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Senior Adult Ministry in the 21st Century. Dr. David P. Gallagher. (Group, Loveland, CO. 2002, 150 pp.) (Review by Helen L. Lapp)
Gallagher writes as pastor of Palm West Community Church in Sun City West, Arizona — a congregation made up totally of senior adults. This book was offered for review recently and I found it chock full of gracious and creative suggestions for those suddenly alert to the fact that "older adults" are a sizable chunk of the total membership these days. That's right, folks, nearly 67 million Americans are over the age of 50! A recent count showed that at least a third of those actively a part of my home congregation are between the ages of 50-70. Gallagher chooses not to accept this as a problem.
This book explores "the new face" of senior adults, sees the need for the church to enable older adults to remain active in the church, offers "50 practical ways" to involve senior adults in ministry, "23 helpful hints" for outreach and finally speaks to "the serious side" of senior adult ministry. And the author is not finished when the book is done since the Appendix suggests "62 tips and timesavers," "24 lifesavers" and "top Web sites for senior adult issues."
I found the tone of Dr. Gallagher's book loving and the ideas inspiring. This is a book to explore by anyone who cares enough to challenge older adults to be an ongoing part of congregational life. My father used to talk about his hopes for continuing to learn in heaven — he seemed to anticipate this far beyond golden streets. This book can give us help as we answer Jesus' call to joy in living in spite of pain, to courage to serve those around us in all available ways and to zest for expanding our minds and spirits — to the end of our days and beyond. |