Baby Boomers and Beyond E-Book

Amy Hanson

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: J-B Leadership Network Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 331

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

How ministry leaders can help older adults be a vital part of Christian community With the explosion of the older adult population, this important book explores the opportunities and challenges that this presents for the Christian community. Amy Hanson challenges us to let go of many old stereotypes regarding aging and embrace a new paradigm that sees older adults as active, healthy and capable of making significant contributions. * Debunks the myths of aging that keep us from fully embracing the potential of people in life's second half * Offers suggestions on how to re-invent ministry with older adults * Focuses on unleashing older adults to serve and make an impact on churches and congregations * A volume in the Leadership Network series The author shows church leaders how they can unleash the power of the baby boomer population to strengthen their congregations.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Leadership Network Titles

ABOUT LEADERSHIP NETWORK

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Dedication

Part One - READY FOR MORE: THE NEW OLD

Chapter 1 - A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE CHURCH

Longevity and the Growth of the Older Population

How Does Age Affect the Church?

The New Old

The Time Is Now

Chapter 2 - NOT WHAT YOU THOUGHT

Myths of Aging

Moving Past the Myths

Creating a New Culture

A Change in View

Part Two - THE BOOMER-AND-BEYOND WORLD

Chapter 3 - AGING WELL

Maintaining Physical Health

Maintaining Mental Health

Staying Engaged with Life

A Story of Successful Aging

Chapter 4 - RELATIONSHIPS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Grandparenting

Ministry with Grandparents

Adult Children

Reaching Out to Parents of Adult Children

Aging Parents

Ministry with the Caregiver

Siblings

Marriage Relationship

A Final Word

Chapter 5 - RETIREMENT

A Step Back in Time

A Present-Day Look at Retirement

The Future of Retirement

The Big Three

Retirement in the Bible?

The Church and Retirement

Part Three - HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CHURCH

Chapter 6 - LETTING GO OF THE “ONE SIZE FITS ALL” MENTALITY

Older Adults: Not All Alike

Expanding the Ministry

Integrating Older Adults into the Entire Church

Avoiding Certain Words

A Balanced Approach

The Changing Role of the Older Adult Leader

Facing Up to Change

Chapter 7 - SERVING

Boomers and Volunteering

What Churches Can Do to Create a Serving Environment Among Older Adults

Leading People to Find Their Place of Service

Jesus: The Model Servant

Chapter 8 - MATTERS OF FAITH

Evangelism

Discipleship

Finishing Well

Chapter 9 - MELDING THE GENERATIONS

Overcoming Age Barriers

What Are the Benefits?

Making It a Reality

Generational Wars or Generational Peace?

CONCLUSION: AN UNCHARTED OPPORTUNITY

NOTES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INDEX

Copyright © 2010 by Amy Hanson. All rights reserved.

Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741-www.josseybass.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax [phone], or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax [phone], or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax [phone].

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hanson, Amy, date.

p. cm. - (Leadership network titles)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-470-50079-8 (cloth); 9-780-470-63292-5 (ebk); 9-780-470-63293-2 (ebk); 9-780-470-63294-9 (ebk)

1. Church work with the baby boom generation. 2. Church work with older people. I. Title.

BV4435.H36 2010

259’.3-dc22 2010008092

HB Printing

Leadership Network Titles

The Blogging Church: Sharing the Story of Your Church Through Blogs, Brian Bailey and Terry Storch

Church Turned Inside Out: A Guide for Designers, Refiners, and Re-Aligners, Linda Bergquist and Allan Karr

Leading from the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams, Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson

The Way of Jesus: A Journey of Freedom for Pilgrims and Wanderers, Jonathan S. Campbell with Jennifer Campbell

Leading the Team-Based Church: How Pastors and Church Staffs Can Grow Together into a Powerful Fellowship of Leaders, George Cladis

Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, Neil Cole

Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church, Neil Cole

Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders, Earl Creps

Reverse Mentoring: How Young Leaders Can Transform the Church and Why We Should Let Them, Earl Creps

Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments, and Practices of a Diverse Congregation, Mark DeYmaz

Leading Congregational Change Workbook, James H. Furr, Mike Bonem, and Jim Herrington

The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community, Hugh Halter and Matt Smay

Baby Boomers and Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passions of Adults over Fifty, Amy Hanson

Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for the Transformational Journey, Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, and James H. Furr

The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation, Jim Herrington, Robert Creech, and Trisha Taylor

Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement, Mel Lawrenz

Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out, Robert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro, with Warren Bird

Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement, Will Mancini

A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey, Brian D. McLaren

The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian, Brian D. McLaren

Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church, Reggie McNeal

Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders, Reggie McNeal

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church, Reggie McNeal

A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders, Reggie McNeal

The Millennium Matrix: Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future of the Church, M. Rex Miller

Shaped by God’s Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches, Milfred Minatrea

The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World, Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk

Missional Map-Making: Skills for Leading in Times of Transition, Alan J. Roxburgh

Relational Intelligence: How Leaders Can Expand Their Influence Through a New Way of Being Smart, Steve Saccone

Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers, Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird

The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community, Eric Swanson and Rick Rusaw

The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence, Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and Ken McElrath

Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America’s Largest Churches, Scott Thumma and Dave Travis

The Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken About Pastoral Transitions, Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree

ABOUT LEADERSHIP NETWORK

Leadership Network, an initiative of OneHundredX, exists to honor God and serve others by investing in innovative church leaders who impact the Kingdom immeasurably.

Since 1984, Leadership Network has brought together exceptional leaders, who are focused on similar ministry initiatives, to accelerate their impact. The ensuing collaboration—often across denominational lines—provides a strong base from which individual leaders can better analyze and refine their individual strategies. Creating an environment for collaborative discovery, dialogue, and sharing encourages leaders to extend their own innovations and ideas. Leadership Network further enhances this process through the development and distribution of highly targeted ministry tools and resources—including video, podcasts, concept papers, special research reports, e-publications, and books like this one.

With Leadership Network’s assistance, today’s Christian leaders are energized, equipped, inspired—and better able to multiply their own dynamic Kingdom-building initiatives.

In 1996 Leadership Network partnered with Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint, to develop a series of creative books that would provide thought leadership to innovators in church ministry. Leadership Network Publications present thoroughly researched and innovative concepts from leading thinkers, practitioners, and pioneering churches. The series collectively draws from a wide range of disciplines, with individual titles providing perspective on one or more of five primary areas:

• Enabling effective leadership

• Encouraging life-changing service

• Building authentic community

• Creating Kingdom-centered impact

• Engaging cultural and demographic realities

For additional information on the mission or activities of Leadership Network, please contact:

Leadership Network 2626 Cole Avenue, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75204 800-765-5323 [email protected]

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My heart is full of gratitude to many people who have influenced me in the writing of this book.

Don Wilcox: You pushed and prodded me, encouraged me, and opened doors to me. God obviously put you in my path in order to spur this ministry on to the next level. There are numerous places in this book where your insights and ideas are visible. I am indebted to you.

My friends at Leadership Network who have helped me in my writing: Warren Bird, Stephanie Plagens, Bonnie Randle, and Mark Sweeney—thank you!

All the church leaders and pastors who have shared their stories and insights with me: Paul Stetler, Chris Holck, Rosayln “Bambi” Encarnacion, John Coulombe, Rod Toews, Richard and Leona Bergstrom, Dave McElheran, Woods Watson, Dwight Munn, Earl Ferguson, Mopsy Andrews, Carolyn Lovelady, Dave McClamma, Max Pyron, Janice Beyers, Dan Allen, Pete Menconi, Wendell Nelson, Kevin Burdette ... the list could go on and on. Thank you for sharing a similar passion for older adult ministry.

Sheryl Fullerton and Alison Knowles at Jossey-Bass : This was my first publishing experience, and you have made it a great one. Thank you for your constructive criticism, gentle feedback, and cheers of encouragement throughout this process.

My mom and dad, Dennis and Linda Befort, who are leading-edge boomers themselves: Thanks for letting me bounce ideas off you and for letting me go forward in this ministry, even when you thought it was a crazy thing for a twenty-year-old to do. And thank you for babysitting, cooking, and praying! I also thank my sister, Ann McNellis, for help with editing, and my brother, Allen Befort, for being willing to talk ministry stuff with me.

My in-laws, Marilyn and Bill Mueksch: I so appreciate your willingness to play with Ella and Eli while I wrote. And Bill, thank you for sharing your books on aging with me.

Ella: We may never know how much you have influenced this book through your prayers and encouragement. When I would get discouraged, you would say, “Mommy, just trust God for what to write!” Thanks for being patient while I spent so much time in front of my computer. You are a precious gem!

Eli: You were my constant companion, growing inside of me as I wrote the manuscript for this book. I’m so grateful you are in my life!

Jon: You were always the one to say, “You should do this!” “You can do this!” Thanks for offering your suggestions, helping me through the hard parts, and carrying so much of the load on the home front while I completed this project. “Thank you” is truly not enough.

And finally, Bob Murphy (1930-1998), who was willing to take a twenty-year-old college student under his wing and mentor her in older adult ministry. I know God used you to lead me in this ministry.

INTRODUCTION: REINVENTING MINISTRY WITH OLDER ADULTS

It was a hot and humid summer evening in rural Iowa. I had been asked to meet with the leaders of a particular church to help them set a direction for a brand-new senior adult ministry. The sixty-five-year-old senior pastor had led this church to grow from 150 to over 550 regular attenders in his thirty-four-year tenure, and he would soon be phasing out of this leadership role and taking on a part-time role as the minister of senior adults.

It was apparent to me from a previous visit to the church, a few conversations on the phone, and a casual dinner that these leaders had some assumptions as to what this ministry would be. Perhaps visiting the elderly. Planning dinners and parties for the senior members of the congregation. Hosting Bible studies in local retirement homes. Obviously some very good and traditional ideas.