Posts Tagged ‘Leona Bergstrom’

Book Review

Leona Bergstrom

Building Below the Waterline: Shoring Up the Foundations of Leadership. By Gordon MacDonald.

“God, do you have a fresh call for a 60-something guy?”

This question, posed by author Gordon MacDonald on the very last page of his recent book, Building Below the Waterline: Shoring Up the Foundations of Leadership, captured the cry of my heart. The entire book pulses with wisdom, insights and honest transparency. But this particular rhetorical question throbs with urgency as I cross off the final months of life in my “fifties.”

One would think from the title that this is another book on becoming an effective leader in the 21st century church. And yes, it has sage advice for all leaders, particularly pastors, about building a strong inner life that will withstand all of the storms of ministry. But, from my vantage point, it is a manifesto for all of us in midlife who wonder if we have what it takes to minister, much less lead, for a lifetime.

Painting an image of crossing the Colorado plains only to butt up against the impenetrable Rocky Mountains, MacDonald depicts a common angst: “You get the feeling you can’t go anywhere. You’re trapped. The illusion of barrierlessness is inverted. ….That’s the perception of more than one midlifer in leadership. The freshness is gone; the fears of mediocrity, of ineffectiveness, of being lost in the shuffle are malignant.”

Do not despair. Gordon MacDonald doesn’t, and his journey of renewal and transformation inspires one to focus again on calling, mission and finishing extraordinarily well.

 

“It was a significant day when I was hit with the question: What kind of an old man do you want to be? And I opted for growth and grace as my old-age lifestyle. …I looked around and discovered I didn’t know many old men who impressed me with the same traits as in Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses.”* Why? Maybe because most men and women never build a growth plan for the old years. And if you don’t plan for the kind of man or woman you want to be when you are eighty (God willing) and begin building that when you are forty or fifty, it’s not likely going to happen.” (pp 28-29)

What MacDonald presents in this 250-page, can’t-put-it-down thesis, is a personally seasoned guide for identifying mission and purpose; for building a strong inner soul that is marked by a deep, intimate walk with God; and for developing relationships with loved ones that are significant, revitalizing, and FUN. He probes like a skilled surgeon around the infections of the inner soul, calling the reader to repentance and renewal. The anecdote is grace – “The older I become the more I realize my condition as a barbarian loved by my Father. And this may be the most important insight that comes with aging. Almost all old people who are growing have certain common traits. One of them is that they know without equivocation that they are sinners. And they have come to appreciate the central importance of grace.” (p. 37)

The book is actually divided into two parts: The Inner Life of a Leader, and The Outer Life of a Leader. The first section addresses the issue of personal spiritual direction, including advice on journaling, praying, studying and growing. The second section offers profound insight into the public side of ministry – including dealing with church conflict, how to guide a church through change and transition, and how to know when it’s time to leave a congregation. Lessons learned by a man who has been a pastor, leader, author, mentor and long-time disciple of Jesus.

The book caused me to reflect and even weep – tears of repentance as well as of anticipation. Through his writings MacDonald has coached me in experiencing anew that “fresh call” for this almost 60 –year-old gal.

 

You may experience the same.

 

*MacDonald states (p. 28), “I love the words of Tennyson in his poem Ulysses. He imagines the old, travel-worn Ulysses brooding on what one might do for an encore after having seen the world:

Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

 

Leona Bergstrom is Director of Lifetime Ministries (a division of ChurchHealth), a ministry dedicated to assisting churches in developing powerful and effective programs for and by older adults. Along with her husband, Richard, Leona is co-director of 2nd ½ for Him Ministries of the Baptist General Conference. This review was also published with Converge Worldwide | 2nd 1/2 for Him. 

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Culture Change…

Leona Bergstrom

Scribbled words on newsprint reflect the concerns adult ministries leaders carry in their hearts as they attended the recent Re-Ignite Network Gathering. It wasn’t hard to identify the top issue, as person after person cast his vote by marking an “X” by the questions:

How can we change the church culture so that aging is valued, not discounted?

How do we create a new vision for ministry in the second half of life?

How can we be proactive instead of reactive?

Great questions, but difficult to answer. Culture change is not about restructuring organizations or programs. It’s about changing the shared beliefs, values and behaviors of the people within that organization. And when it comes to aging, churches today have a long way to go to actually change these. In the field of gerontology there is a growing realization that for too long we have perceived our aging journey as going from active adulthood to decrepit elderhood in one giant leap. However, current thinking establishes a new life stage in which adults may be of “retirement” age, but are far from being frail, feeble and infirm. During this life stage adults have an increasing desire to discover their passions, gifts and abilities and reinvest these in new areas of service. They are flocking to find volunteer opportunities, “encore” careers and intentional mentoring relationships. And organizations around the world are welcoming these seasoned, and sometimes sassy, adults. All too often the church is not the organization that highly values this unnamed generation. Thus, we lose the energy and the spiritual impact that might have been.

Clearly there is a need for culture change. We need to change our shared values, beliefs and behaviors to incorporate all ages and stages of life into the community called the church.

 

Leona Bergstrom is Director of Lifetime Ministries (a division of ChurchHealth), a ministry dedicated to assisting churches in developing powerful and effective programs for and by older adults. Along with her husband, Richard, Leona is co-director of 2nd ½ for Him Ministries of the Baptist General Conference. This article was also published in Converge Worldwide BGC  ”Boomers and Beyond” in May 2011.

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Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

The Bergstroms live in Seattle where Richard is Executive Pastor at Northshore Baptist Church in Bothell WA. Leona is Director of Lifetime Ministries, a division of ChurchHealth. She and Richard are Co-Directors of 2nd ½ for Him Ministries/Converge Worldwide (Baptist General Conference). They are co-authors of Amazing Grays: Unleashing the Power of Age in Your Congregation. Leona has worked in the field of gerontology for 35 years. She is an Advisory Council member/CRISTA Senior Living, co-producer of the short film, Musical Chairs, and Secretary of the Board of CASA Network.

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How to Leave Life’s Most Important Gift

Leona D. Bergstrom, Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

There is much talk these days about what it means to leave a legacy. Perhaps it’s because we Boomers are actually beginning to understand our own mortality. In this month alone we personally have buried one friend and heard of three more who recently received dire, perhaps terminal, diagnoses.

It makes one begin to wonder how long one has to live a life that will not just be missed, but will be remembered as significant. We call that “leaving a legacy” – a gift to the next generation that reflects the essence of our life, our values, our faith, our standards and principles, our experience, our lessons, and our deep spiritual beliefs. A legacy has been defined down through the ages as a ‘connection’ – something that will always be associated with a person’s existence.


The legacy passed on to me.

I was born in 1951, which plops me right in the camp of Baby Boomers. I was raised in a Christian family, learned all of the Bible stories via the flannelgraph board and had thirteen years worth of perfect attendance bars on my Sunday school pin. I attended countless potlucks, played the accordion for “special music” at Sunday evening service, and faithfully went to youth “Singspirations.” I was raised in an environment where Christian faith was foundational to our lives and church was central.

One of the dearest people in my life was my Grandma Thomas. We lived on a tiny piece of land on the corner of their 7.5 acre farm in Wheatridge, Colorado. A bean patch separated our houses, but my grandpa just happened to plant in such a way that there was a path right through the patch that connected us. I traveled that path regularly throughout the day so that I could get to Grandma’s house.

I still think of my Grandma, even though she has been with the Lord for over a decade. I particularly remember her during times of planting and harvest. Grandma was a farmer and harvest was the time when the benefit of her hard work was realized. I always loved the harvest! It seemed like there were unending amounts of luscious crops. As a child, I took the abundance of beans, corn, apples, strawberries and raspberries for granted. I thought it all came so easily! But as I grew up and my understanding of life expanded, I began learning the lessons Grandma wanted to teach me about the work it took to have a bountiful harvest.

Grandma taught me that seeds had to be carefully selected and purchased; that the dark, rich soil had to be tilled and prepared for planting; that seeds had to be planted at the right depth, spaced just right – and in straight rows. Then there was the irrigating, hoeing and covering of delicate plants in a hailstorm. And, of course, weeding. All this before we got to bite into a juicy cob of corn!

Grandma also taught me about the meaning of long life and to honor those who were old. I picked berries with my old (really old) aunts who wore funny button-up black shoes and sunbonnets in the fields. They had interesting faces, smelled funny and had fascinating stories to tell. Their impact on my life was profound, and I think of them often as I’ve dedicated my life to serving older adults.

What I learned most from my Grandma was to trust the God of the Harvest. My Grandma was not a preacher (not usually) or an evangelist. She was a little farmwoman from Wheatridge.  But she planted seeds of faith in each of us who knew her. And she had a poem that she would recite for you every time she saw you. During the last years of her life she lived in assisted-living and extended care. Every nurse or assistant that ever cared for her heard that poem. It was an expression of her faith in a caring and sovereign God:

He doth not lead me year by year,

Nor even day by day,

But step-by-step my path unfolds,

My Lord directs my way.


Tomorrow’s plans I do not know;

I only know this minute.

But He will say, ‘This is the way,

By faith now walk ye in it.’


And I am glad that this is so;

Today’s enough to bear,

And when tomorrow comes, His grace

Will far exceed its care.


What need to worry then, or fret?

The God who gave His Son

Holds all my moments in His hands

And gives them one by one.

Author unknown.


When Grandma died there was never a doubt that she would be missed. But her legacy was indisputable. Her life consisted of planting seeds for harvest; seeds of faith that are still producing fruit in the generations living today.

And now I am an older woman and a grandma, these seeds of faith continue to sprout in my life. There are no bean patches between me and my grandsons  (unless you call Interstate-5 a bean patch). Still, I must find ways to clear paths to my house and my life and share with them these seeds of faith that make up my legacy.


A Biblical Legacy

Recently our pastor spoke of the impact that older people have had in his life. He has consistently sought out coach/mentoring relationships and they have profoundly impacted his life and ministry.

He reminded us of the relationship that Elijah and Elisha enjoyed and the impact it has had through the ages. His sermon inspired me to dig deeper; to find a model for leaving a legacy of faith. Once again the Word of God proved profound and relevant.

Elijah stood as a strong and mighty man of God who stared down evil in his society and corruption among those in authority. He was mighty, he was gifted, and he was the voice of God. But one of the greatest lessons Elijah teaches us today is how to leave a legacy of power and faith.

In II Kings 2, Elijah and his ”mentoree”, Elisha, are together on what was to be Elijah’s last day of life. They had been traveling the back-roads of Israel together for over a decade, and on this day Elijah was doing “end of life” work while showing Elisha the power of God. They were at the Jordan when Elijah took off his cloak, rolled it up and stuck it into the wide river. Remarkably the Jordan divided to the right and to the left (reminiscent of the dividing of the Red Sea!) and the two crossed to the other side.

But what amazes me about this passage is what comes next. Elijah asks Elisha, “What do you want from me?” and Elisha answers, “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.”

Whoa, the next generation then, and I would guess the next generation of today, wants MORE! Elisha saw what God had done through Elijah and he simply wanted the Spirit to do even more. I see that today as I look at my children and now my grandchildren. They don’t want to play church or Christian games. They want more of the Spirit. They want to fight social injustice and poverty and corruption. They want me to not just plant seeds of faith, they want me to lay down a mantle of leadership for them to pick up and carry! But they don’t just want a soggy mantle or cloak that is thrown in a river – they want one of power and conviction.

So here is the challenge: We can’t have Elishas in this generation if there is no Elijah in the first one! The “Elishas” of this generation need to see and know people who are so alive for God that it captures their hearts and imaginations – so much so that they want to twice as much!

And so Elijah passes on the baton of ministry. It is not just a transaction or a transition: It is a transformation. Elijah says, “I’m done. It’s your turn now.” It changes Elisha’s life. He watches Elijah taken up in a chariot to heaven and he screams in excitement, awe, and probably fear! But then Elisha bends over and picks up that mantle or cloak. He willingly takes on the mantle that Elijah left behind. And amazingly that mantle is full of fire! He touches the Jordan, the waters part, he crosses the Jordan into a new world of ministry that is full of God’s spirit and God’s power.


Passing it on.

The stories of Elijah and Elisha, and the story of my Grandma Thomas fill my heart and mind. Someday when I cross the Jordan, I want to look back and see the generations behind me want to pick up my mantle because it is so on fire and it is so filled with power!

How am I going to leave such a legacy?

First, by walking. I must walk with God personally and know him in the past and in the present. I must know his power daily. I must also walk justly and humbly before the Lord. (Micah 6:8)

Second, by mentoring. I must be involved in sharing the realities of my faith with the next generations. Whether it is my grandson or a young mother from my church, I must invest in the life of another sharing God’s faithfulness in the ups and downs of life.

Third, by leading. Bruce McNicol wrote in the book Ascent of a Leader that anytime we influence a life we are a leader. I need to develop my character, my integrity, honesty and devotion.

Fourth, by discipling. I need to follow the instructions of our Savior in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations. Leaving a legacy means introducing people to Christ.

Fifth, by serving. Daily I am more convicted of the importance of living out Isaiah 61 and bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted and comfort those who mourn.

Sixth, by “fragrancing.” By spreading the aroma of Christ (II Corinthians 2:14) wherever I go. To me that means living grace in an ungraceful world.

Last, by fanning the flame. As I reach out to other generations I need to remind them to” fan into flame the gift of God” in each person. (II Timothy 1:6)


Outcomes

I’ve spent a lot of years in management trying to measure outcomes! But, the potential outcome of leaving a legacy of fiery faith far exceeds anything I’ve ever encountered in the business world.

I pray that my children and their children will trust the Lord in all their ways. If in some way my life steers them in that direction, then that will be the greatest outcome of my legacy.

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things that your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.  Teach them to your children and to their children after them.  Deut. 4:9

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Breaking Down The Boomer Walls in Your Church

Richard and Leona Bergstrom, Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

When we talk with leaders of older adult ministries in churches we consistently hear a comment something like this: “How are we going to attract the younger people? Boomers just don’t seem to want to be a part of our seniors group.”

Our answer: Most likely you’re not going to bring the Boomers into anything that looks or acts like a “seniors” ministry. It’s going to have to be unique, compelling and maybe even revolutionary!

The Baby-Boomers, referring to those adults that were born sometime between 1946 and 1964, is a generation unlike any other. Defined by the historical, political, economic and social events of its youth, this cadre of aging adults may be chronologically qualified for the Seniors Ministry, but its fairly safe to say that they aren’t rushing to join.

Many individuals within this generation are still searching for truth, meaning and a reason for their existence. One need not look far to find books, articles and websites written by Boomers who are struggling with transitions into a new phase of life.  It is clear that opportunities for ministry are abundant and significant.

So how do we minister to Boomers? How do we begin to break through the walls of denial, indifference, arrogance, rebellion, and fear that seem to surround this generation? How do we share Christ with a people group that is known for spiritual exploration and tolerance? How do we meet the needs of Boomers who are facing unprecedented changes? How do we break the code?

As a result of working with Boomers in our own church and with leaders of 50’S+ ministries in other churches and denominations across the country, we have begun to identify some code-breakers.


Code Breaker #1: Recognition

The first thing leaders must do is to understand what makes Boomers so distinct. Simply put: Demographically, they are 78 million persons in the United States aged 46-62. Historically, they form the single largest generational cohort. Philosophically, they have redefined American culture. Sociologically, they connect through a unique generational identity bordered by dramatic historical events, music, and mass media. Economically, they are the wealthiest generation in American history.  And spiritually, they are seeking authenticity, experience and personal truth.

To effectively minister we will need to:

  • Recognize Boomers as members of a unique generational cohort, connected by shared experiences.
  • Recognize that Boomers do not want to be referred to as “seniors” and don’t want to be associated with stereotypical seniors ministries. (Or as one Boomer told us, “I don’t want to be in the same group as my mother.”)
  • Recognize that Boomers are transitioning into uncharted physical, emotional and spiritual territory.


Code Breaker #2: Relationships

When we first began working with Boomers we surveyed a large sampling of them and discovered that individuals were longing for relationships and a sense of community. During the child-raising years it seemed relatively easy for relationships to develop around common interests such as soccer teams and ballet recitals. But with life morphing into something unrecognizable there seemed to be a deepening need for relationships. Also, those surveyed responded simply, “We just want to have some FUN.”

Yep, these adults who are working 60-80 hours a week, babysitting grandkids, caring for increasingly dependent parents, paying off mortgages and college tuition bills, and going to the doctor more frequently, well, they want to kick up their heels and have some fun “like the good old days.”

So a great deal of our ministry has been in developing opportunities through which Boomers can begin to make new friends, share life and party! One success that has now become an annual event is our “Boomer Bash.” We started when the Boomers first started turning 60 so that we could celebrate such a milestone. We pulled out the tie-dye shirts, daisy chains, pizza and Cokes – oh, and a real live Golden Oldies band, and we threw a party! What happened was that people laughed, tapped their toes, danced, remembered and sang every word to every song, and had fun. They also heard the stories of fellow-Boomers who had found Christ and how their lives had been changed. The first Bash broke down some walls and smashed some stereotypes and incredibly, it wasn’t so bad to be in the 2nd ½ Ministries group!

We’ve worked at trying to create environments in which people can develop relationships. We do small group dinners, have large group gatherings around themes and interests, and hold classes and support groups around common issues and concerns. We’ve seen churched people begin to forge relationships with each other and reach out to other Boomers in their communities. Inviting one’s un-churched friend to hear a Beatles sound-alike band might be an easier entrée to church than morning worship.


Code Breaker #3:  Re-Focus

The story is told of a rabbi in a Russian city at the turn of the century. He was disappointed by a lack of direction and purpose. As he aimlessly walked the empty streets he began to question his faith in God, the Scriptures and his call to ministry. The only thing colder than the winter air was the chill in his own heart. In his despair he mistakenly wandered into a Russian military compound, which was off limits to any civilians. Out of the silence a loud voice barked, “Who are you and what are you doing here?” yelled a Russian guard. “Excuse me?” replied the rabbi. “I said, who are you and what are you doing here?” After a moment, the rabbi asked the guard, “How much do you get paid every day?” “What does that have to do with you?” the guard responded. The rabbi responded, “I will pay you the equal sum if you will ask me those same two questions every day: “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

These are pertinent questions for people in the second half of life. They have a unique opportunity to re-examine and re-assess their lives and determine a new direction for their remaining years.

This is probably the most critical code-breaker in ministry with Boomers. We can help create opportunities, whether in a retreat setting or in a series of classes or small groups, that help people make that exploration. Galatians 6:4-5 in The Message says “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”

In our ministry we use a basic re-focus process:

  • Review Biblical passages that capture one’s unique purpose in life.
  • Reflect on one’s own personal life and develop a timeline that reviews critical incidents, times of growth, significant people, decisions, and how God has worked in the past.
  • Identify one’s core values, things about which one is passionate.
  • Discover one’s gifts and strengths (using Meyers-Briggs, Strengths Finder or other tools)
  • Compose a personal mission statement that includes goals, action plans and God-directed vision for the second half of life.

The transitions and changes at this season of life provide the stage upon which one can perform new drama – or, as some would call, an Encore!

We have found that refocusing is equally critical for women as well as men. Boomers are the “I am Woman, I am Exhausted” generation. They’ve tried to do it all – develop a career, parent, care for parents, exercise and stay fit. This is an important time to slow down and refocus our lives and determine how to live out the bonus years.


Code Breaker #4: Find Significance

It has been said that significance is the new capital, meaning it is not enough for people to have arrived at financial security in midlife. What people really hunger for is to make a significant contribution to the world. Many Boomers are asking  “Am I meant to do something more with my life?”

Bob Buford, author of HalfTime and Finishing Well, and CEO and president of Leadership Network states,  “Success to me is using your knowledge and experience to build up your own portfolio. Significance is using your knowledge and experience to share with others. I really believe the church is going to be the logical gateway for increasing levels of significance in society – if the leaders in the church are willing to challenge people.”

It is important that as we plan ministry with Boomers that we don’t try to corral them into a “group” but rather train, equip, and deploy them into a world that needs their ideas and energy. We can create infrastructures that not only inspire Boomers to make a difference but provide opportunities to do so.

We have been thrilled to watch people in the second half of life tackle the challenges of our society. We’ve taken many on short-term mission trips to countries that needed their expertise and skills. We’ve seen Boomers transform schools, communities, government, businesses, and families. This may be the time that Boomers fulfill the dreams of that Beatles’ song,  “They say we want a revolution, oh no, we just want to change the world….”


Opportunities Ahead

These are four code breakers that we think will begin to break down the walls for ministry with and through Boomers. The old ways are not going to work with this generation. Ministry will need to be new, fresh, innovative – and be the Boomers’ ideas!

Our conclusion is that there is plenty of passion, plenty of energy and plenty of need! The time is now for us to be creative and work together to reach Boomers for Christ and watch them bloom!

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Building on the Mastery of Age

Leona Bergstrom, Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

I recently attended a major national conference for leaders in aging services. The Philadelphia Convention Center was electric with excitement and enthusiasm as thousands of people gathered to discuss contemporary practices, product development and service delivery. Present were CEOs of large retirement communities and systems, healthcare providers, architects, financial planners, software designers, marketing professionals and lots of entrepreneurs.

Clearly the field of aging is singing the first notes of an impressive crescendo. Things are heating up as more and more people are growing older and opportunities abound for innovative and creative solutions to the challenges facing them. In observing the participants at this conference, I noted vision, commitment and expectancy. There were no “gloom and doom” faces wondering what we were going to do with all of these old people! Together participants were mapping out a “Journey to Excellence” in which good care, respect, opportunity and quality are the norm, not the exception. I noted a few characteristics of this group:

  1. They “get” the big picture of our nation’s demographics. They are not in denial about the millions of people in our country who are steamrollering toward retirement age and beyond.
  2. They are innovative, creative, visionary and committed.
  3. They believe in quality. In fact, most of the services are held accountable to strict standards of performance by accreditation or regulatory agencies.
  4. They use a variety of reliable methods to determine the needs of older persons, and then set about to meet these.
  5. They have not abandoned the old.
  6. They celebrate the gift of aging.

I couldn’t help but wonder what older adult ministries would be like if church leaders were on a similar journey of excellence. My experience in the 21st century church is that one has to look far and wide to find congregations who consider ministry to aging adults to be a priority.

This observation was confirmed at an informal discussion around a reception table at this same conference. I was talking with an executive in a senior living community in Pennsylvania. We were discussing my work with churches. Her observation was threefold:

  1. Her experience in her local church is that there is nothing there for her. In fact, she is dropping out to find meaning in aging and spiritual growth in other ways.
  2. What ministry there is for “seniors” is irrelevant and somewhat frivolous.
  3. The church is focusing on the youth to the exclusion of its elders.

How did we come to such a point? Historically, the church was the vehicle for providing care and services for older people. But somewhere along the way we abandoned the care of our elders to the “professionals” and to the government or private businesses. Typically, churches maintained obligatory ministries in the church for seniors, but even those are dying out along with their members.

These are critical days for Second Half ministry. We need to create new paradigms for ministry in our churches and districts that are fresh, relevant and effective. We need transformational leaders who will partner with other ministry organizations, denominations, academic institutions and policy makers.

Most churches today are struggling with the economic crunch and priorities for ministry. But actually, our biggest deficit today is not money, but leadership. Our goal is to encourage, develop, train and nurture leaders who know and understand the opportunities at hand and celebrate them.

Won’t you join us on this Journey to Excellence? Where do you begin?

  1. Begin praying for a powerful and effective ministry with midlife and older adults in your local church.
  2. Gather a small group of people interested in this ministry and begin to pray and strategize. Include your senior pastor and/or church leadership.
  3. Contact your district executive minister to see how churches in your region/district can work together. Perhaps sponsor a regional Learning Community o begin discussing the issues and developing strategies.
  4. Study the demographic trends of your community. Research the current thoughts about aging.
  5. Join CASA Network (Christian Association Serving Adult Ministries) and utilize the resources and training offered for leaders in midlife and older adult ministries: www.gocasa.org
  6. Remember, “A small deed done is better than a great deed never started.”

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Help Your Leaders Train Themselves

Leona Bergstrom, Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

Programs offered for mid life and older people in churches today should be the best! They should be strategic, cutting edge, relevant and attractive! How?


1. Start with Trained Leaders

Excellent programs have pastoral and lay leaders that are trained in ministering with people in midlife and beyond. Not only do they understand some of the physical and social issues encountered in aging, but they are studying the Scriptures and are coming to an understanding of God’s purpose for long life.

Sadly, few Christian colleges or seminaries offer such training at this time. To meet the real need for continuing education in 2nd Half ministries, CASA is launching a Leadership Academy. It is an exciting opportunity!

CASA Leadership Academy offers a four-course, online certificate program designed to meet the needs of professionals and church leaders. Under the direction of Drs. Ben Dickerson and Darryl Watkins, students will have opportunity to interact with issues such as the changing images of aging and generations, biblical concepts of aging, program development and innovative church leadership. The first class will start in September

2009, and enrollment is now open. There are special discounts for CASA Network registrants. For more information, visit www.gocasa.org or write to info@goCASA.org


2. Be strategic.

In the early ‘70s, church leaders were expected to develop strategic plans for reaching and ministering to youth. Now, four decades later, those youth have grown up and are facing even more challenging spiritual and physical issues. If we are to minister with excellence to people age 50+, then we need to have a plan. We need to identify our purpose, our mission and our strategies.

One way to infuse new ideas into the planning process is to put together a “Dream Team.” Invite10-20 key people in your church who are age 50+ to join this team for three months. Meet at least once a month and begin to envision what a cutting-edge ministry to Boomers and Beyond would look like. What are their needs? Their challenges? Their spiritual growth plans? What are the craziest, wildest, most effective ways of reaching out? Design the dream, then “fire” the team. Invite those who are willing to participate regularly on the leadership team and go from there.


3. Think INTERGENERATIONAL

Excellent 2nd 1/2 programs are continually considering ways to reach out to the next generations. Living and leaving a legacy of faith is imperative. As Dr. Ward Tanneberg says, “Leave the lights on for the next generation.”

Developing relationships with the other generations is what will keep Boomers and Beyond relevant, vital–and interesting!

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