re also reminded that David served God’s purpose in his own generation…(Acts 13:36). That requires awareness.

However, in our quest to connect and continue to grow on our journey, our heads spin and our hearts churn.  Keeping up with life—and the Jones, Garcias, Steins, Vishus, Abduls–is exhausting. So how then shall we live, keep up with the changes, yet stay focused on God’s purposes? Here are a few suggestions.

There is no constant like change. Everything in life changes, and if it doesn’t it dies or becomes meaningless. Look at your plants, fence, car, house, friendships, dreams, marriage. The world constantly changes and what’s true of biology is also true of faith: if it isn’t growing it’s probably dead. When you’re through changing, you’re through!  Let your roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him. See that you go on growing in the Lord (Col. 2:7)

Now for a little theology:  The only constant in life is our God. He is unchanging! God never changes, but wants to change us. For I the Lord, do not change (Mal.3:6). You can’t improve on Him; there’s no ‘new and improved God!’ You don’t mess with perfection. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). I find great comfort knowing that our God is not fickle, but is trustworthy, cannot lie and will not change the rules. Yes, there is a new covenant which replaced the old covenant, but that was always in the plan and was designed in eternity past to improve the way we could relate to our God (Heb. 6:17-18)!

It is natural and normal to both love and fear change. Mark Twain commented, “the only person who likes change is a wet baby!” In fact, there is even an official phobia called “misoreism” which is a hatred or fear of change or innovation. So here is a reminder. It is vital that there be change, not just around us, but within us. It’s not wrong to be where we are—it’s just wrong to STAY where we are when it comes to relationships, either earthly or heavenly! Change requires trust, trust requires vulnerability and vulnerability requires submission to Christ and one another.

As we move ahead as a church and as the people of God, may we be open to the changes that are necessary in order for us to relate and reach our world with the Gospel. On the other hand may we hold on to those unchanging truths which will never be outdated and will be good for both time and eternity.

 

So then, my beloved…work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:12-14).

 

John Coulombe has been in pastoral ministry since Judson Baptist College and Biola/Talbot Seminary days, working with youth in Redondo Beach and Long Beach, and for 17 years with youth and families in Santa Barbara. For 21 years at First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, CA, John has served as Pastor to Senior Adults. He and Jacque teach in churches and conferences on issues surrounding marriage, family and grandparenting.

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