Intentional Ministry with Older Adults: S.E.N.I.O.R.S. Ministry Model
"In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap" (Psalm 92:14).
Many congregations are graying! As a result of better health care, nutrition, job safety, physical fitness, and medical technology, more people are living longer than ever before. As a result, many of our congregations are enjoying the blessing of increasing numbers of older adults.
Growing old is no longer synonymous with death. For many older adults, old age is not a time of disability or disease; instead, it is a time of generally good health. As people live longer and retire earlier, the post-retirement period can last 25 to 35 years or more. We are witnessing a historically unprecedented expansion of free time in the last stage of life.
Intentional ministry with older adults realizes that there is no older adult population. Rather, there are multiple older adult populations. And each one is very different. No one ministry-type reaches all the older adults in a congregation or community. Not only are there many different age-cohorts, from say 55 to 105, but there are married couples, widows, divorced, never married, healthy-active, frail-elderly, homebound, and residents of continuing care retirement communities, just to name a few. As people grow older, they generally become less alike, not more. Therefore, their needs and talents and their likes and dislikes are all vastly different.
Unfortunately, some congregations express a "myth-conception" that if they engage in intentional ministry by, with, and/or for older adults, they will soon have no congregation left. They may not realize that a congregation filled with older adults does not necessarily mean that it is dead or dying. Rather, congregations may need to rethink and refocus their priority for ministry. And, in doing so, many congregations have come to understand that the older adult population provides tremendous potential for vital ministry.
Older adults want to continue contributing to future generations and desire to feel valued because of their contributions. Congregations that are intentional in their older adult ministries realize that the wealth of experience, wisdom, and faith that often abounds in older persons should not be lost or underused. If churches do not see the challenges and opportunities for intentional older adult ministry, this growing population will see the church as nothing more than a place for life-cycle ceremonies (i.e., baptisms and funerals) and not as a sacred community of meaning.
One helpful model for congregations wanting to develop intentional ministry with older adults is the S.E.N.I.O.R.S. Ministry Model. The S.E.N.I.O.R.S. Ministry model, briefly described in this article, identifies seven (7) key areas: spirituality, enrichment, nutrition/wellness, intergenerational, outreach/evangelism, recreation/social, and service. The S.E.N.I.O.R.S. Ministry Model is an effective tool for making certain congregational ministry with older adults is intentional and comprehensive.
S.E.N.I.O.R.S. Ministry Model
S:Spirituality.Plan and develop Bible study groups; prayer groups; adult religious education classes; life review classes; spiritual retreats; journaling classes; worship participation; rituals to acknowledge life transitions dealing with change, separation, and new commitments; healing services; and seminars on "end-of-life" issues.
E:Enrichment.Plan and develop classes and small groups relevant to the specific needs and concerns of older adults in your congregation (e.g., community issues and current affairs; technology; and financial, legal, and medical concerns, etc.); drama and fine arts; field trips; and literacy programs.
N:Nutrition/Wellness.Plan and develop a parish nurse program; congregational health ministries; low-impact aerobics and other physical fitness classes; health fairs; and cooking classes.
I:Intergenerational.Plan and develop opportunities for coaching, mentoring, and tutoring future generations; "foster" grandparent program; and multigenerational retreats, study classes, and service projects.
O:Outreach/Evangelism.Plan and develop ways for older adults to share their faith; create an adult day service ministry; provide respite care and meals; minor repair and home maintenance ministry; home chore service; programs of interest to the whole community; and specialized homebound and nursing home ministries.
R:Recreation/Social.Plan and develop social activities for healthy and fun living; conduct golf, fishing, and other sport outings; walking, hiking, and camping/RV activities; gardening and flower arranging, card and board game parties, quilting; and traveling groups.
S:Service.Plan and develop opportunities for service including short term mission projects; participation in community projects; respite care ministry; prison ministry; delivering meals to the elderly; visitation ministry; tutoring ministry and community projects.
While these are just a few of the many ways congregations can be intentional in ministry with older adults, I invite you to use your imagination for a moment. How do you visualize intentional ministry in your congregation that will increase the faith, witness, and service of older adults? Then, with God's help, lead on!
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