Older Adult Ministries baylor老贝勒成人部.pptVIP

Older Adult Ministries The State of the Rural Communities Conference February 23, 2007 Older adults are a critical part of every church Each person is unique with a unique history The future is tied closely to the past Every senior has a family Churches are often family to their members Culture, race, ethnicity and age all flavor congregations Elements of Aging in a Rural Community Normal Aging Flexibility Aging in Place Extended family Formal vs. informal systems Normal Aging Those aspects of aging that happen to everyone regardless of life style, race or gender Gray hair Wrinkles Multiple losses It is critical to NOT fall into the myths of aging Myths about any population are generally problematic Key myths about seniors All seniors are senile A majority of seniors feel miserable all the time Older adults are greedy and selfish Most seniors live in nursing homes. Myths make people feel bad People do adapt negative stereotypes Can influence the way sub groups are treated in the church In the extreme, can even lead to suicide in some populations The amazing thing The amazing thing about normal aging, is that somehow, people just seem to keep on keeping on! Flexibility Myth: All Older Adults are Ridged Time can create patterns for people Sometimes patterned behaviors can loose their original function To younger people who feel that new is always better, older people can seem out of touch! Ways to think about it Anyone can become ridged Examine function vs. novelty If it ain’t broke…why fix it? If it is a dysfunctional pattern then it is a problem Social life style vs. personality pathology The joys of anextended family Everyone has a family For the estranged it is a family out of touch For the single it is a wider gathering of the clan For parents it is about their children, where ever they are Families don’t tend to abandon their children The church as an extended family Church may be physically closer than kin Church may be less stressful than kin The church is n