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Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father and older women as mothers with all purity.
1 Timothy 5:1
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Senior citizens (defined as those over 65) are the fastest growing age segment of American society. The so-called "age wave" which is breaking over our society means that one in three Americans is over 50, and one in five is over 65.
There are more Americans over 65 than residents of Canada today!
If we as the church are to reach our society, this means that we should have a thought-out strategy for ministering to seniors. One third of Assemblies of God churches have senior adult ministries currently, and another church is starting this ministry every other day. Our movement recently set up a national ministry targeted to the needs of seniors. |
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What do we need to know about senior ministry?
- Seniors have many spiritual needs. In our youth-oriented society, they often feel ignored, left out and rejected. Loneliness is an increasing problem of seniors as they age.
- Seniors are only one step away from eternity. We must reach them with the Gospel before they stand before Christ.
- Seniors possess the most valuable commodity of our day in abundance- time. They have time to serve, time to share, and time to minister. While others today are constantly time-starved, many seniors sit around with time on hand, and nothing to do. What a resource awaiting the church- time to be tapped, or to be wasted!
- Seniors have a special opportunity to be prayer warriors, and to devote themselves to the things of God. Paul envisioned a ministry of senior women "who devote themselves to prayer night and day"(1 Timothy 5:5).
- Many seniors have an abundance of experience with the things of God. They have lived and walked with the Lord for decades. Their wisdom needs to be passed down to a growing church to help develop others.
Because of these factors, a church without a senior adult ministry in the coming years. We now have a senior oriented church in our district (Whiting), and will see many more of these as our senior population burgeons.
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What are some resources to work with seniors?
- Contact me at kjasko@monmouthworship.org, or by phone at 732-332-9600. I am setting up a mailing list to serve seniors. In the coming days, we will be sponsoring senior events in our state.
- Pray about starting a senior ministry in your church. Do it now before you get any older!
- Send away for a free subscription to PrimeLine, the Assemblies of God newsletter for senior adults (Senior Adult Ministries, Assemblies of God, 1445 Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802-1894). Other helpful resources are also available from our national office, at this address.
Let's remember and claim the Pentecostal promise of Acts 2:17:
"And it shall be in the last days, God says...your old men shall dream dreams."
Dream and work with us to reaching our seniors for Christ! |
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