Baptist Dad

Cold Starting a Sr. Adult Ministry

      Back before every engine was half computer, you could repair just about anything yourself if you had the know how and the fortitude to keep going. 

 Even engines that had not been started in years could be brought back to life if you lubed up the right parts and primed the carbarator. 

A mechanic from a bygone era would call that a cold start.  Sometimes a good ministry in the church has gone by unused for a while and may need just a little tender loving care to get it roaring again.  Today we will look at what it takes to get a Sr. Adult ministry up and running.

        In my experience, there are basically three types of Sr. Adult ministries, the Travel Agency, the Mission Board, and the Dinner Club.  To start any one of these can be a good thing, since, over time, all Sr. Adult ministries will adopt characteristics of each and become a more complete ministry.  Let’s look at each individually and then decide which is best for beginning in your church.

The Travel Agency

          Sr. Adults have several needs.  Number one among Sr. Adults over 70 is the need to continue interesting learning experiences.  This need is extremely compelling, especially to a group of people that have mostly leisure time after a lifetime of work experience.  The main problem is the older we get the less secure we are with traveling and facing the unknown.  Thus the Travel Agency style ministry is born.   The tasks of this style of ministry are simple:

• Provide secure travel experiences. 
• Provide stimulating travel experiences.
• Provide well-planned travel experiences.

          The best friend of the person who wants to cold start a Sr. Adult ministry by using the Travel Agency style is research.  In many family magazines, there will be a section devoted to family travel.  Most of these experiences will be suitable to your Sr. Adults.  Here are some tips that will help you plan.  Transportation--How will you get there?  How will you get around once you are there?  Terrain—Will the terrain prove to be too hard for Sr. Adults to get around?  What will the temperature and weather be like?  Experiences--Will there be appropriate food and experiences for your group at the chosen location?  Expense—Will the cost be prohibitive?  Answer these questions and you will be well on your way to planning a great Sr. adult trip, and beginning a great Sr. Adult ministry in your church.

The Mission Board 

          Most groups that begin with a single trip then expand that program to several trips will eventually decide to plan a trip that is spiritually refreshing in nature. They are on the path that will lead them to becoming a mission board ministry.  The mission board is very close to a travel agency ministry, except that the participants will act as volunteers to help out a worthy cause for the furtherance of the kingdom.  The same rules and advice as were given for the travel agency are valuable for the mission board with a few additions.

• Divide your day into three divisions, Morning, Afternoon, and      Evening, then plan each with an eye toward consistency. 
• Never try to overdo.  Decide beforehand if your group will be volunteers for 1,2, or all 3 divisions of the day. 
• Mix fun with your work, and set aside time for just relaxation and leisure time.

          A missions experience can be great for the spiritual growth of your group.  Nothing helps people realize their part in the kingdom like doing for others. 

The Dinner Club

          If you group is looking at starting a ministry that will be long-term and fellowship oriented, then you may already have started a dinner club.  The dinner club is a fellowship-based ministry, and fellowship is a need of Sr. Adults.  Many Sr. Adult groups will meet together once a month and have a luncheon, or perhaps once a quarter for a banquet.  This allows people the opportunity to see their friends, have a fellowship meal, and perhaps intellectual and spiritual stimulation. A few motivational tips that will be helpful as you begin this type of ministry are as follows:

• Don’t be afraid to let your ministry change and grow through the input of others.
• Make sure that participation is an essential part of your ministry.
• Listen to the concerns of others.  This will help you organize and develop the ministry to its full potential.
• Group cooperation is the best way to keep a fellowship ministry going.

Of course the best Sr. Adult ministry will be

a good combination of all three of these. 

      If you look around your church and community and see what God is doing, you can never go wrong by organizing your Sr. Adults to join in and participate in ministry.  .

Finding A Godly Vision for my Family

        I just got a call from my buddy Jerry...  He has to travel for his job, and I believe he feels guilty about not being there for ball games, dance recitals, and parent teacher meetings.  Because of this he is just a little too lenient on his kids, now to the point that the older ones are getting out of control.   How do I know?  He just spent two hours angrily, then tearfully telling me how even though he does everything he can to improve their lives, (tennis lessons, swimming pool, etc.) his oldest son doesn’t seem to respect him anymore, and challenges him at every turn.  After much discussion, Jerry finally admitted that even though they were at church every time the doors opened, their family really had no direction, no common goals, and no vision.

     As a Christian, I believe the only place you can get a proper vision for your family is from God. 

Proverbs 29:18 tells us that without vision the people perish, A better translation may be "Without direction the people go crazy!" 

     Is it any wonder the American family is in trouble?  Who has been providing our direction for the last fifty years? In many cases it has been the media.  At some point, during the last generation, families stopped having a vision for their own future and started to adopt what they were seeing played out on TV and the silver screen as reality.  Stop it!!  Unless you are ready to change your last name to Simpson or move your family to South Park Colorado, it's up to you to search for God’s will for your family.  

     Wherever your family is spiritually, you will always benefit by seeking where God is working and asking yourself, “How can I join God in His work?”  When you ask yourself this question you are really asking: “What is God’s purpose for my life and the life of my family?”

My family adopted a motto several years ago to express this desire to serve God.  “Serve God and serve each other.”  The ministry of Christ may inspire you to go as far as saying “Serve God by serving each other.”

     I can’t give you a family mission, or a family vision, but I can offer some help on how to seek God’s vision for your family. First identify your Core Values.  What are Core Values?  They are the things that make us who we are as people and as Christians.  Not rules, but those truths that we hold to be a defining factor in our lives.  Then, look around and ask yourself this question:

“Based on my Core Values, what is my vision (God's Direction) for my family?” 

     In other words, based on what I know to be true about God and about life, how do I want my family to participate in God’s plan? At this point, you may just want to see your spouse and children come to know the Lord.  Or, you may all be saved and want to serve Him in a more productive way.  In this case you may ask,

“How can my whole family join together to serve God in ministry?”

   This is a pretty important question, so discuss it with your spouse and don’t forget to ask your children!  Children want the opportunity to serve God (and often have a uncanny ability to cut right to the truth).  Search out the hearts of the people you respect in the pew, then schedule a meeting with your pastor and ask your question again.  After you have done this, digest your information and

   Do whatever God is telling you to do! 

     Sorry, this may not seem like the quick and easy solution most books (or magazines) give you, but God doesn’t usually give us an easy way out!  He wants us to work through our spirituality and discover Him for ourselves.  You will find  vision, but not in a book, you will find direction the same place you are finding God, wherever you are serving Him as a family.