Aging And The Church

To The Church and Aging Blog readers,

There have been quite a few hits on this last rather long essay on

“The Waiting Resource: Space Cowboys”.

Yet I am at a loss for how to interpret this apparent interest. Words in a blog will not by themselves stop the downward trend of the shrinking church or increase the well-being of older adults. Action is needed -- actually a thousand points of action. Yet without some sense of how words are received, little guidance comes from you, the very people who will be critical for gathering partners in order to take action.

If you have some comments but would rather not write what is a very public response on The Church and Aging blog, please write an email to me at roberts@stolaf.edu .

Thanks,

Bruce Roberts

1 comment:

UnknownMay 25, 2013 at 2:50 AM
Nice info. Am a true Christian. Give a call and i will create a church website for you.
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In response to this 2011 classified ad in The Lutheran magazine, “I need examples of how churches enable members over 65 to feel that they matter.” the stories of effective church activities and programs rolled in from parishioners and clergy across the country. They were testaments to the importance of purposeful and lively outreach to and from older adults and clergy leadership in our churches. Subsequently I have used those stories in my classes to illustrate the roots of well-being for older adults.

I continue to seek examples of church activities and programs that enable older adults to feel that they matter. This blog is an attempt to broaden the reach of these stories -- to enable more people to know and share a diversity of helpful activities and programs that enable older adults to sense that they “belong” and that they can “contribute” in ways that are meaningful. To matter, is to sense that wherever you are, you make a difference in life. It is a state of mind, your mind, that affects your life and well-being.
All readers are encouraged to write comments and reply to the writings of others. If you prefer, you can write directly to me at roberts@stolaf.edu.

Bruce Roberts

Notes

I have retired from teaching at St. Olaf College, but I still teach in the Cannon Valley Elder Collegium (http://cvec.org/) here in Northfield, Minnesota. My last class was The Art and Science of Mattering as we Age. For me, it is important to help older adults broaden their horizons of possibility and encourage them to build social and collective resources together – and have fun in the process! The core of this positive broaden and build dynamic is the widespread use of use of little “acts of mattering” to foster well-being and resilience in each other.

Aging And The Church

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