G
et
Involved!
After turning an interested, but largely deaf ear to what I heard about Older Adult Ministry for at least
5 years, I finally listened when God said – GET INVOLVED. (He had to shout, as I was still not listening
real well.)
One of the first OAM information pieces I ordered was the Older Adult Ministries Planning Guide
for that year. Each page improved my hearing.
Our church didn't follow all the suggestions, but it gave us a thrust forward for future activities and plans.
This start has grown through God's grace (and infinite patience). We now are presenting information to
our Presbytery meetings, which has resulted in more and more churches being aware of the need for OAM in
their congregations. Rest assured, they will all be getting information on the 2007 OAM Planning Guide. Stay
tuned for more expansion of OAM in the Des Moines Presbytery.
Darlene Shepherd is in her third year as coordinator for Older Adult Ministries at
First Presbyterian Church in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
C ontents
Letter from PHSK
Generational Lens by Michele Shultz
Thriving Beyond Midlife by E. Craig MacBean and Henry Simmons
LIVING and LEADING, Not LOAFING and LEISURE:
Boomers Looking for Significance by Don Parrott
Why Aren't More Senior Adults Being Evangelized? by Charles Arn
2
3
4-6
7 - 10
11 - 14
Celebrate Older Adult Sunday May 6, 2007
15 - 16
Order of Worship for Older Adult Sunday by Rev. Linda Kelly
18 - 20
What Older Adults Say They Want From Their Pastors and Church
A Sermon for Older Adult Sunday by Rev. Donald R. Kocher
Characteristics of a Model Ministry:
By, With, and For Older Persons In a Local Congregation
17
21 - 24
25
Are Your Affairs in Order? by Rev. William V. Arnold and Beth Ann Force
26 - 27
Hospice Facts and Myths
32 - 33
Entering a New Land by Rev. Tom Tickner and Shellie Wolf
Books on Grief
Resources for Older Adult Ministries
Retirement Living: Sorting it All Out by Rev. Douglas Kurtz
Older Adult Ministries Certification
28 - 31
34
35
36 - 39
40
POAMN Conference
41
POAMN Membership Form
43
POAMN Needs You
42
Dear Friend,
Are you an “Easy Glider,” an “Adventurer,” or a “Continuer?” Perhaps you're a “Searcher,” an “Involved
Spectator,” or a “Retreater,” instead. What kind of “Boomer” are you?
Baby boomers approaching retirement are coming upon possibly the biggest change in their lives. With the
permanence, stability - and perhaps boredom - of the long work week gone, the possibilities are infinite. But, as
with any major life change, there are options available, from relaxing and enjoying your grandkids to going back
to school or starting a new business. And then, there are those who are busy balancing their own retirement
needs with taking care of aging parents well into their senior years.
Nancy Schlossberg, author of Retire Smart, Retire Happy: Finding Your True Path in Life, says “It's very
much like when you graduated from high school or college, a few people knew what they wanted to do, but
the majority have no idea.” Schlossberg divides the boomers into six types. The “Easy Gliders” take each day
as it comes. They buy a condo at the beach, take walks, and have no interest in going back to work. The
“Adventurers ” make daring changes in their lives. They retire, go back to school and start a new career. They
love to travel and have been known to buy a late-life Harley. The “Continuers” continue to use existing skills,
interests, and activities, but modify them to fit retirement. For example, a life-long teacher continues to tutor
students. The “Searchers” try out new and different things in hope of finding happiness. Many times this
may occur on a spiritual level with a deepening of faith. The “Involved Spectators” care deeply about the world.
They love family members, feel connected to their faith and care about their community, but can't be as involved
as they once were, maybe because of health concerns. The “Retreaters” are confused and upset about retirement.
The change has been traumatic. They miss their co-workers and withdraw, too many times in front of the television. Which type of boomer are you? What types of boomers are members of your congregation? And, how
will you minister to the wave of boomers that will soon swell the membership rolls of the church?
The Presbyterian Church (USA) has designated May as Older Adult Month. We hope you will take the
opportunity to honor older adults in your congregation and community and to reflect upon the impact of the
coming wave of boomers.
For over fifty years it has been our privilege to answer God's call to life-care for the aging. We promise to
continue our tradition of giving compassionate care and superior service to all of God's aging saints. We thank
you for doing the same.
Agapé,
Michael A. Gatton
Director of Mission Advancement
Presbyterian Homes and Services of Kentucky
2
C onnecting the Generations
by Michele Shultz, Director 50+ Adult Ministry & Pastoral Care Assistant 50+ Adult Ministry,
Grace Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas
There is no doubt about it! The newest diversity issue on the block is generational diversity. Age has taken
its place beside gender, race, and culture as a way to define what binds some groups of people together and
drives others absolutely crazy.
We live in an age-segregated society. Other than the family, there are few opportunities for meaningful
interaction between people of different ages. Even in the family there are many reasons why interaction
between the oldest and youngest generations does not happen as often as we might like. Children are placed
in school groupings according to age, and their age/grade category tends to follow them in their involvement in
community settings. While young and middle-aged adults may work together, there is never the less a tendency
to maintain social lives dominated by age peers. Older people find lots of opportunity to spend time together in
seniors' centers or in programs designated especially for them in community centers, but little opportunity to
form friendships with others outside their own generation.
It is our loss as individuals when we find ourselves without the friendship of someone who is very different
in age to us. People born at times different to our own bring a different perspective to life - one that has the
potential to enrich our own. Lack of intergenerational contact is also a loss for our communities and can have
an impact on our communities and on society in general.
Generational misunderstandings happen all the time. Every
generation has been touched by generational challenges and
differences. Everyone wants to understand a loved one better and
to be better understood. Each generation brings its own set of values,
beliefs, life experiences, and attitudes.
Generations have always clashed. Think about it. Americans
are living and working longer. The average life expectancy at birth
in 1900 was forty seven. Today it is closing in on 80+. Suddenly four,
sometimes five generations comprise a family unit instead of two
or three. For the first time in history we have four or five distinct
generations living and working shoulder-to-shoulder and face-to-face
in a stressful, competitive society and workplace.
There's also the fact that the accelerating pace of change over the
past century has made it difficult for generations to find common
ground. As a result it is no longer possible
to assume that a multigenerational group has the same life experiences and cultural touchstones in common.
This can communicate into communication challenges and a breakdown of the bonds that hold families together.
American families and business are being rocked by a series of generational collisions at every turn.
For years people have analyzed factors like age, life stage, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion,
educational background, thinking styles, Myers-Briggs profiles, and even signs of the zodiac to find ways to understand
each other better. Yet we have failed to recognize the form of diversity that affects every human being on a daily
basis – generational differences.
3
T hriving Beyond Midlife
by E. Craig MacBean and Henry Simmons*
The whole of life, from birth to death, is a holy gift. Every precious day of it is where we work out the
Biblical injunction, “Today I put before you life and death; therefore choose life.”
No portion of life-including what we commonly refer to as “retirement”- can even begin to be adequately
prepared for just by amassing money. But to listen in on the cultural conversation (driven of course, by people
with interests in shaping it to their ends) you would think that retirement planning is almost entirely a matter of
money: how much will you need? How much do you have to save to get there? What is the best way to invest?
Consider these dynamics of living from midlife on, and it is easy to see why a broad band of the cultural
conversation about retirement planning focuses so much on money:
• In the last hundred years we went from a nation of 75.9 million people to a nation of 75.9 million
people over 50. The fastest growing segment of the population is centenarians-people over 100.
We are all living longer, and it doesn't take a TV news special to figure out that that will take
more money.
• The baby boomers, the 76 (or so) million people born from 1946 to 1964, are committed to
consumption as a matter of lifestyle. They (we?) start reaching 65 in 2011, but are eligible
for Social Security in just two years. Do we have enough? Will Social Security last?
• Work and life have gotten a divorce. There was no notice in the papers, but the final decree
has been issued. No alimony was awarded; both parties are equally unhappy. What happened
to a relationship that started so well (see “the Protestant Work Ethic”)? The couple was last
heard shouting at each other as they left the courthouse. One was heard to say, “Get a life!”
The other, “Get a job!” Messy. Very messy.
• Retirement is regarded as inevitable. Not quite an entitlement-although some would argue that
is what Social Security has become-but a sort of lifestyle entitlement. And one you don't have
to earn the old-fashioned way, either. The question is not whether we are going to retire, but
what kind of lifestyle can we afford when we retire! Isn't there another choice?
• Retirement benefits are less and less streams of income that you can't outlive (except for Social
Security, of course) and more and more pots of money that you must manage, or hire someone
to manage for you. The task of generating an income to live on without working is now about
figuring out how big a chunk of the retirement fund you can cash in this month without running
out of money before you run out of breath. Who knows? Who really knows?
• The investment game has gotten harder. But so has earning enough to even think of planning to
retire to the good life pictured in print, in the media, online. Time noted in its “Special Report:
American at 300 million” (October 30, 2006) that 70% of all tax returns report income of less
than $50,000 and half of all tax returns report incomes of less that $30,000. Yachts? Second
and third homes? World travel?
All of these things together almost force us to focus on the financial issues-but only as long as we take
retirement as the given. Well, why wouldn't we? Maybe, because we haven't looked at what it “costs”
us to retire.
4
So, what else do we get from work other than a check? Are we going to give up anything else when we
retire beside our income?
• First, we are going to lose vacation.
Although it seems a
paradox, there can be no vacation without work. In fact,
one researcher has found that the euphoric first phase of
retirement only lasts as long as the longest successful
vacation we have ever taken. It seems we just don't know
how to act for any longer than that without working.
No training, perhaps.
• Along the same lines, we lose our sense of the rhythm
of life. Weekends are only weekends if there is something
to give structure to the week. Evenings are only evenings
if there's been something to hold our attention all day.
• We can also lose our sense of competency. For most of us, when we were kids we were educated to do
a task or fulfill a role and we gained a certain level of competence and that's what we do for our adult
lives. Some of us have changed careers, or had a career change forced on us, but still we have had a
sense of competency based on the preparation we got when we were very young. When we stop doing
what we were trained to do, we lose our sense of competence. What's the training for the golden years?
• And, of course, for many –
especially men – working gives us our sense of identity. We know who
we are, who we need to look up to (and who not) by the job we have. Or, the job our spouse has.
After that's gone, how do we know ourselves?
What will give our lives purpose and meaning? If work is meaningful – if you are doing something you
love doing – why stop? Why retire? Because you can? And then what? On the other hand, if you are not
inspired by what you are doing, why keep doing it? Why wait until some magic age? Sure, sure, the money
and a mind-numbing cultural conversation… but at what price?
Would it not be better to retire the notion of retirement and, instead, to take on the task of living life fully
and abundantly-every day? One approach is to adopt the posture of being inspired no matter what you are
doing, to make the work of your life your response to God's grace. That's pretty much the rationale behind the
Puritan work ethic – and most of the Eastern religions, too.
Is retirement a useful notion to have in your future, or even your present? What happens if, when you
look into the future, you see a life, not retirement? A coach once told us to get over the notion of dealing with
our work life apart from our personal lives, or vice versa. He said, “There is but one life. Live it or don't, but
there is only one life.”
The same goes for “retirement.” There is but one life. It starts in the womb and ends in the tomb. What you
do with it in between is entirely up to you. What if you decide you don't want it divided into an education phase,
a work phase, and a retirement phase? Maybe “retirement” is too long to be retired nowadays. Maybe you could
decide you don't want to not work, you just want to enjoy working as you live your life.
We began by saying that the whole of life, from birth to death, is a holy gift and is where we work out the
Biblical injunction, “Today I put before you life and death; therefore choose life.” No portion of life – including
what we commonly refer to as “retirement” – can even begin to be adequately prepared for just by
amassing money.
5
Preparation for thriving beyond midlife takes planning and choosing.
The planning part: We all know that if we want to spend a part of our adult lives not working for a living,
we better have some money set aside. There are only two sources of income in the world-people at work and
money at work-and if you don't want to be people at work you better have money at work for you. (Benefit
plans like pensions and Social Security are just a combination of people at work and money at work, albeit other
people at work.) It is also pretty obvious that to accumulate enough money to replace you at work for a long
time, you better start sooner rather than later. Providing for the gaps in Medicare, being responsible to make
plans for being cared for when you grow frail, and making sure that those who depend on you are not left high
and dry when you die all have ethical and religious dimensions.
The choosing part: When we really check ourselves, our values, our commitments, and our promises (to
say nothing of our bank books), we may come to conclusions about “retirement” that are quite different from
the mandates of the so-called common-sense cultural conversation that swirls around us. Taking a proactive
approach to living from midlife on means that we factor into our decisions how to live a whole range of values.
Above all, it means “choosing life.”
What that looks like positively for you is your choice, in your life circumstances, but there are some
elements we all share in common. They are easiest to see stated negatively.
When we do not pay attention to what ¬we choose to do beyond midlife, we are likely to be pulled away
from our own center, our own best self. When we do not pay attention to our health, we create anxiety for those
who love us. By not paying attention to the financial needs of living from midlife on, we become either direct
or indirect burdens on our families and fellow citizens. By not paying attention to home, we may force others
to decide where we should live. By not paying attention to our life structure, we court despair and depression
and the impact that has on those around us. By not paying attention to our relationships, we place our wellbeing in the hands of strangers. By not paying attention to our cognition we force others to think for us. By not
paying attention to our relationship to God we put the burden of our security on things unable to sustain it.
“Today I put before you life and death; therefore choose
life.” As you take your first tentative steps on the inevitable
journey called aging, those words have many meanings and
work themselves out in many ways. They were never intended
to allow us to postpone life for an indefinite future, to define life
by money, or to submit to living with increasingly constricted
horizons.
“Today I put before you life and death; therefore choose life.
… for that means life to you, and length of days.” Life, that
holy gift, now longer than ever before – plan to choose it, be
prepared to cherish every day of it, regardless of circumstances,
and take on living it abundantly.
* E. Craig MacBean and Henry C. Simmons are co-authors of
Thriving Beyond Midlife (2006). The book is available by emailing
either author: [email protected] or [email protected].
6
L IVING and LEADING,
Not LOAFING and LEISURE:
Boomers Looking for Significance
by Don Parrott, President/CEO, The Finishers Project
OPPORTUNITY
Baby-boomers are the wealthiest, healthiest, most educated, most experienced “middlescent” generation our
nation has ever known. As the oft-quoted phrase from Peter Drucker states, they are the first generation to have
options for how to invest the second half of their lives. They are a unique and powerful people-group, looking
to “finish well.”
In the next 10 years around 4 million Baby-boomers who are Christ-followers, will retire from their present
marketplace positions. A large percentage of them are already thinking about how to use their “retirement”
years in a meaningful way. Nearly all of them will significantly wrestle with this issue sometime before they pull
the plug on their present career. It is a God-given part of the psyche of this 88 million-strong force of risk-takers.
This powerful generation with all their resources and desire has not taken God by surprise. They are here,
equipped and prepared, to impact this globe for unprecedented kingdom impact. This upwardly mobile group
has always wanted to make the world a different place. “Pressing on”, and “forgetting what is behind”, in the
Apostle Paul's words, resonate with their cultural values. Finishing well is more important than finding rest.
They are not looking for rest for their bodies, rather rest for their souls. Leisure and unplugging do not hold the
interest they once did. Connecting and investing their hard-earned life experience is an emerging set of values.
A significant question for the church is, How are we equipping this generation to find expression for
their unique values?” Are we effectively mobilizing these Boomers to extend God's kingdom? Do we provide
pathways for them to partner with God in significant ways?
Sometimes we may be guilty of underestimating what these “middlescents” desire to offer. Often we are
challenging them to be greeters and ushers, when they are capable of, and willing to embrace and develop
ministry initiatives far beyond our vision. As Lloyd Reeb and Bill Wellon say in their book, Unlimited
Partnership, “Each of us is uniquely created and given unique skills, experiences, and passions. Perhaps the
greatest thrill in our second half is discovering how those all link together to be used in a unique way to partner
with what God is already doing in this world.” As one retired Air Force Colonel voiced, “Give me something
big I can get my arms around and turn me loose!”
In a research project commissioned by The Finisher Project, 60% of the respondents said they would take
an early retirement to pursue a second career and just over half of those stated they would consider a missions related ministry for that new career. With 4 million Christ-follower nearing retirement, that is around 2,4000,000
open to new direction and over 1 million of those interested in pursuing a way to extend God's kingdom globally!
7
OBSTACLES
Even with such openness and interest there are still obstacles. Analyzing the questions and concerns of
Boomers considering missions ministries, 6 potential road-blocks have emerged:
•
•
•
•
•
•
8
Money: The missions enterprise is quite unique and not always easily grasped by those coming
out of the marketplace. One of the key aspects is that those who need to hear the gospel around
the world are not going to pay to hear it. The good news is not for sale, so there is no income stream
from those who need this message. But those committed to carrying that message must live and eat.
While tent-making and business-as-mission initiatives are changing the model, still many of those
moving into such ministry have to raise their support from others in the Body. The fear, lack of
faith and unfamiliarity with how to go about raising support, makes this obstacle the number
one issue to be overcome.
Ministry Fit: The second most identified obstacle is understanding how one's marketplace skills could
fit in a missions-related role. Part of the problem is semantics. Corporations use a language they
understand and the missions world has developed its own vernacular. At times, even when talking
about the same skills, the two groups are cross-communicating because of vocabulary. Additionally,
traditional missionaries were products of Bible schools and seminaries and had a strong 'church
ministry' focus. Today's needs reflect the necessity of a different type of worker but many in
the Boomer generation assume it is still business as usual and do not see themselves as qualified.
Identity: For many boomers, identity comes from what they do, not so much from who they are.
They know who they are in the workplace. They are unsure of their future identity in missions.
This has proven to be a tangible obstacle for many who explore a new missions career.
Family Issues: Sometimes called the “hinge” generation, Boomers carry a sense of responsibility on
both ends of the family tree. Their children are from the boomerang generation. They leave home,
but very often return…in between jobs, schooling or changes in housing. On the other end of the
spectrum are aging parents. They need care, love and understanding as they near the ends of their
lives, and Boomers, rightfully so, are meeting the challenge. As well, these “hinges” have
grandchildren and who wants to be too afar away from such a wonderful reward! All of these
family related issues combine to be a formidable obstacle in mobilizing Boomers into missions.
Medical Concerns: What will I do about insurance? How can I be sure my aging parents will get
the medical attention they need? What health risks will I run if I sign up to live overseas? Will there
be adequate medical care available? These legitimate questions sometimes give pause and form
the fifth obstacle to missions ministry.
Preparation: The sixth major concern voiced by Boomers is what kind of preparation they will need.
Will I have to go back to school? Do I need to be a seminary graduate? How do I gain an adequate
understanding of cross-cultural issues? I've taken all kinds of training for my jobs, but will any of
that be of use? Training and preparation concerns form a significant obstacle for many of
this generation.
ANSWERS
So if there is such a passion for finishing well, and so many are open to missions ministry, but there are
such formidable obstacles, how can we mobilize these Boomers into moving from success to significance
for the kingdom?
A foundational issue is the underlying philosophy we bring to the ministries through our churches. It is
common forchurch leadership to see people as tools to be used to accomplish ministry objectives. To see them
as people to fill positions to keep the church programs functioning. As common and necessary as this might
appear, it betrays a de-valuing approach to the gifted people God has brought to our church. We unwittingly
use people to build projects rather than use projects to build people. Pastors are given to the church to equip
people for ministry. Ministry needs provide perfect opportunities to help people grow and learn to exercise
the gifts they have been given for the body of Christ. Such a perspective is honoring to God and gives value
to the person. On the other hand, asking for volunteers, pressuring people into our needed slots and seeing
people as the resources we need to run our programs ultimately gives a message that those people are not
as important as the programs.
A second 'answer' is to identify and segment the Boomer population of your church. How many Boomers
are in yourcongregation? Find out who they are, what they do, when they attend, what ministries they are
involved in, their training and marketplace experience, their education and their family make-up. Then divide
them into 'domains', such as Education, Government, Communications, Economics, Arts & Entertainment,
Science, Medical, etc.
Once these domains are identified, invite the Boomers of one domain to come together and discuss a
mission-related challenge or opportunity you are aware of through the missions ministry of your church.
You will find that they have ideas, resources and passions
you never thought of, simply because its their area of
expertise and connection. Once they begin to identify
methods and solutions, challenge them to form a team to
implement their ideas. Ownership is powerful! We love
to see our ideas implemented and we will uncover
resources not previously available.
A further approach to mobilizing Boomers is to work
with them to design short-term missions trips. Often our
approach is to design the trip and project to be done, then
put out the call for people to sign on. People do it, but often
they are doing so much less than they are capable of
contributing. As what they would like to do. What are they
passionate about. Then look together for a trip opportunity
that meets their desires and fulfills a worthy need. Such an
approach is very motivating and will usually open doors to
a growing involvement in significant missions investment.
9
RESOURCES
Books:
The Unlimited Partnerships book by Reeb and Wellon is a must read for every pastor and missions leader in a
church. It is full of real-life examples of market-place people who have found incredible expression for their
passions and all they have developed over the years, seeing it being invested into kingdom work like they
never thought possible.
Let The Nations Be Glad by John Piper will turn on the lights
as to God's extreme desire to see all the peoples of this earth
reached with his love.
Paul Borthwick has provided a practical tool to open our
thinking to missions-related ministry in his book,
A Mind For Missions.
Lloyd Reeb, mentioned above, has written From Success
to Significance. This book will challenge Boomers as well
as provide practical steps on how to find ways to exercise
our ministry habits.
Training:
A must is to take the Perspectives On The World Christian
Movement. This is a 15 week course, typically held one
evening a week. It is a significant commitment, there is a
cost for the course, but it is clearly the current best entrance
into the missions world available.
Connecting:
www.finishers.org is a website dedicated to connecting
individuals with missions opportunities around the world.
In addition to filling out a profile to discover real-life
opportunities, the site is full of additional help for those curious about this journey.
Assessments:
IDAK Group, directed by John Bradley out of Portland, Oregon, provides several levels of assessment to help
a person discover their strengths, wiring an potential ministry expression. www.idakgroup.com
A few other on-line assessments: www.youruniquedesign.org, www.networkministries.com,
www.lifekeys.com, www.strengthfinders.com.
10
hy Aren't More Senior Adults
WBeing
Evangelized?
by Charles Arn, President of the American Society of Church Growth, and Church Growth, Inc., Monrovia, California
As sociologists monitor the country's shifting demographic patterns, a most fruitful opportunity for outreach
is emerging. Nearly 8,000 people a day in the U.S. are turning 60 years old, and the “senior adult” population is
exploding at three times the national population growth rate. Approximately 58% of these older Americans have no
religious affiliation. And, according to religious conversion research, they are entering one of most receptive times
of their life for spiritual change.
Unfortunately, the great majority of today's churches are unprepared for this “age wave.” One might think
that because many congregations already have a considerable percentage of their membership as older adults,
that outreach to this age group would be easy. Not true! In fact, as the following graph indicates, we have been
unsuccessful for some time in effectively evangelizing older adults:
Age at Conversion
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0
11 - 20
21- 30
31- 40
41- 50
51- 60
61- 70
71+
Age of Respondents
Only 6.8% of those who become Christians and new church members are over age 50, and only 1.2% are
over 60. In addition, two-thirds of 1000+ member churches in the United States reported “1” or “0” senior
adults added to their membership through “conversion growth” in the previous year.
One of three conclusions can be drawn…
1) The older people grow, the more resistant they become to the Gospel…
thus fewer older adults convert;
2) Churches allocate the bulk of their outreach resources to youth and younger adults…
thus fewer older adults convert;
3) Evangelism strategies practiced by churches today are more effective for people in
the first half of life… thus fewer older adults convert.
My observation, from involvement in the field of older adults for the past 11 years, is that the first conclusion
is completely untrue… the second is often true… the third is almost always true.
So, what are the “right” methods for bringing in these fields that are “ripe unto harvest”? Here are three
brief suggestions. (Those committed to moving into this increasingly receptive area should update their
knowledge with a number of additional resources. )
11
1. Approach older adult evangelism as a “process,” not an “event.”
It is common knowledge among educators, psychologists, and others who study human be-havior,
that many aspects of our “world view” change as we age (called the “Developmental Theory of Aging”).
One thing that alters with age is how we approach change: young people tend to prefer dramatic and radical
change, older adults prefer gradual and controlled change. Many evangelism methods practiced today were
developed in the youth-oriented culture of the 1970s. They included a rehearsed presentation… solicited
an immediate decision…and expected dramatic redirection. This is a logical approach for young people,
however it conflicts with the decision-making process of older adults. Evangelism for older adults is more
effective as the conversion experience is presented as a journey or process, rather than an event or
defining moment.
While there may certainly be a time and place where the senior adult prays to receive Christ as savior,
it is also true that approximately half of a room full of Christians who are certain of their eternal destiny
cannot point to an exact time or place when they “accepted Christ.” “We do great harm to the mystery of
conversion,” says Gordon McDonald, “when we reduce it to a convenient formula.” An evangelism
strategy for senior adults should not require each individual to take identical steps or say identical words.
We must acknowledge that different people come to their relationship with Christ in different ways.
(For a more detailed discussion of this issue, see p. 80 -98 in White Unto Harvest: Evangelizing Today's Senior
Adults by Charles Arn.)
12
2. Focus on Receptive Senior Adults.
There are many unchurched older adults in your community. Not all of these people are equally responsive
to becoming Christians at this time. However there are some seniors who are like “ripe fruit” waiting-and
needing-to be picked. The Holy Spirit has been working in their hearts, perhaps for a lifetime. All that is
needed is a person or church to come along side them, as Phillip was guided by the Holy Spirit in Acts 8:29,
and explain the good news. When Jesus said, “turn your eyes to the fields that are ready to harvest,” (John 4:35)
I believe he was telling us to steward our time and energy where there will be positive results. Effective
evangelism strategy of older adults will identify and then focus on those who are receptive.
So, how do you find receptive senior adults in your community? One of the most helpful ways to identify
receptive people is the “Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Scale,” more com-monly known as the “Stress Scale.”
Cardiologists originally developed this scale as a measure of one's susceptibility to a heart attack. It has since
been validated as also being a measure of one's receptiveness to spiritual change. People who rate high on this
scale are statistically much more likely to change their spiritual convictions than people who rate low.
We have adapted the original scale into five various age groups. Below is the Stress Scale for older adults.
The number to the right indicates the relative significance of the event in a per-son's life. And, of course, these
events can and do compound on each other. A person who had experienced major physical problems [53] and
recently retired [45] would have a higher rating-and be more receptive-than had either event occurred separately.
In The Master's Plan for Making Disciples course, we suggest how to evaluate a person's receptivity based on
the stress-producing events in their recent history. Calculate 100% if the event occurred within the past 18
months, half the value if it occurred between 18-36 months ago, and no value if it occurred prior to 3 years ago.
Determining Receptivity in a
Non-Christian Senior Adult
0 - 20
low
21- 38
moderate
39 - 50
high
51+
very high
Senior adults who have recently experienced one or more of these transition events will be more receptive
than those who are, for the moment, living in relative stability.
3. Build relationships between Christian and non-Christian senior adults
The vast majority of older adults come to Christian faith through of a friend or neighbor. This is both good
news and bad news. The good news is that you don't need a fancy building or a powerful preacher (although
neither one hurts) to reach senior adults. What you do need to have are older adults in your church with nonChristian friends, neighbors, or relatives. The bad news is… most don't. That is, most older adults have been in
the church for so long that all of their friends are also in church.
13
The solution? Build new relationships between Christian and non-Christian senior adults.
But, how?
One of the best (and most fun) ways is to start new “connection activities” in your church that are attractive
to both churched and unchurched older adults. Bringing together like-minded people with similar concerns
provides a “friendship greenhouse” where new relationships are easily formed… and traverse religious
differences. Here are just a few examples of groups that some churches are forming to build relationships
between senior adults in and outside the church:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Grandparents raising grandchildren
Men with prostate cancer
Motorcyclists over 55
Single women with financial concerns
Widowers interested in dating again
RV couples
Seniors wishing to help in after-school tutoring
All it takes is 3-4 people (not all of whom need be active church members) who would like to turn their
interests outward into a ministry. With a little encouragement and guidance older adults begin to think very
creatively about opportunities to make new friends…and make a dif-ference in new lives. The key to this
strategy, however, is to be sure the new ministries both start and continue with an “outward-focus” that
includes non-Christians as a part of its purpose.
Older adults are, indeed, receptive. But old methods won't reach today's “new seniors.” There is much to
learn about effective senior adult ministry and outreach. But the demographics are telling wise leaders about
the future… and it's getting older. Is your church ready?
Win Arn & Charles Arn, Age Wave Wake Up Call (Monrovia, CA: LIFE, 2004), 11.
Recommended reading in this area:
White Unto Harvest: Evangelizing Today's Senior Adults by Charles Arn (Church Growth, Inc., Monrovia, CA);
Senior Adult Ministry in the 21st Century by David Gallagher (Group Publishing);
One Church, Four Generations: Un-derstanding and Reaching All Ages in Your Church by Gary McIntosh
(Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI);
Catch the Age Wave: A Handbook for Effective Ministry with Senior Adults by Charles & Win Arn (Beacon Hill
Press, Kansas City); A House Divided: Bridging the Gen-eration Gaps in Your Church by Bob Whitesel
(Abingdon Press, Nashville)The New Senior: Preparing Your Church for the Age Wave by Charles Arn
(Church Growth, Inc., Monrovia, CA)
1
2
Charles Arn. White Unto Harvest (Monrovia, CA: IACG Press), 80-81.
3
Gordon McDonald, Mid-Course Correction (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 42.
4
T. Holmes & R. Rahe “The Social Readjustment Scale” in The Journal of Psychosomatic Re-search 2, 213-218.
Copyright 1968 by Elsevier Science Inc.
5
Win Arn & Charles Arn, The Master's Plan Participant Workbook (Monrovia, CA: Church Growth, Inc., 1999), 15.
6
Win & Charles Arn. “Practice OIKOS Evangelism” in Catch the Age Wave
(Kansas City: Bea-con Hill Press, 1999), 81-100.
7
14
C elebrate Older Adult Sunday May 6, 2007
Each year the Presbyterian Church (USA) sets aside the first
Sunday in May to acknowledge older adults as one of the gifts
with which God has blessed us. Older adults represent the gifts
of wisdom gained through living a life in faith, hope through
hard times lived with perseverance, and generosity in loving
and stewardship. Following are some ideas for incorporating
the celebration of older adults into a Sunday morning
worship service.
Who will be honored on Older Adult Sunday?
Let your congregation decide. In some congregations, older
adults are anyone over 50 while in other congregations anyone
younger than 75 is still in the youth group! Also ask your older
adults if there is a name they prefer: “older adults”, “seniors”,
“treasures”, or “wise ones”.
Advance Preparations:
Invite a group of older adults to design a symbol of their gifts of wisdom, perseverance, and generosity.
On Older Adult Sunday, use the symbol on bulletins or place the symbol in a prominent place in the sanctuary.
Check the sound system in your sanctuary. Are there “dead spots” where it is difficult to hear? If so, guide
persons with hearing impairments to other seats. Similarly, check the lighting to see that persons with vision
impairments can see. Print bulletins with a large font and leave plenty of blank space so it is easy to read.
Check the temperature of the sanctuary and note drafty locations that older persons may want to avoid.
Transportation:
Well in advance of May 6, make a list of those who used to be active in the congregation but no longer
attend because of a move or an inability to get to church. Get names and addresses from members and friends.
Then invite these folks to worship with you on Older Adult Sunday.
Sadly, when we are no longer able to drive, attending worship becomes nearly impossible. On Older Adult
Sunday, form carpools to help elderly members attend worship. Many nursing home residents appreciate an
opportunity to worship at their home church but are unable to drive. Be sure to have a ramp for wheel chairs
and walkers.
Seating:
On Older Adult Sunday have a special team to welcome older members and usher them to their seats.
You could reserve the first several rows of pews for the older members of your congregation. Consider giving
each elder a lapel pen, book mark, flower, or medallion to recognize the esteem of the congregation.
15
Hymns:
Use the old standards this Sunday, such as Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, and What a Friend We Have in
Jesus. Older adults know these hymns by heart so that even those with vision and hearing impairments will be
able to join in singing.
Scripture:
Many in your congregation may be used to the NRSV or the NIV, but older adults grew up on the King
James Version of the Bible. Honor older adults by reading the texts of the day from the King James Version.
Many with dementia will recite the Twenty-Third Psalm with you, if you use the King James Version.
Sermon:
The lectionary texts for May 6, 2007 are Acts 11:1-18, Psalm 148, Revelations 21:1-6, and John 13:31-35. As
you prepare your sermon, consider the lives of the older persons being honored. How do these texts give hope
to persons in the final quarter of life?
Prayers of the People:
On this day, give thanks for the lives of older adults and the gifts they bring to the congregation. You may
also offer prayers for those who retired from work, became grandparents and great-grandparents, were widowed,
or had other family changes. Recognize the courage it takes to stop driving, to accept assistance, to give up a
home, and to depend on family and friends. Consider naming those who have died during the past year. Pray
also for strength and courage for those who provide care for older persons. If your congregation has programs
or services for the elderly, include these in your prayers.
After Worship:
The church is the focal point of the social lives of many of the persons you honor on Older Adult Sunday, so
it makes sense to host a potluck after worship. You may arrange tables so older persons have a place of honor
among family and friends rather than separated at an honoree's table. Have parishioners alerted to fill in around
elders who have few family or friends present.
Need an activity at the potluck? Consider that older
members are a repository of historical information about
your congregation. You may want to use Older Adult
Sunday to gather and record some of that information.
Assign a younger member to record the remembered
stories of each older person. Or use a long sheet of paper
to make a time line for the history of your congregation.
Invited older persons to place baptisms, marriages, and
deaths on the time line.
16
hat Older Adults Say They Want From
WTheir
Pastors and Church
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Believe and teach that aging from birth through death is God's plan and that each age group is equally
precious to and loved by God.
Divest yourselves, as pastors, of negative stereotypes of aging, and lead us older adults to do the same,
thus building up self esteem. Carl Howie said, "until there is pride in aging, it will be considered and
treated as punishment or something terrible.
Direction and guidance for the Spiritual Journey through all phases of life, especially the latter part.
Help us cope with loneliness. Our basic needs are assurance of self-worth, intimacy with others and God.
More sermons and discussions dealing with the resurrection and life after death.
We want to be kept informed and consulted about plans and programs for the church.
Visited regularly in our homes as well as when we are in the hospital and nursing home. Have a relaxed
attitude projecting the idea that it is a pleasure rather than a duty.
Offer prayers that reflect a deep concern and belief that God is the refuge.
Don't leave us with our problems of illness, death of loved ones, changes in life styles, but rather counsel
and guide us through our problems.
10. Assurance of your prayers and those of others in other groups within the church, such as Sunday School,
Circle, and "prayer warriors."
11. Persuade us to believe we are capable and have the time and talents needed by the church and its mission.
Give us opportunities.
12. We need to feel loved, appreciated, needed, and to have responsibilities.
13. Provide for intergenerational activities.
14. More recognition for longevity of service in the church.
15. Arrange for help and assistance so we can manage our affairs and remain in our own homes.
16. Remove physical barriers to participation in church programs.
17
O rder of Worship for Older Adult Sunday
Call to Worship
Leader:
People:
Leader:
People:
Leader:
People:
Leader:
People:
Leader:
Come let us worship with wonder.
Let us look at God's world with a renewed sense of awe.
Come let us worship with awe.
Let us experience the miracles of creation through the eyes of a child.
Come let us worship with trust.
Let us step out in faith and trust in things unseen.
Come let us worship with hope.
Let us worship the One whose promise writes love upon our hearts.
Come let us worship God.
Prayer of Invocation
God of Glorious Creation, God of Endless Wonder.
You toss a confetti of stars across the night's sky.
At sunrise, you provide a canvas of delight, a rich palette of painted bliss.
You bid the blossoms to turn their heads from morning's light to evening shade.
You light the night sky with swords of fire,
yet calm the baby's fear with a mother's touch.
At birth you offer us a tender care.
Throughout life you teach obedience.
In death you offer eternity.
Today, O Lord, with the heel of your hand carve out precious space in our hearts
that we might hear the mysterious notes of your grace in this time and place.
These things we pray. Amen
Call to Confession
From a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon…Calvin asks the question, “Do you think our holiness is defined by
our actions or by what's in our hearts?” Hobbes replies, “I think our actions show what's in our hearts.”
Let us confess to God what is in our hearts.
Prayer of Confession
O Lord, we love you because you first loved us; we seek you because you first sought us. Yet, O God,
how easy it is to forget! We walk around with our heads down, and we miss all the opportunities that
could be ours. We often live in a used-to-be world, thinking only “what if” or “if only.” We forget that
you are the Good Shepherd who searches for lost sheep, a faithful God who keeps calling for us in spite
of our deafness, the God who makes the blind see and the oppressed free. Help us, O God, to once again
believe in angels and in children. Send us out filled with your Spirit, standing straight and walking tall,
knowing that we are loved and that we can love. In the strong name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen
18
Words of Assurance
Leader:
People:
Leader:
People:
Leader:
People:
ALL:
We have been blessed with another day.
We have been blessed with the breath in our lungs.
We have been blessed with the wisdom of years.
We have been blessed with the truth of life.
We have been blessed with God's grace and forgiveness.
We have been blessed with the hope of tomorrow.
Let us live as living blessings.
Litany: A Prayer for Our People
We pray for those older adults …
Who eat dessert first
Who think chocolate will cure anything
Who forget their “inside voice” in grocery stores and movie theatres
Who take their teeth out at night and put their glasses on in the morning
Who have pictures of their grandchildren on the refrigerator
Who think wrinkles are as beautiful as freckles
And for those ...
Who can name the Twelve Apostles but not their own children
Whose hands are gnarled and their joints ache
Who grimace at the sight of a needle
Who pray that their money lasts longer than they do
Whose grandchildren are more precious than gold
We pray for older adults
Who still think telephone calls are easier than e-mails
Who think telephones should be attached to the wall
Who think a blackberry is a fruit
Who long for the telephone to ring yet hate to ask their children for help
Whose eyes are dim but minds are sharp
And we pray for those …
Who push little ones on swings, yet they themselves are pushed in wheelchairs
Who wait in crowded doctor's offices
Who await results of medical tests, and those who can't afford medical insurance
Those who take more medicine than candy, and those who can't afford the medicine
We pray for older adults …
Whose initials are carved in a tree, but whose picture is on no one's nightstand
Whose only touch throughout the week is the dog's
Who offer grandchildren candy before dinner
Who can still repeat name, rank, and serial number
19
We pray for those …
Whose life is confined to a bed and a window
Whose bedroom is a cardboard box and a dirty blanket
Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep
Who spend much time in the classroom of waiting
Whose dreams are as varied and unique as the number of people here
And we pray for those …
Who can't find their shoes, and those who have no shoes
Who would love to work but can find no work
Who live and move but have no being
Who have Advance Directives, Living Wills, and Powers of Attorney
Who sign checks with an X and get visits from Meals on Wheels
We pray for older adults …
Who believe service is a virtue
Who believe that with God all things are possible
Who have learned that silence speaks volumes
Who believe that every day overflows with opportunities
Who know the importance of being a living example and leaving a legacy of values
We pray for those within our midst …
Who know that through teaching, they become the learner and through giving, the receiver
Who understand that their existence is not measured by the number of hours, days or
even years spent on this earth - nor by the number of breaths they take, but by the moments
that take their breath away
Who gave birth to the beautiful creature God would have them become.
Sermon Text:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
SermonTheme:
Anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple,
but only God can count the number of apples in a seed!
1. There is an appropriate time for every matter under heaven.
2. Live in the present, but celebrate every stage of life.
3. Look to eternity with anticipation.
Sermon Title:
“Only God Knows”
Benediction
Go from this place in peace.
Return again in hope.
May the God of grace direct your course.
May Jesus Christ the Savior walk with you on your journey.
May the Holy Spirit offer you joy along the way. Amen
20
O n Wanting To Be 19 Again
A Sermon for Older Adult Sunday
by Rev. Donald R. Kocher, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
“... I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content …”
Philippians 4:11
It has been said, “nostalgia is the first symptom of old age.”1 If that be true, and I shall not argue the point,
then one feature of such nostalgia is the claim that life was much simpler in years gone by - specifically in the
bygone years of one's childhood.
And here is where such nostalgia may prove false, for not all facets of life were more simple 50 or so years
ago. By no means. Consider, for example, the work involved in doing the weekly laundry - in an age before
polyester, other wash-and wear fabrics, and electric clothes dryers. Recall, those of you who can, the routine of
soaking the clothes on Sunday evening; washing them on Monday morning; drying them (hanging them, either
outside in the summer or inside in the winter); sprinkling them on Monday night, to make them damp; and
ironing all day Tuesday and perhaps part of Wednesday.
Or, what about the effort involved in preparing a meal – in an age before frozen foods, instant foods, and
microwave ovens.
Yes, the memory sometimes plays tricks. Life was not
always more simple in the days of our yesteryears.
Having said this, I must also make one exception to what
I have said. There was at least one area of life that was far
simpler than is the case today: and that was in one's choice
of breakfast cereals. It was really very simple: there were
Corn Flakes, Shredded Wheat, Rice Crispies, Wheaties, and
perhaps a few others. In our house my brother and I ate
Wheaties – largely because it sponsored an afternoon radio
program, “Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy.” We ate
Wheaties in order to show our loyalty to Jack Armstrong and to receive various prizes, which could be obtained by
sending in a box top and some money.
Today, the whole matter of selecting a breakfast cereal is infinitely more complicated. One must take into
account the complex carbohydrates in a cereal, as well as its “oats content” and its “fiber content.” By choosing
the right breakfast cereal (so it is said), we can avoid certain deadly diseases and actually prolong our lives.
As if this were not enough, we can also reverse the aging process by the use of a breakfast cereal - one called
PRODUCT 19. Perhaps you have seen the television commercials for this amazing cereal. A teenage girl is
talking on the telephone with a friend. She cannot understand the “antics” of her parents: they are going
dancing, they are playing tennis, and who knows what else they are doing? During this conversation the girl
spots on the kitchen counter a box of PRODUCT 19. Very subtle.
21
enough,
Now as if this television commercial were not
on the back of the box of PRODUCT 19 there is printed
this guide: “The ABC's of feeling like 19.”
In one sense this whole thing is so silly that it
deserves nothing but our contempt. However, it is not
a silly matter to the company selling it, nor to the
advertising company that has it as a client, nor to the
television stations which air the commercial. Consider
the sums of money involved in marketing a breakfast
cereal that promises to make us feel 19 again. Consider
… and weep!
But more troubling than the issue of false
advertising is the promise of such advertising: that we
all can feel 19 again. Now I hope I will not offend any
19 year olds who may be here this morning, but I am
not at all sure I would want to be 19 again. At age 19
I did not know all that I now know. I did not have an appreciation for music, for art and architecture that I
now have. My knowledge of history, at age 19, was quite limited. I had not enjoyed all of the travels I have
experienced since then. Indeed, as I look back upon it, I had barely begun to live at age 19. Why, then, would
anyone wish to be 19 again?
I think there are two reasons. In the first place, we live in a culture that prizes youth. Look at the advertising
pages in any newspaper or magazine. Rarely does one ever see a model, male or female, over the age of 30.
Even in such a magazine as Modern Maturity, the models are not all that “mature.”
A second reason is an inbred one - the fact that at whatever age we are, we often want to be somewhere else.
The young teenager wants to be a sophisticated older teenager. The older teenager wants to be an adult. And
the man or woman past 40 may wish to be 30 again. And so on, and so on.
Which brings me (at last!) to my text, a verse from Paul's letter to the Philippians: “… I have learned, in
whatever state I am, to be content.” It is more than a text for a sermon, for deeper sense it is a verse that I have
held onto, lo these many years.
I was graduated from high school in June of 1944 - during some of the worst months of World War II. I had
enlisted in the Army and a week after commencement, was sent to Indiana University to study engineering. It
was hot, that summer of '44 in Southern Indiana. Army discipline was strict, in that we were required to be in
our rooms, studying, five nights a week. There were also the academic pressures of staying in the program.
(The first semester, I started out in a room with three other roommates; by the end of that semester, I was the
only one left.)
It was also the first time I had ever been away from home and I suppose some of my unhappiness had
appeared between the lines of my letters home. In turn, my father, in one of his letters, offered words of encouragement – specifically this verse from St. Paul's epistle to the Philippians: “… I have learned, in whatever state I
am, to be content.” I was 18 at the time and have tried, in the years since then, to keep this verse as a guide.
22
The words are easy to say - although they must surely have been difficult for Paul to have written. His lift
had not been an easy one. He had apparently never known the joys of marriage and a family. He had suffered
from some sort of physical affliction that he described only as “a thorn in the flesh.” As an adult he seems not to
have had any sort of permanent home, but spent years as a missionary, traveling from one hostile city to another.
And what had he to show for his life of unselfish service? He was in his early 50s and found himself
inprison! Some of his friends in the church in Philippi had apparently sent him a present of some sort something to cheer him up. In return, he wrote them a letter of appreciation. He thanked them for their concern;
although, he hastened to add, he had no real wants, for “…I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content.”
An interesting thing about this verse is that in all of the New Testament the word “content”(or “contentment”)
occurs only four times, and never on the lips of Jesus. It appears to have been more of a Stoic virtue, and since
Paul had been raised in Tarsus (a center of philosophical Stoicism), we may assume that it was from the writings
of Zeno that he learned of it.
However, it can also be argued that in some situations it is actually a vice. For there are some occasions
when as Christians we should not be content - when we should not be “content” with injustice, with poverty,
with ungodliness. For too long Christians were content with racial discrimination, and then came the “long hot
summers” of the 1960s when our quiet contentment caught up with us. And things have never been the same
since then. Yes, it is no virtue, certainly no Christian virtue, for us to sit on the sidelines and twiddle our thumbs
while the world goes by, on its merry way.
But this may not be what Paul meant by being “content.” Instead, may not his understanding of contentment
have been related to the New Testament idea of “acceptance”? For what is the New Testament gospel all about save that God has accepted us - in spite of our weakness and frailty, in spite of our lack of love. God loves us –
in spite of all this - because God has accepted us.
Thus to be content is to accept what life offers us - and all that it offers us: its joys and sorrows, its
challenges and disappointments, its successes and failures, its sunny days as well as its days of gloom.
Moreover, to be content is to realize that there is no perfect time in life, no time when each and every day is
sunny, with no clouds in the sky. There is no perfect age in life - not 19, not 39, not 59, not 79. Whatever our
age, joys are always mixed with heartaches; cherished memories are entangled with future hopes. Together
with this little verse from Philippians, I have tried always to remember a scene from Thorton Wilder's play, Our
Town. You may know it: set in Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, it is the story of Emily and George Gibbs,
how George carried Emily's books home from school, how they courted and married.
23
In the third act Emily dies, still a rather young woman. The scene is set in the village cemetery - a hilltop,
a windy hilltop. Those who had died earlier are represented by several characters sitting in chairs at one side of
the stage. Emily appears in their midst and takes her place next to her mother-in-law, Mrs. Gibbs.
She asks if the dead can go back. Mrs. Gibbs says they can, but warns her daughter-in-law not to try. But
Emily persists and finally chooses to revisit her twelfth birthday.
It is a cold winter morning that she sees before her, the ground covered with a blanket of fresh snow. The
coal stove in the kitchen gives off a warm and inviting glow - together with the pungent smell of burning coal.
Her father has just returned from a rare business trip and has brought her a present. There are other packages
too: something from Aunt Carrie, a post-card album from George Gibbs. But Emily can no longer look at it.
“I can't. I can't go on. It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another… I didn't realize. So all
that was going on and we never noticed. Take me back - up the hill - to my grave. But first: Wait! One more
look - Goodbye, Goodbye, world. Goodbye Grover's Corners… Goodbye to clocks ticking… and Mama's
sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths…sleeping and waking up. Oh earth,
you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you.”
She then looks toward the Stage Manager and asks, “Do human beings ever realize life while they live it? –
every, every minute?”
“No,” he replies. “The saints and poets, maybe - they do some.”
Emily returns to her chair next to Mrs. Gibbs and says, “I should have listened to you. That's all human
beings are! Just blind people.”
Mrs. Gibbs answers, “Look, it's clearing up. The stars are coming out.” 2
Amen.
1
2
Michael Korda, The Fortune, p. 240.
Three Plays by Thorton Wilder (Bantum Classics, 1961), pp. 62-63.
The Rev. Donald Roth Kocher served as the first Associate Pastor of Older Adult Ministry at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian
Church from May 1982 to December 1990, when he retired. A historian by nature, Don was known for writing two books:
"The Mother of Us All: First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, 1698-1998" and "A Narrative History of the Second
Presbyterian Church in the City of Philadelphia in Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of its Founding in 1743."
He died on January 18, 2003, and is remembered at the church for his dignified sermons with a touch of dry humor.
24
C haracteristics of a Model Ministry:
By, With and For Older Persons In a Local Congregation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
It is intentional.
Older adults--persons either retired or generally speaking, 65 years of age and older have been identified
as a particular group with special needs, characteristics and potential. Periodically, the congregation makes
a needs assessment and resource inventory of its older adult members.
It empowers older persons for life and for ministry.
Older persons are encouraged to take charge of their own lives, and are given responsibility for developing,
implementing and coordinating a ministry by, with and for older adults.
It is free from barriers to participation.
Every effort is made to remove physical, psychological, economic and social obstacles which make difficult
or preclude participation of person in the life and activities of the congregation.
It reaches out for older persons.
A program of active evangelism, outreach and pastora1 care seeks to include a11 of the older adults.
Efforts include designated "shepherds," regular communications, and home visits.
The concerns of aging are included in the liturgy.
Prayers, hymns and sermons articulate the longings, aspirations, frustrations, failures, cares and losses of
later years. Rituals mark transitions, milestones, goals achieved.
It provides opportunities for continuing personal growth.
Pastoral care, Bible study, support and prayer groups provide spiritual guidance and continued learning
and meaning in life.
It provides opportunities for companionship and socialization.
The needs of older adults for affection, recognition, stimulation and feelings of self-worth are
recognized and planned for through association, play, re-creation, fellowship, projects, discussion, and
common ministries.
It is intergenerational.
Older adults work, play, and learn with persons of various ages, serving as volunteers to and receiving
services from younger persons. Younger and older persons in teams may provide ministries.
It is community minded and ecumenical.
Working with other congregations and community and public agencies, -the congregation supports,
encourages and engages in volunteer service and community organizing.
10. It addresses social policies and issues.
Social policies and practices, value commitments and social norms, especially those which impact the lives
of older persons, and more particularly women and ethnic minorities, are scrutinized from a faith
perspective for their effect upon human live.
25
A re Your Affairs in Order?
In the early 1990's the Associate Pastor for Older Adult Ministry from the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church visited
a recent widow, who verbalized that she had “no idea of where to start.” She stated that, because her husband had handled
all of their personal business, she had no idea what banks held their accounts or, for that matter, where anything else was
kept. From that conversation came the formation of a committee of the older adult council. Comprised of two lawyers, a
retired businessman and the widow herself, the group met frequently for almost a year, formulated a document and then
put it in the hands of twenty-five couples. Those couples gave the document a “trial run,” worked their way through it and
returned it with their comments. It was then revised, placed in a 3-ring binder and released to members of the congregation
at no cost. There was only one qualification. The members were asked to return the book to the church, if they decided not
to use it. Surprisingly, very few were returned. “Are Your Affairs in Order?” is the title of the book, and it both asks
an important question, and invites us to do our best to plan for the future.
The manual, as it is now called, is divided into separate sections, each a different color to make it easier
to identify each unit:
I. The Introduction
II. Personal and Financial Information
III. Health Insurance and Living Arrangements
IV. Pertinent Legal Documents
V. Spiritual Planning and Resources
The central aim of the manual is to help individuals to plan ahead. Because we, as Presbyterians,
believe that death is not the end, we are able to face it with courage and with a sense of responsibility to those
loved ones we leave behind, to carry on after our death. Because we love them, we want to have our
“affairs in order.”
About every other year the manual is revised to bring the information up to date, including changes that
occur in the Medicare laws. It is placed in a binder for ease in replacing the information as changes come along.
While the majority of people, who are using the manual, are older adults, we encourage everyone to obtain
one for their use. The comfort in knowing that you are prepared for the future affords the opportunity to feel
confident that your affairs will be handled in a way that you desire. Many young adults have obtained the
manual as a tool to guide conversations with their parents in order to encourage mutual preparation.
Because the circumstances of all people are unique, we make no claim to having all the answers. Rather, our
thrust is to encourage all to think about the future and record general information. The manual is in a “fill
in the blank” format in order to create a central record of information. It also serves as a reminder to routinely
think about personal matters. The preparation of the manual is a gift to yourself and to those you want to be
aware of your wishes. We have tried to make the booklet as useful as possible for you and your loved ones.
We do recommend that you consider regular review of your Beneficiary Designation and that you execute
Advanced Medical Directives and Health Care Power of Attorney.
26
The Spiritual Planning Section is designed to help provide your pastor and those close to you with your
desires for your memorial service. This kind of planning can serve as an opportunity to discuss some of the
things most important to you about your life and your relationship with God over your lifetime. Many
people have given copies to their church so that the information is on file in the church office.
There is a limited copyright on this document in that it cannot be copied and sold for profit (a small fee for
paper costs is acceptable). We encourage you to look at this manual, adapt it and use it for your congregation.
Are Your Affairs in Order? can be obtained by logging on the internet and going to www.bmpc.org. On the
left side of the Home Page under “Ministries” you can scroll down and click on “Senior Adults.” When you get
to “Are Your Affairs In Order?” you may click and go directly to the document. We hope that you will find this
useful with ministry to your congregation.
William V. Arnold, Associate Pastor for Senior Adult Ministry
Beth Ann Force, Assistant for Senior Adult Ministry
Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
625 Montgomery Avenue
Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania 19010-3599
610-525-2821
[email protected]
[email protected]
27
E ntering a New Land
by Rev. Tom Tickner, Minister of Religious Life, and Shellie Wolf, Social Worker, Grace Presbyterian Village, Dallas Texas
Crossing over
into the unknown,
crossing over
from a secure land
to one whose roads
I have never walked.
Joyce Rupp
Westminster Collection of Christian Prayers
We all cross some unknown bridges in life: the first day of kindergarten, that first date, the first job, the
time of retirement. We take steps into new arenas of life that are unknown to us.
Many of us, as part of the Boomer generation, will be taking another step in our lifetime. As we reach
retirement or as we assist our parent/s in their retirement, we face the question of living arrangements. We
begin to ask questions. “What are the options available for me when I am ready to make a move?” “What is
the best option for me or for my parent/s?” Addressing these questions can be a formidable task, and yet this
issue is an important one to be examined as the many possibilities are explored. It is also important to make
an informed decision.
So where do we begin?
TIMING
For we who are boomers the time is now. This can easily be one of those decisions that we say “tomorrow
I will think about that.” But tomorrow can come sooner than later or sooner than we are prepared for. So it is
never too early to begin discussions
and investigations about the options
that are available for retirement living.
ic
If we are making decisions for
our parent/s we may be forced into
making decisions that arise from specifhealth issues. Hopefully there will be a
window of time to make an informed
decision, but all too often a decision
will have to be made out of necessity.
If plans are begun early enough,
time can be a true friend.
28
EXPLORING HOUSING OPTIONS
In today's market there are a number of choices available. Many agencies are building continual care
retirement communities, assisted living communities, and nursing home communities. There will be both
“for profit” and “not for profit” communities. Certainly we all want to stay in our homes as long as possible,
but when the time comes to consider another option, it is best to be informed about the options available.
Continual Care Retirement Communities
These communities consist of all levels of care, from independent living in home-like settings
or apartments to assisted living to skilled nursing facilities, with some facilities offering special
units for dementia care. These facilities insure total life care.
Assisted Living Communities
Sometimes an individual will need more assistance with activities of daily living, but the
person also will be alert and oriented to person, place and self, as well as being able to ambulate
or self propel. When considering an assisted living community it is important to recognize that a
move to another facility may be necessary when the person can no longer live in this environment
due to declining health and/or dementia.
Nursing Homes
These facilities will offer intermediate and skilled nursing care. This level of living is designed
to meet health needs as the resident requires more care.
In home care with Sitters or Home Health Care
This is an alternative for long term care, but when choosing this option one should be aware
of the impact it will have on the family structure, the structural environment of the home,
and the needs of the loved one. While the desire is to age in place as along as possible, this
option has some additional considerations that impact the decision.
How will this decision affect the family system and family dynamics?
What physical changes will need to be made to the home?
How will the social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs be met?
All of these levels of care are options available when making a decision about care for yourself or
for your loved one. And what are these options based on? The following are some areas to consider as
a decision is being made.
• Loved ones wishes
• Diagnosis/prognosis
• Insurance
• Finances
• Recommendations from others
The decision is not an easy one, but there are some ways to make an informed decision.
29
GATHERING INFORMATION
Begin setting appointments for tours of facilities in your area if the decision will be for you. Begin to
think about your own needs, wishes and desires for the time when you consider a move into another
living environment.
If the decision is for a loved one there are several considerations.
• Will it be in the best interest to move to a facility in the loved ones local area where friends,
church, and support community already exist?
• Do I want my loved one to move closer to me if I do not live in the same town?
• Based on conversations with medical professionals, what level of care will need to be considered?
As you tour facilities don't be afraid to ask questions. The more information that can be gathered,
the more informed the decision can be. Here are some questions to consider when touring a facility.
• What are the rates?
• What is the availability? How long is the waiting list?
• What insurance will be accepted?
• Are there hidden costs?
• Wheelchairs
• Oxygen tanks
• Diabetic supplies
• Cable
• Phone
• Briefs, wipes, creams
• What amenities are offered?
• Is there a house doctor?
• What ancillary services are offered? (Podiatrist, Optometrist, Dentist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist)
• What social events and outings are available?
• Is there an in-house therapy department?
• Are there any state deficiencies? If so, in what area?
• What personal items can my loved one bring?
If someone is uncomfortable answering these questions or seems to avoid the answer, that would be a
red flag in the decision making process. It is important to remember, however, that the decision is yours
to make and there are options available.
30
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
Your eyes and observations will give you important information as you tour facilities. Here are some things
to look for as you make your tours.
• Do you notice any smell to the facility?
• Is the facility clean?
• Do the furnishings and surroundings appear to be comfortable and inviting?
• Does the staff appear friendly, calm and happy? How long is the average tenure of the staff?
• Do residents appear friendly, calm and happy?
The old adage, “one picture is worth a thousand words” is certainly true as you make personal observations
when touring a facility.
We all hold the hope that we can stay in our own homes for as long as possible, and certainly that is a hope
to hold on to. The reality of life, however, is that someday a change will be necessary and we will have to cross a
bridge into a land where we have not been before. So as we begin the journey, we begin it with hope and with
the tools necessary to make a wise decision.
Joyce Rupp continues in her writing:
For all of us in transition
who have bridges to cross,
bless us, God of the journey,
gift us with the desire to go ahead.
Help us to trust
that the bridge will be strong
and the risk will be worth it.
31
H ospice Myths / Facts
The following Myths and Facts about hospice have been developed to help answer some of the
questions people have about hospice care. Many people don't know what questions to ask and others are
afraid to ask them. It is our hope that this will take some of the fear out of the idea of hospice care.
Myth: Hospice is just for the last few weeks of life.
Fact:
The longer someone is on service, the more opportunities for quality of life at the end of life life review, complementary therapies etc. The general guideline is 6 months; however, many
patients extend services beyond that time.
Myth: The patient's physician chooses the hospice.
Fact:
Patients have the right to choose their own health care providers (doctor, therapist, home health,
rehab and hospice)
Myth: Hospice provides 24 hour custodial care.
Fact:
Routine Hospice Care is intermittent care provided by an entire interdisciplinary team. However,
hospice staff is always available 24/7 if needed. We are only a phone call away. If around the clock
care is needed, we can provide a list of suitable organizations.
Myth: Hospice is always a place.
Fact:
We meet the patient where they live. Hospice patients live in their own homes, in long term care
facilities (nursing homes, assisted living facilities), and sometimes even in hospitals.
Myth: Being admitted to hospice means you are giving up.
Fact:
Hospice is a healthcare choice. It is appropriate for those who choose “quality of life” over
aggressive treatment. Often, with good pain and symptom management, patients who choose
hospice care often live longer than those who do not.
Myth: Hospice is expensive.
Fact:
No, Hospice is covered 100% by Medicare and Medicaid. Many private insurance companies
also offer a hospice benefit. Hospice providers may also accept donations and memorial gifts
to pay for those without funding.
Myth: You can only be on hospice for 6 months.
Fact:
32
Hospice is available to everyone who has a life limiting disease and a prognosis of six months
or less to live, and who has a doctor's order for hospice.
However, that does not mean that a person will die in 6 months. In fact many patients improve
with quality pain and symptom management may come off of service for extended prognosis.
Myth: Everyone who is eligible goes on hospice.
Fact:
Approximately only 25% of those who are eligible for services actually receive services.
Many people do not know about hospice or are afraid because of the myths and misconceptions.
Many people believe hospice is giving up hope, or they will die sooner if they choose hospice care.
Often people do not realize it is a healthcare choice a should ask their physician about it.
Myth: Hospice “takes over” the patient's care.
Fact:
The hospice team consists of Patient's Primary Care Physician; Hospice Doctor; Nurse;
Social Worker; Chaplain; Home Health Aide and Volunteers.
However the team does not replace your own doctor or Pastor. The team is an addition to
your support system. One of the goals of hospice is to educate the family so they may take good
care of the patient. Hospice should never try to take away the patient's or the caregiver's autonomy.
Myth: Hospice services for the patient and family end at the time of the patient's death.
Fact:
Bereavement services are offered to the family for 13 months after the death.
Fact:
Maybe. Due to privacy concerns, we ask the patient if they want their church to be notified.
We believe care for the terminally ill is a team approach. Our Chaplains are not there to take
the place of the patient's own Pastor; we encourage involvement by the patient's own pastor.
Myth: Hospice Chaplains contact the patient's church/pastor.
Myth: Hospice is only for the physical care of the patient.
Fact:
Not all pain is physical. Hospice care is holistic. It provides physical, emotional and spiritual
care for the patient and the family.
Myth: Hospice only provides visits by licensed staff.
Fact:
While the actual hands-on care is provided by licensed staff, visits are also made by volunteers.
Volunteers go through extensive training as well as background checks and drug screening.
Myth: Volunteers only provide visitation.
Fact:
Volunteers do a variety of things depending on the patient and/or caregivers needs.
They may provide:
Transportation, help with a life review, sit with a patient while the caregivers
take a break, singing at the bedside, reading aloud, pet therapy, reassuring
presence at death (11th Hour Trained Volunteers)
For more information about hospice services in your area, go to the National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization (NHPCO) web site www.nhpco.org or call the NHPCO helpline at 800/658-8898.
This information has been provided by Susie Johnson, Mission Enrichment Coordinator for Faith Hospice:
A Part of Grace Presbyterian Ministries in Dallas, Texas.
33
Books on Grief, Loss and Healing
Bayley, Joseph
Berkus, Rusty
Bolton, Iris
Bowlby, John
Bozarth, Alla Renee
Byock, Ira
Caine, Lynn
Callanan, Maggie
Kelley, Patricia
Cambpell, Scott
Silverman, Phyllis
Chapin, Bruce
Cheller, Barbara
Claypool, John
Colgrove, Melba
Bloomfield, Harold
Crenshaw, David
D'Archy, Paula
Donnelly, Katherine
Grollman, Earl
Kessler, David
The Last Thing We Talk About
To Heal Again
My Son, My Son, A Guide to Healing After Death, Loss or Suicide
Attachment and Loss
A Journey through Grief
Dying Well - Personal case histories which illustrate differing ways of approaching death with dignity.
Being a Widow
Final Gifts - A compilation of short vignettes describing the special awareness, needs,
and communications of the dying
Widower: When Men are Left Alone
The Hardest Challenge: Surviving the Death of a Spouse
Because You Care: Practical Ideas for Helping those who Grieve
Tracks of a Fellow Struggler - A short book, consisting of four classic sermons on suffering and loss,
from the perspective of a pastor whose daughter died of leukemia. Contains the well-known
'Life is a Gift.'
How to Survive the Loss of a Love
Bereavement: Counseling the Grieving throughout the Life Cycle
When Your Friend Is Grieving
Recovering From the Loss of a Parent
Living When a Loved One Has Died
The Needs of the Dying - Elisabeth Kubler Ross' protégée takes a close look at the practical physical,
emotional and spiritual needs of those with a life limiting illness
Lewis, C.S.
A Grief Observed - Almost a stream of consciousness, first person account of the doubts which arise
amidst the darkness of grief, by a well-known Christian author.
Meyer, Charles
Surviving Death a Practical Guide to Caring For the Dying and the Bereaved
Myers, Edward
When Parents Die: A Guide for Adults
Neeld, Elizabeth
Seven Choices: Taking the Steps to New Life After Losing Someone you Love
Parachin, Victor
Grief Relief
Rando, Theresa
How to Go On When Someone You Loved Has Died
Robinson, Haddon
Grief
Roth, Deborah
Stepping Stones to Recovery
Sittser, Gerald
A Grace Disguised - A description of the long grief struggle of a theology professor whose mother,
wife, and child were killed in a car accident. Well thought out and honest to the realities of the struggle.
Stearns, Anne Kaisel Living Through Personal Crisis
Switzer, David K.
The Dynamics of Grief: Its Source: The Pain and Healing
Tatelbaum, Judy
The Courage to Grieve
Weinstein, Grace
Financial Planning Especially for Women
Westberg, Granger
Good Grief
Wolfet, Alan
Understanding Grief
Wylie, Betty Jane
Beginnings
Books for Children on Grief, Loss and Healing
Anderson, Debbie
Lets Talk About Heaven
Grollman, Earl
Straight Talk: Teenage Grief
Mundy, Michaelene Sad Isn't Bad
Nystrom, Carolyn
What Happens When We Die
34
O lder Adult Ministries Resource Listing
Dimensions of Older Adult Ministry: A Handbook
Written for everyone who is over 64 or caring for parents who are older,
this handbook takes up common issues surrounding the aging process,
including learning in later life, nursing homes, retirement community
living, elder abuse, late-life depression, Alzheimer's disease, and other
forms of dementia that plague older adults. There are also chapters on
aging from both the Jewish and Islamic perspectives. This resource is a
practical guide for caregivers and faith communities seeking help in
overcoming barriers to ministering to older adults.
PDS #1-57153-059-2 $15.95
Older Adult Ministry: A Guide for the Presbytery Committee
by Jack and Sue Angerman
This manual is designed to assist presbytery committees in finding ways
to address ministry with, by, and for older members of congregations.
Presbyteries can learn to translate concern into action by starting or
enhancing intentional ministries with older adults. From the creation of
the committee or task force on older adult ministry, to the selection of
leaders, to direct involvement with congregations, this guide can be
used to educate, train, and give support.
PDS #090300
$9.95
Older Adult Ministry: A Guide for the Session and Congregations
compiled by Jim Simpson, edited by Kim Richter, revised and edited by Miriam
This manual is designed to help congregations initiate ministry with older
Dunson
adults. It offers suggestions for setting up an Older Adult Ministries
Committee, how to educate the committee, how to educate the congregation,
guidelines and ideas that can help a congregation develop a ministry with,
by, and for older adult members, tailored to fit their own needs and issues,
and utilize their many skills. Included are discussions concerning the
biblical teachings and theological understandings about aging, why it is
necessary to develop programs for older adults, and examination of myths
and facts related to older adults. Also included are a clear outline and the forms for carrying out
a needs assessment among older adults in the congregation so that program planning can be
more focused.
PDS #7025000711 $10.00
Order from Presbyterian Distribution Service (PDS), 800-524-2612 or at www.pcusa.org/marketplace
35
Retirement Living: Sorting it all out
According to a recent Senior Housing Survey conducted by the AARP, 83% of people 50 and older agreed
with this statement: “what I'd really like to do is stay in my own home and never move.”
Sometimes that is not possible. What are the options? This article will give a brief overview of the different
options of Retirement Living and beyond. These options are classified on a scale that is referred to as the
Continuum of Care. The continuum starts from the least restrictive to a more restrictive level of care.
Familiarization with this information is important for those involved with Older Adults to be informed
and to give recommendations to those who are in need.
As Presbyterians we are extremely blessed to have communities across the country that are faith based and
committed to offering an extremely high quality of life for their constituents. The Presbyterian Association of
Homes and Services for the Aging (PAHSA) is an association of over 250 ministry and mission driven facilities
and services for older adults. PAHSA members relate to the Presbyterian Church USA and are open to senior
adults of all faiths.
PAHSA can be contacted via the internet at PAHSA.org or by contacting:
Presbyterian Association of Homes & Services for the Aging
222 Park Place
Waukesha, WI 53186
800 -720 - 7434
(Please note that in most circumstances these programs are overseen by individual state regulations and
therefore the names, programs, services, restrictions and regulations vary from state to state. Contact your
state Office of the Aging for descriptions within your state.)
Retirement Living Options: (Starting at the least restrictive)
Active Adult Communities (also known as 55 and older communities)
These are multiunit apartment buildings, condominiums, cooperatives, single family home complexes, and
mobile home parks that are restricted to persons over a specified age (defined variously as 55, 60, 62, or 65).
Typically, these were not originally planned to include activities, supportive assistance, or personal/health care.
These units are usually purchased and charge an association and/or maintenance fee.
Independent Living
These are age restrictive communities that may or may not be subsidized by government sources. They
provide apartments and a variety of non-medical services. A subsidized program is the federal program, Section
202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, provides new housing, with supportive services and rental assistance,
for low income elderly, including elderly with disabilities. Section 202 projects vary in the services that are
provided, ranging from none to a full complement of support services. Services may include a daily congregate
meal, housekeeping, transportation, social services, and other activities that help residents maintain independent
living. Most buildings have a number of accessible units for disabled.
Residents pay no more than 30% of their income for rent, with federal subsidies covering the balance of the
unit's fair market price. To be eligible for residency in most Section 202 projects, a household must have at least
one member 62 years of age or older, and must not exceed a gross annual income minimum.
36
Congregate Housing Developments
These are multiunit housing buildings (private rooms or full apartments) that are restricted to persons over
a specified age and that include supportive assistance. Typically, monthly charges include rent and supportive
services. Congregate housing does not provide personal care services (help with eating, bathing, dressing,
grooming, toileting, transferring) nor are they included in the monthly charge. Congregate housing residents
may contract privately with community home care agencies to receive personal care and home health care
services. Monthly charges may be priced at market rates or subsidized with government assistance.
Shared Housing or Adult Foster Care
Shared Housing, or Home Sharing, is a program that matches elderly homeowners' or renters who have
extra rooms with home seekers. Some shared housing programs match elderly home providers with younger or
developmentally disabled home seekers. Most programs are privately run, have some type of income eligibility
requirements, and require that participants be self sufficient and in good health. Services provided by these
programs include facilitating appropriate matches and providing limited follow up support, including home
visits, mediation, and assistance in obtaining social services.
Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC)
This is housing that is available to tenants of ALL AGES but which, over time, evolves to include a
significant proportion of households that are headed by seniors. NORCs may or may not include supportive
services and activities for senior tenants. This housing is NOT licensed or regulated by a government agency.
Subsidized versions may be supervised by a government housing agency.
Board and Care Homes
Board and care homes, also called residential care facilities or group homes, are smaller private facilities,
usually with 20 or fewer residents. Most board and care homes accept six or fewer residents. Rooms may be
private or residents may share rooms. Residents receive meals, personal care and have staff available 24 hours
a day. Nursing and medical attention are usually not provided on the premises. State licensure and the
terminology used for this type of facility vary greatly.
Assisted Living
Assisted living is designed for people who want to live in a community setting and who need or expect
to need help functioning, but who do not need as much care as they would receive at a nursing home. Some
assisted living facilities are quite small - with as few as 25 residents - while some can accommodate 120 or more
units. Residents often live in their own apartments or rooms, but enjoy the support services that a community
setting makes possible, such as: three meals a day; assistance with personal care; help with medications, housekeeping, and laundry; 24-hour security and onsite staff for emergencies; and social programs. The cost of
assisted living varies widely, depending in part upon the services needed by the resident and the amenities
provided by the facility. Assisted living is regulated in all states, however, the requirements vary.
Dementia Care Facility or Wing/Unit
This housing is specifically for people with dementia. It can be a discrete facility or can be a special wing in
a housing development or a residential care facility. The physical layout, programmatic aims, staffing and care
plans are specially designed to address the needs of people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia conditions.
37
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes, also called Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) or convalescent care facilities, provide a wide
range of services, including nursing care, 24-hour supervision, assistance with Activities of Daily Living, and
rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Some people need nursing home
services for a short period of time for recovery or rehabilitation after a serious illness or operation, while
others need longer stays because of chronic physical, health or cognitive conditions that require constant care
or supervision.
Sub-Acute
Program of care provided for patients who require technically complex treatment with life supporting
equipment or who have serious problems accessing appropriate nursing home care due to their special treatment
requirement as directed by their medical diagnosis and level of functional limitation.
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs)
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) are also called life care communities. They offer several
levels of care in one location. For example, many offer independent housing for people who need little or no care,
but also have assisted living housing and a nursing facility, all on one campus, for those who need greater levels
of care or supervision. In a Continuing Care Retirement Community, if you become unable to live independently,
you can move to the assisted living area, or sometimes you can receive home care in your independent living
unit. If necessary, you can enter the onsite or affiliated nursing home. The fee arrangements for CCRCs vary by
the type of community. In addition to a monthly fee, many CCRCs also charge a one-time “entrance fee” that
may be partially or completely refundable (often on the sale of the unit).
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)
There are an increasing number of Home and community-based services these programs provide a range
of personal, support, and health services to individuals in their homes or communities to help them to live as
independently as possible. Most people who receive long-term care at home generally require additional help
either from family or friends to supplement services from paid providers.
Finding Facilities that Match the Needs of the Resident
Convenient Location
Start with facilities that family and friends could visit easily, either from their homes or jobs. Continuing
contact with loved ones is and important factor to adjusting to life in a nursing home.
Affordability and Acceptance of the Type of payments you plan to Use
What are the current rates of facilities in the area you prefer? Make sure you check the daily rate and the
list of extra charges when you are comparing total rates. Will you be paying privately, using long term care
insurance, Medicare or Medicaid? The answers to these questions will help you decide which facilities to tour
on your initial list.
Availability of the Type of Nursing Care Required?
Talk to the prospective resident's physician to discuss what kind of health services are needed to stabilize or
improve the person's health. Does the person need relatively routine medical care? Or is some type of specialized
care, like rehabilitation, required? Not all communities provide the same types of care, and this is an important
factor in making a choice.
38
Who will Pay
The inevitable question arises, How will I pay for this?
• Private Funds
• Insurance
• Medicare
• SSI
• Medicaid
• Grants & Subsidies from churches and other organizations
While a couple of the above sources are self explanatory, Medicare
and Medicaid are the major source offunding medical care.
Medicare Part A:
Covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care,
hospice care, in home skilled nursing and home health care.
Hospital deductible:
$992 per benefit period for the first 60 days of hospitalization,
and $248 per day co insurance from the 61st through the 90th day.
From the 91st to the 150th day, you are responsible for $496 a day. Note: If discharged from the hospital
or care facility for 60 consecutive days, a new benefit cycle begins. If you are re admitted before the 60th day,
the original benefit cycle continues. In home and/or skilled nursing care is covered under Part A up to 100 days
(following hospitalization and certain medical criteria). Medicare pays 100% for the first 20 days and the person
is responsible for a co-insurance of $124.00 per day from the 21st through 100th day.
Medicare Part B:
Covers doctor services, outpatient hospital services, durable medical equipment, and other medical services
and supplies. Part B pays 80% of Medicare accepted charges for covered services after annual deductible has
been met. Apply: Social Security Administration 1-800 -772 -1213
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI is a monthly supplemental payment in addition to Social Security and/or other income for low-income,
aged, blind, disabled individuals.
Medicaid
Medicaid pays medical bills for low income persons, including services not covered by Medicare (dental
care, home care, institutional care, prescription drugs, eyeglasses and hearing aids). Persons 65 and over,
disabled or blind must meet certain income and asset criteria to qualify for this program.
The above lists are by no means exhaustive but may give a better understanding to the continuum of care.
There are numerous web sites and recourses available such as PAHSA and/or PAHSA members or your local
office on the aging.
Douglas Kurtz is President/CEO of United Adult Ministries a ministry serving older adults sponsored
by the Presbytery of New York City, the Presbytery of Long Island and the Reformed Church Synod of New York.
His email address is: [email protected].
39
in Older Adult Ministries
Cinertification
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Baptism has no expiration date, and the journey of faith continues throughout life. To identify and
develop skills useful in ministries by, with and for older adults, the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries
Network (POAMN) has developed a certification program for interested persons.
The program involves four core courses: (1) Spirituality in Older Adult Ministries, (2) Teaching for
Transformation, (3) Reformed Answers to the Questions of Older Adults, and (4) Networking Resources for
Older Adult Ministries., These can be taken in any order. Each participant will also choose and complete an
in-depth study of a topic related to their particular ministry, and a a final summary project. Completion of
each core and elective course will include a work product (often a design for a workshop).
A group of about a dozen volunteers responded to the POAMN invitation in 2005 to help shape the
process by working with each course developer as a “pilot” group. The feedback from this group has been
useful in discovering ways to connect theory, theology and reality in a variety of OAM settings. The group
consists of lay volunteers, lay staff, and pastors working as specialists and others as solo pastors.
Dr. Barbara Anne Keely (Presbyterian pastor teaching at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
(MN) developed and has led the first two groups through the Spirituality course. Joyce MacKichan Walker,
Minister of Education (as of 2/07) at Nassua Presbyterian Church near Princeton, NJ, developed and has led
the pilot group through the Teaching course. Both courses will be offered in conjunction with the POAMN
Conference at Lake Tahoe, NV in April 2007.
Course Three is currently in development, and will be “piloted” later in 2007 and first be offered as a class
at the 2008 POAMN Conference. Course Four will be developed in 2008 and first offered as a class at the
POAMN conference in 2009.
The Certification Council of POAMN is seeking additional sites for all the courses, and leadership for
Courses Three and Four. To make recommendations or inquiries (including fee structure), contact POAMN
Certification Coordinator Vickie Kintzel at [email protected], by cell phone at 970-215-4256,
or by surface mail at 1229 Snowbank Court, Longmont, CO 80501.
40
POAMN Announces Its Annual Conference:
April 16 -19, 2007 at Zephyr Point Conference Center on Beautiful Lake Tahoe
~ Boomers and Beyond ~
Reaching the Generations
in the Church & Community
The first wave of Baby Boomers is turning 60, and as with everything else Boomers have challenged, they're challenging
their aging in society. How can the church respond to this generation without alienating the generations both before and
after the Boomers? Explore a variety of topics that will help your church minister to and with Baby Boomers and Beyond!
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Charles Arn
“Evangelizing the Baby Boomer Generation.” How does the Church reach the largest segment of society? Discover the
principles of generational strategy from an outreach model.
Plenary Speakers: Don and Ele Parrott
“A Season of Service.” Your congregation has a growing number of people who are questioning their life-impact to this
point and wondering how they might move into missions involvement. How do you find them, encourage and mobilize
them into great kingdom impact?
Enjoy a rich time of worship, fellowship, learning and laugher as together we pray, plan and pursue ministry to, with,
and by Older Adults in our congregations! In addition to the Keynote & Plenary addresses, you'll choose from variety of
seminars covering topics such as Caregiving, Parish Nursing, Health Ministries, and more!
For more information and registration packet, please contact Cindy Wright at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church
(858) 509 -2580 ext. 1400 or [email protected].
41
he Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries
TNetwork
Needs You!
The Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network (POAMN) is actively addressing the new challenges
and ever changing needs of our church's aging membership and advocating on behalf of our older adult
members. Members of POAMN include pastors, educators, and many others who work with older adults
within congregations, presbyteries, and retirement communities.
The POAMN Executive Committee asks all of us to pay our annual POAMN membership dues. These
dues represent our financial investment in the ongoing work of POAMN, the publication of AGEnda our
newsletter, and provide funds for scholarships. POAMN's primary focus is to facilitate networking among
older adult ministries colleagues through national and regional training conferences, specialized educational
workshops, and forums for sharing ideas and experiences with others from across the nation. In addition, a
certification course is offered specific to the administration of older adult ministries. Discounted registration
fees to POAMN sponsored training events are made available to all POAMN members.
Please prayerfully consider renewing or becoming a new POAMN member.
POAMN Officers
Members At Large
President
Margaret Suttle
Jackson, TN
Susie Johnson
Dallas, TX
Vice President
Pat Baker
Lilburn, GA
Secretary
Beth Ann Force
Bryn Mawr, PA
Treasurer
Linda Kelly
Las Vegas, NV
42
Douglas Kurtz
Flushing, NY
Cindy Wright
Solana Beach, CA
Nominating Committee Chair
Ginger Broussard
Orange, TX
AGEnda Editor /Certification Coordinator
Vickie Kintzel
Berthoud, CO
POAMN Membership Form
Name __________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address ________________________________________________________________________
City ________________________________________________ State _______ Zip ________________
Phone _____________________________________ FAX ________________________________________
E -Mail (preferred) __________________________________________________________________________
Synod ______________________________ Presbytery _________________________________________
Church or Organization __________________________________________________________________
I wish to become a member of the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network (POAMN)
¨ New Member
Individuals:
¨ Renewal
¨ $30 Full Membership
¨ $20 Affiliate Membership
¨ $100 Institutional Membership (PAHSA, PCUSA colleges, etc.)
Governing Bodies:
¨ $50 Small church (under 150)
¨ $100 Medium Church (151-499)
¨ $200 Large Church (500+)
¨ $250 Small Presbytery (under 10,000)
¨ $500 Medium Presbytery (10,001-19,999)
¨ $1000 Large Presbytery (20,000+) or Synod
Additional gifts are also welcome, including those in honor or memory of an older adult.
___ Gift of $ _______ enclosed in honor / memory of __________________________________________
Please enclose membership fee with this form and return it with your check payable to:
POAMN
Linda Kelly, Treasurer
2212 Beacon Ridge Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89134
43
Prepared by the
Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network (POAMN)
www.poamn.org
Edited by Ginny Nyhuis
Design by Wade Illustration & Design, Louisville, KY
Photographs by David Young & Lee Wade
Printed by Vivid Impact Corporation, Louisville, KY
Published through the cooperation of
Presbyterian Homes and Services of Kentucky, Inc.
Bob White, President/CEO
Contributions to POAMN are greatly appreciated.
Please send gifts to:ECO Account #E048101
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Individual Remittance Processing
PO Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264 -3700
January 2007
Order from:
Presbyterian Distribution Service (PDS)
(800) 524 -2612 • www.pcusa.org/marketplace
ISBN# 12112-07-917