CAN
CHURCHES
DO BETTER
WITH OUR
SENIORS?
Istill remember the annual youth/senior crokinole tourna- ment at our church when I was a youth. My partner and I faced off with Mr. Pierce, a war veteran missing a finger, and Mr. Brown,
a grey-haired farmer. They trounced
us. As they shot their discs across
the board, they told stories and
drew out of us what we were interested in, planning and needed
prayer for. We often spoke on
Sunday mornings after that.
The annual crokinole tournament
was fun, but something more important was going on. The seniors
were no longer “scary” and nameless
grey heads to the youth. Instead they
became Mr. Pierce whose wife was
very sick, and Mr. Brown who taught
me how important it was to be
thankful for something every day.
They kept track of the sports we
played, where we had part-time jobs
and how we did on exams.
I thought this happened in
churches everywhere, but it doesn’t.
Many churches have most of their
ministries by age group and much of
the time it seems the ages don’t
mingle or minister to each other.
I spoke with seniors across the
country for this article, and many
shared they felt there was no meaningful place for them in the church.
Many spoke out against modern
worship and a lack of planned
contemplative silence within services. Some complained people wore
casual clothing like jeans to church
– they found that disrespectful.
Many said they would not invite
their unchurched friends out on a
Sunday morning. Services were too
loud and confusing.
Marion Goertz, a registered
marriage and family therapist in
Toronto, hears these sentiments
often in her own practice when she
speaks with seniors. “I think that if
health is there, health of mind and
body, people of a certain age have
a strong opinion and aren’t afraid
to share it. You’ll often hear a dia-
tribe against the casualness [of
church],”she says.
Wearing jeans and having sometimes loud, contemporary music in
church services probably is not
going to change anytime soon. And
of course, those things don’t bother
every senior. But how can churches
minister better to seniors who may
feel disenfranchised – and also
minister with seniors, recognizing
them as gifted members with much
to offer?
According to a 2011 Statistics
Canada Census report, the average
life expectancy in Canada has increased 24. 6 years since 1921, with
seniors staying active and healthy
into their early 70s. That same report stated, “Centenarians were the
second-fastest growing age group”
in Canada.
Able and willing, but hard to
find a place
Lyle Pennington, 70+ years old,
attends University Alliance Church
in Lethbridge, Alta. In the last three
years, he’s done construction-based
mission trips to Swaziland, South
Africa, Benin and Armenia. He’s
able and willing, but says there are
no opportunities to serve in his
own church.
“The older people have been re-
moved from their positions. It’s
really sad,” Pennington says. “We
have young people teaching young
people and old people teaching old
people. There’s a lack of experience
being passed on – a lack of men-
toring. Paul did that with Timothy,
but we’re not allowed to.”
Noreen Edmonson, 67, is a re-
tired nurse living in Moose Jaw,
Sask. She says her church has a lot
of activities for seniors, dinners and
ice cream socials and old-fashioned
hymn sings, which she enjoys.
However, Edmonson wants to par-
ticipate in ministry, not only be
ministered to. She’s been to Haiti on
Many seniors feel there is
no place for them at church.
How can that change?
BY LISA HALL-WILSON
CHURCH LIFE
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