I got a chuckle out of the recent cartoon portraying Jesus’ calling Peter and saying, “No I’m not talking about Twitter, I literally want you to follow me.”  Following isn’t always easy and doesn’t always make sense. My wife will attest to a lifetime of listening for the command of God and following when it didn’t make sense. We have experienced downward mobility professionally as we have taken new ministry assignments. Multiple times we have left family and financial stability for the sake of the cause.

Here we go again! We are raising financial support, starting a new church with one other couple and moving away from our resort area home, our children and our granddaughter. Yet we sense that we have been prepared our whole lives for this next assignment. God has prepared us with our spiritual gifts, our acquired skills, our personalities, our passions, our ministry experiences and our lessons learned in the past about trusting God when moving into to new time zones.  We have been blessed with an address book full of family and friends who have walked parts of this journey with us, prayed with us and for us. God has been so faithful and we will trust Him again as we move to The Villages, Florida in just one week.

Maybe you think I just “churched up” our situation a bit. After all, we are moving away from the frigid upper midwest and moving to a place with 550 holes of golf accessible by the golf cart in my garage. I wanted full disclosure on this move!  For the record we moved north last winter to Minneapolis and we are staying in central Florida 12 months of the year. I hear the summer is HOT AND HUMID. We will compare that to our last assignment in Nanning, China in 2010 – couldn’t be more tropical than that!!

All that said, we are following the Lord’s call to the best of our ability. One step at a time. Believing that He has prepared us to launch a new style church in a 55+ community of 82,000 people. We say that we desire to start a church that is “spot-on” for Boomers, yet we don’t know what that exactly looks like. One step at a time. We don’t have a building but we have a name  - Live Oaks Community Church. One step at a time. We actually have grown from 2 to 4 to 21 people, or maybe more in the last 6 months. One step at a time.

I thought the picture entered with this blog was appropriate. It is perhaps the oldest and most beautiful planting of live oak trees in America, growing on a plantation outside of Charleston, SC. The photo portrays a path to be followed but the end goal is not visible – we take it one step at a time, by faith. And we trust that the One who has led us thus far, will be faithful to lead us once again. We follow Him – literally!

The first step is the toughest

Our family was together for a family reunion this summer in Estes Park and all 63 of us, ranging in age from 74 down to 1 were challenged to the zipline. The oldest and youngest passed but most climbed the pole and took that tough first step. Some walked off, others scooted their behind off the ledge and some fell backwards with no hands. I chose the backward trust fall which I thought would be impressive but the gasps from my family were there  way of saying, “He dropped like a rock/boulder.” There was nothing graceful about it and my body later questioned my taking the “manhood test.” I was really proud of many who overcame some very real fears and others over age 60 who sailed through the air.

My point in this illustration is that when we are doing something new, taking the next step is the hardest; but it is mandatory if we want to experience the pleasure of  the outcome. Some people are more risk takers than others but the point is not always to do something outrageous. Just take the next step and trust God. Is there something grabbing your attention but fear has held you back from trying? Perhaps a mission trip or opening your home for Thanksgiving hospitality or giving a financial gift to a person or organization in need. Give your fear to God and take the next step!

Did you know that there is a conference dedicated to the topic of ministry to older adults? It is presented by CASA Network which stands for Christian Association Serving Adult Ministries Network. It used to stand for “something something Senior Adults” but they too have erased the word “senior” from most of their language.

Here is the link to their conference website:   http://gocasa.org/events/conference/

and here is the schedule:    http://gocasa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/CASA-ILC-2011-Schedule-FINAL.pdf

I have attended this conference and have been around the leaders of the CASA Network and I am telling you that it is the strongest effort to gather like minded leaders who care deeply about ministering to age 50+ adults in America/the world. We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in older adult ministries as is made obvious by the fact that we don’t typically refer to this segment of ministry as “seniors’ ministry” any more. CASA Network understands this transition and is guiding pastors and leaders in how they can reach the “young old,” that is, the Boomers.  You will see the practicality of the topics if you look at the schedule. I am looking forward to sitting in on a number of workshops and the plenary speakers are of high caliber. I am particularly interested in a workshop titled, “Still Naughty? Still Wrong? Cohabitation after 80.”  Wow, is that really an issue? Yes it is! I had a pastor contact me recently telling me of that very situation in his church where an older Christian couple didn’t want to marry legally but wanted the pastor to perform an unofficial exchanging of vows.

It is not too late to register so if this is just what you have been looking for but didn’t know it existed, maybe I’ll see you in Anaheim from Nov. 9-11.

My wife Kathleen and I will be relocating to The Villages, Florida after Christmas to embark on a new journey. We have been invited to join one other couple there and seek to birth a new church which will be composed primarily of age 55+ people.  There are over 80,000 older adults in The Villages alone which is located about an hour north of Orlando and near other towns like Lady Lake, Leesburg and Ocala.

The Villages is a unique community not just because of it’s size, but also because of it’s ultra active lifestyle. Golf is just the beginning with 513 holes to play. There are also 100 tennis courts, 62 pools and over 1600 clubs to join. It would be easy to just play away one’s retirement at  a place like that. I like to play too  but we all need balance. We hope to challenge Villagers to “Play Hard and Pray Hard.”

We hope to create a unique church that appeals more to Boomers. What will it look like? I’ll have to get back to you on that one but I know that the music will reflect Boomer tastes and the atmosphere will be casual – after all, we are in Florida and most are retired so the daily shave for men is optional and business casual IS the new definition of dressed up. Perhaps the core DNA of this new church will be it’s missional focus. The church does not exist for itself, it exists for the world around it and we want to create a menu of service opportunities for a large segment of Kingdom workers  that have the time, resources and life experience to make a significant and even eternal contribution during the second half of life.

Will we meet Saturday or Sunday or both? Will we sit in rows of chairs or around tables? Will we have a nursery provided??? We Don’t Know!  This is the proverbial “build the plane as you fly” experience and we will take it a step at a time, asking God to show us His way. At this point in the life of the church plant with “us four and no more” we are simply going to meet to study His Word, pray and break bread together. We are praying that God would double our church by year end – do the math! We will begin in living rooms and rec centers and at Starbucks and Panera where we will watch God build His Church. Please pray with us.

Do you know anyone living in or near The Villages? I would enjoy meeting them and following up. I can learn from them about their own spiritual journey in their second half of life and also learn about the spiritual climate in The Villages. Our mission there is simply to reach the lost and mobilize the found for the cause of Christ. We pray that we will unlock some keys to ministering to Boomers and with that knowledge, help other pastors and churches to improve their ministry to this large and vital segment of the Church. They’re not done yet. They want an encore and they pray that the best has been saved for last.

What ideas do you have for Boomer ministry? What makes it unique?

Do you know anyone in The Villages? Send me their contact information at my personal email – chrisholck@me.com.

A Boomer and Millennial Connection

Ponder the timeless word of Psalm 71:17-18:  “Since my youth, O God,  you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.”

Anyone in the second half of life and especially Christ followers can take their marching orders from these verses. What can we do with the experience, wisdom and life skills that we have accumulated?? Pass them on?  In this era, we call it mentoring. What did we used to call it? Maybe discipling or training or “finding a Timothy” based on the text that is found in 2 Timothy 2:2. The fact is, not enough age 50+ adults are investing their lives in the next generation. We raised our children and to varying degrees, we are raising our grandchildren – that was and is a valuable investment, but we can and should do more!

Maybe we are making the whole mentoring concept too complicated?! We think we need a curriculum or a detailed road map of what to teach and in what sequence. Maybe we don’t know where to look. Maybe we assume that the next generation is not interested in what we have to say. Here is my advice to simplify the mentoring process and make it doable for everyone – just do “Life on Life.”

I recently crossed paths with two very high profile writer/speakers and I heard a common refrain. Both of them in the midst of their busy travel schedule and ever-present writing deadlines were taking time for “life on life” mentoring. One of them, along with his wife, was simply inviting a number of younger couples over for dinner on a weekly basis. It was a one year commitment and they asked for the couples to only say yes if they would be consistent. When they gathered around their table for a meal, they didn’t have a heavy duty Bible study. They simply revealed their home, their marriage and their walk with the Lord to those who were invited. Sometimes they got into pointed spiritual lessons and teachings, other times they didn’t.  The other Boomer age Christian leader told how he was inviting a group of millennials (20 somethings) to an early morning Bible study. They were eager to come and consistent in their attendance.

The next generation wants to be mentored! We have much to offer! The Word of God makes it clear that mentoring is in our second half job description. Let’s “declare His power to the next generation even when we are old and gray.”

Somehow I remembered this phrase but I realize now that  it was from my early years because my search took me to John 4:35 in the King James Version. The  ESV says “white” but the NIV  decided to say “ripe” for harvest.

White – Ripe – Gray ! You insert the word of your choice; I think the meaning is the same.

Here the words from Scripture: “Don’t you have a saying, “It’s still four months until harvest?” I tell you (says Jesus), open your eyes and look at the fields!  They are ripe/white/gray for harvest. “

With 11,000 Americans turning 65 every day for the next 18 years, yes they are ripening quickly! The point of Jesus words were to send workers into the harvest before it was too late. What is your plan?

Eager to Serve

Boomers didn’t see this one coming.   After so many years of being so active in church, serving on the Board, teaching Sunday School, repairing the facility, driving for youth trips, giving toward capital campaigns, etc., we are no longer seen as essential to the mission??!!  In fact, we get the feeling that we are seen as an impediment to progress. What’s up with that?

One boomer friend is convinced that her mega church in the Valley of the Sun is so focused on attracting the young that she is invisible to them except when special financial gifts are needed. Believe me she is a cool grandma and her church is foolish for not finding ways to unleash her passions in the context of the local church.

Another couple in their mid-fifties were the first on board to plant a new church in a nearby suburb in Chicago but after a few years the pastor was clearly trying to “go younger.” My friend was made to feel irrelevant in her small group approach to lead and mentor young women. Believe me, she is a terrific leader but there was no room for a differing opinion on how to do small groups. The new young pastor did not value her proven philosophy of ministry and as for her gregarious husband, who in my opinion raises the bar for the greeting ministry; he did not put forward the right first impression. He liked to wear a sport coat over his Polo shirt and he was closer to 60 than 50.  A prospective young person might quickly assume by looking at this man in front of the movie theater where they were meeting that this church was not for his or her “kind.”  So my friends  left and now they find themselves anonymously slipping in and out of a mega church with an impression that they are not the right material for visionary churches.

We have all heard about this happening in business. Teachers with 40 years of experience are offered a package that entices them to step out of the classroom so that a younger, less costly teacher can move in.  Accountants, CEO’s, product managers, and HR Directors are targets for company streamlining strategies that are supposed to bring in fresh ideas and at the same time, improve the bottom line.  Ask a 59 year old pastor who has had a 30 year career leading churches toward health and growth how easy it isn’t to find a church looking for a lead pastor of his  age.  He doesn’t fit the profile.

My goal is first of all is to get readers to admit that the issue is real. Next, I hope that Boomers who have felt marginalized will realize that they should not take their shunning too personally. Ageism is widespread and the church is following suit instead of rising above this form of prejudice. Lastly, I call out to pastors young and old (but especially the young) to confess their sin and reflect on how they might find ways to respect, even elevate the value of those in the encore stage of life.  Search the Scriptures for the timeless truths that may be counter-cultural but nevertheless, Biblical. I hope that pastors will find room for a dual strategy for their church, seeking to attract the young and at the same time welcome, retain and respect the old.

by Samantha Allgood

“The apostle John was in his nineties when he wrote the book of Revelation, and Moses was eighty when he led the Israelites out of Egypt,” said Dr. Amy Hanson, who serves on the national directional team for EFCA ENCORE (www.amyhanson.org),  “Nowhere in Scripture are we given permission to step back and begin to coast in our Christian walk.”

Great Potential

From Omaha, NE, Hanson desires to press her passion for the later years into the hearts and strategies of today’s churches.  As recent author of the book Baby Boomers and Beyond:  Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passions of Adults over 50, Hanson is dedicated to the strengthening of the Church, infusing today’s older adults with new fervor for life and service. She emphasizes the significance of fully using all the years one is given, specifically speaking to today’s standards of retirement.  “My passion is to see older adults living Christ-centered lives of meaning and purpose.  We’ve neglected to see the great ministry potential lying dormant among those in the second-half of life,” she said.  It’s time to realize the “valuable time, experience and resources” within the 50+ age group.

What God Says

There is an instance in scripture that speaks to the notion of retirement.  Hanson explains her findings from a study of Numbers 8:25, “The Levites were instructed to retire at the age of 50 from their regular service at the tabernacle, but they could continue to assist their brothers in their duties.  Upon study, I discovered that the regular duties would have involved some strenuous labor.  So as they aged, they needed to step back from this kind of work, and take on more of a mentoring role, helping the younger ones in the tasks related to the tabernacle.”

So, there may be a time for one to “retire” from his or her traditional work schedule and duties, but much is lost if there is simply an attitude of rest or uselessness.  There are great opportunities to live full-out lives for the Kingdom of God if one is willing.  Hanson pointed to an encouraging example in Joshua chapter 14.  Caleb says, “And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness.  And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.  I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming,” (English Standard Version vv. 10-11).  The Lord will sustain His children to do His work as they delight to accomplish the tasks of His will.

Taking Action

Practically speaking, Hanson explained the opportunities one has available with the gift of a more flexible schedule.  Retired and partially retired individuals can serve through mission trips, at homeless shelters, mentor disadvantaged children, etc.  Even if one is weak from a life of given service, there are always opportunities to pray.  One need not have physical strength to be a mighty asset to the work of heaven.  “The possibilities are endless,” she said.  “We just need to start calling people to action and show them that they can do a lot more for God’s Kingdom.”  Older adults are an integral part of the Church, both to the mission and life of each local body of Christ, Hansen affirms.

“There are 78 million baby boomers,” Hanson said.  “They’re approaching aging in a totally different way; they don’t want to get old…they’re active.”  As Christians with a great calling on our lives, we should be all the more active as we proceed on life’s journey.  “There’s so much potential there, if we figure out how to harness that,” Hanson said.  It’s time to “wake up” the Church.  It’s time to rejoice in our older years and all that can be accomplished through them.  May we never tire or slacken our pace, but continue running to receive our reward.

If you want help in unleashing older adults in your church and community, contact EFCA ENCORE Director, Chris Holck, at encore@efca.org or Amy Hanson at amy@amyhanson.org.  Dr. Hanson’s book is available from NextStep Resources or Amazon.

For those churches that are ready to build a strategy for reaching the Boomers, both Amy and I are ready to help.  It requires fresh new thinking and a real paradigm shift away from the current programs designed for “senior citizens.”

Let’s go church! There are 78 million people of which an estimated 12 million are Christ followers who are equipped to make a difference for the Kingdom. Some are self-motivated leaders but most need to be led. A strategy from their local church to mobilize them will make a difference.