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Senior Adult Ministry in the 21st Century: Step-By-Step Strategies for Reaching People Over 50

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Chapter 1 Getting to Know Senior Adults
One thing that I found particularly interesting about the book Senior Adult Ministry in the 21st Century was the idea that today's seniors have more friends than ever before. Senior adults are becoming much more sociable these days. They are generally healthier and emphatically happier. In a way, they have followed our cultural and social trends. Case in point: seniors are described in this book as loving predictability (pg 16). I've heard it said that "McDonalds is the most popular hamburger restaurant in the world; not because people expect to get the best burger but because people know what there going to get". It's true. Whenever you enter into a McDonalds (with a few possible exceptions) you find the washrooms in the same place as in any other McDonalds, the registers in the same place, the same art on the walls and the same exact food. Seniors, like all of us love predictability. We love to know what's coming our way. The main thing I have taken from this chapter is that senior's ministry (like youth ministry) thrives on repetition and predictability.
Chapter 2 Getting Started in Senior Adult Ministry
Probably the most impacting thing that I took from this chapter was the idea of a holistic community. In earlier times, the churches were the social centers for most communities. The clergy were generally the most educated people in the area and so often represented the people and counseled them. The church also functioned as an activities center for many groups and whole families remained in the same church for their entire lives. Though today people have many opportunities that previous generations did not; though today people have more social centers and more choices in general, the Church can and should still function as a community center. Certainly the benefits of a senior adult ministry can help with this. Firstly a seniors group helps to reach the community. Second a seniors group could have the potential to affect the larger family unit and could help the church to reach whole families across generational lines (pg 37).As this chapter points out, it is wildly important that seniors be encouraged to help meet the needs of other seniors (pg 38).
Chapter 3 Involving Senior Adults in Ministry
The third chapter of this book as well has a great emphasis on the involvement of seniors in ministry. There is even a great list of ways that this can be done. In my mind, there are two points on the list that deserve extra attention. The first is a suggestion that seniors be encouraged to host local international students at their homes for dinners (pg 67). This is a great idea. It is community oriented, it has wonderful benefits for both the student and for older adults and it has even greater potential for evangelism. The second suggestion that struck me as being particularly good was the proposal to offer a first aid course (pg 68). I myself can testify to this. Just last week, I set up a class for Second Chance CPR and First Aid, and it was a wonderful experience for all ages. Yet for seniors in particular it was especially informative. Most seniors can benefit greatly from learning these kinds of life saving procedures and many have grandchildren to look after as well (grandchildren love to choke on pennies and dog food and all kinds of things). This type of class can help to make people feel more in control.


Chapter 4 Reaching Out to Senior Adults
I think the most impacting idea offered in this chapter is mentioned only in passing on page 90. It is given as one of many possible outreach opportunities for seniors. In it seniors are described as "muggers", a somewhat unfortunate title for seniors who "take a simple gift to our first-time visitors". I found this to be a great idea. Not only could the seniors get together as a craft group to make something or design something, but they could also help to keep track of new peoples names and numbers. The idea could also help the ministerial staff as the seniors keep track of new visitors. In addition, it is always nice to see a safe, older, friendly face when visiting a new church. For many people this would set them at ease and without sounding to blunt - I believe that few people would respond negatively to an elderly woman with a gift standing on their front porch the way they might to a younger person. I find this to be a very good idea, and great opportunity for community involvement and for evangelism.
Chapter 5 The Serious Side of Senior Adult Ministry
There is a story on page 124 about a senior who was unsatisfied with the care of one church who had moved on to another. In the story the pastor of the first church refers to the elderly man as a "crybaby". This story struck me perhaps more than anything else in this book. It did not strike me because the story is particularly well told; in fact it is not well told at all. It did not strike me because the picture of the elderly man is of a suffering man and the picture drawn of his pastor is of an insensitive brute. Instead I was drawn to this story because of something I learned long ago in my first ever psychology course. What I learned back then was this quote, "the things that drive us crazy about people, are the very things that are keeping them sane". The reality is that people employ all kinds of coping mechanisms and the more quirks we find in them, the more traumas they have most likely experienced. Whether the man in the story or whether the pastor in the story are actual people or whether this story describes a historical event is unimportant to me. What is important is the idea that the Church has been called to care especially for the outcasts of society. In a world of ever increasing selfishness, our seniors are quickly becoming a mission ground and a place for the Church to minister. God has given us a gift and we need to be taking advantage of that.

Dr. Gallagher knows about what he writes about! Dr. Gallagher is a long-time Christian Education expert who has, in his later years of ministry, addressed the key need of Senior Adults.

Dr. Gallagher works in a church that reaches his target population in an effective way. Learning how to reach this target group "step by step" is exactly what this book teaches.

Demographic studies suggest that the "age wave" is something that will become a larger and larger aspect of local church ministry. Dr. Gallagher helps us catch that wave right now!

This is a very well written book by a pastor with a strong ministry to senior adults.

I especially like it because it is full of practical and helpful ideas.

Dr. Dave gives great insight into all areas of ministry.

I highly recommend this book!

This is a great book. Clear and consise. It gives wonderful ideas about how to do what many other just talk about.