Older Adult Ministries

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Older Adult Ministries

• The State of the Rural Communities Conference
• February 23, 2007

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Older adults are a critical part of every church

• Each person is unique with a unique history
• The future is tied closely to the past
• Every senior has a family
• Churches are often family to their members
• Culture, race, ethnicity and age all flavor
  congregations

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Elements of Aging in a Rural Community

• Normal Aging
• Flexibility
• Aging in Place
• Extended family
• Formal vs. informal systems

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Normal Aging

• Those aspects of aging that happen to everyone
  regardless of life style, race or gender
• Gray hair
• Wrinkles
• Multiple losses

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It is critical to NOT fall into the myths of aging

• Myths about any population are generally
  problematic
• Key myths about seniors
• All seniors are senile
• A majority of seniors feel miserable all the time
• Older adults are greedy and selfish
• Most seniors live in nursing homes.

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Myths make people feel bad

• People do adapt negative stereotypes
• Can influence the way sub groups are treated in
  the church
• In the extreme, can even lead to suicide in some
  populations

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The amazing thing

• The amazing thing about normal aging, is that
  somehow, people just seem to keep on keeping on!

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Flexibility
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Myth All Older Adults are Ridged

• Time can create patterns for people
• Sometimes patterned behaviors can loose their
  original function
• To younger people who feel that new is always
  better, older people can seem out of touch!

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Ways to think about it

• Anyone can become ridged
• Examine function vs. novelty
• If it aint brokewhy fix it?
• If it is a dysfunctional pattern then it is a
  problem
• Social life style vs. personality pathology

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The joys of anextended family
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Everyone has a family

• For the estranged it is a family out of touch
• For the single it is a wider gathering of the
  clan
• For parents it is about their children, where
  ever they are
• Families dont tend to abandon their children

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The church as an extended family

• Church may be physically closer than kin
• Church may be less stressful than kin
• The church is not a social service, it is just
  one big family!

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Formal Vs. Informal Services
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Informal helping

• Family and Friends
• Neighbors
• Natural Helpers
• Role Related Helpers
• People with similar problems
• Volunteers
• Froland, C., Pancoast, D. L., Chapman, N.,
  Kimboko, P. J. (1981). Helping networks and human
  services. Beverly Hills Sage Publications. 32.

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The church

• Clergy are generally considered to be Role
  Related Helpers
• Churches are considered to be gap filling
  agencies
• Ellor, J. W., Coates, R. B. (1985). Examining
  the role of the church and aging. Journal of
  Religion and Aging, 2(1).

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