When the Rev. Larry Minnix first accepted a call into ministry, he was a 16-year-old boy sitting by the campfire at a youth retreat. He never imagined that one day [...]
Read More...Aging Well: Expert – “Churches can do more to support seniors”
April 2, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
Aging Well: Senior keeps Sundays ringing
February 13, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
As you drive the streets of picturesque Jefferson, Texas, you will likely see the historic First United Methodist Church with its steeple stretching into the sky. At a glance, the [...]
Read More...Aging Well: Tips for seniors on greeting young visitors in church
January 9, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
Several Facebook friends recently posted something that caught my attention. It was a newsletter from the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations offering advice for older adults who are greeting young [...]
Read More...Aging Well: Eldercare mediation can help stressed-out families
December 12, 2012 Posted by 1 Comment
The middle-aged woman rolled her eyes and abruptly turned away from her younger brother so she wouldn’t have to see him caress their frail elderly mother. As usual, he had popped in with an armload of expensive gifts for his holiday appearance. Moments before, she had tried to talk privately with him in the kitchen. She had pleaded with him to help her care for their mother who is in the early stages of dementia. She wasn’t surprised when he started reciting his usual list of excuses. She had heard [...]
Read More...Aging Well: Seniors need more than our quick-and-easy gifts
November 14, 2012 Posted by Leave a Comment
Not long ago I sat in a restaurant and watched a young-adult grandson cradle the elbow of his grandmother while she pushed her walker across the uneven brick floor. It seemed obvious that they were having a special grandmother-grandson date. As they neared their table, he moved ahead to pull out the chair then helped her to be seated. During the next hour I could hear bits and pieces of their conversation. She asked about his new apartment and his first post-college job. He asked about the latest news at [...]
Read More...Aging Well: Listening can help bridge generational divide
October 18, 2012 Posted by Leave a Comment
An 84-year-old grandmother and lifelong Methodist shared a family situation that was troubling her. Her 22-year-old granddaughter had just moved in with her boyfriend. The grandmother was heartbroken, especially when [...]
Read More...Remembering Lucimarian Roberts
September 6, 2012 Posted by 1 Comment
The first time I spoke with Lucimarian Roberts, I knew we were going to be friends. She called from her home in Pass Christian, Miss., to ask a question about my book, Living with Purpose in a Worn-Out Body, and we talked for over a half-hour. It was an easy conversation, as if we had known each other for decades instead of minutes. We quickly discovered that each of us had a church pew in our home. Mine was purchased at an antique store. Hers was salvaged from her church [...]
Read More...Aging Well: Intergenerational dialogue – a challenge for churches
August 22, 2012 Posted by 2 Comments
Not long ago a friend told our adult Sunday school class about a training program her work organization was undertaking. The purpose of the program was to help different generations of employees communicate more effectively with each other. At the heart of the training program was a book, Ties to Tattoos: Turning Generational Differences into a Competitive Advantage (Brown Books, 2009) written by well-respected human resource consultant Sherri Elliott-Yeary. Immediately my antennae shot up. I am always looking for ways to promote better communication among age groups. I wondered if [...]
Read More...Aging Well: Practical, theological reasons to value older people
July 17, 2012 Posted by Leave a Comment
Sometimes you read something that sends chills down your spine. It happened recently when I read the words of Stephen Sapp, chair of religious studies at the University of Miami [...]
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Aging Well: Churches shouldn’t run from the topic of aging
The photo in the newsletter caught my attention. It was an image of a yellow sticky note with handwritten words, “Do today: Plan for God to use me in old [...]
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