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

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 Se

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

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!