2016 older adult recognition day brochure...2016 older adult recognition day resources...
TRANSCRIPT
2016 Older Adult Recognition Day Resources
Evergreen-Counting the Rings of Faithfulness
Edited by
Rev. Dr. William B. Randolph, D. Min Director, Office on Aging & Older Adult Ministries
Email: [email protected]
PO Box 340003, Nashville, TN 37203-0003 Telephone: 615-340-7173; Fax: 615-340-7071
Evergreen – Counting the Rings of Faithfulness
Many older adults have lived strong lives of faith that have endured time and trial. Just as the evergreen trees in the winter forest remind us of the coming spring, the faithfulness of older adults reminds us that newness of life may spring forth from all of us, even as we live our final days on earth.
Evergreen trees bring to mind those older adults who have thrived in adverse conditions. The vibrancy of older adults’ faith suggests that older adults have lessons to teach us all. Like the evergreens’ unique beauty, the faith of older adults testifies to God’s ability to unlock inner beauty and true spiritual nature. If you view a tree’s trunk, you can see growth ring patterns of the tree’s maturing. When we hear an older adult’s life story, it is as if we were seeing the growth rings revealed. Through older-‐adult faith stories, the church is enriched. Just as evergreen trees offer themselves to nourish the future generations of the forest, older adults leave behind their faith stories that will nourish the community of faith into the future, so others can grow into their role as the “evergreens” of the community we call church.
Older Adult Recognition Materials Worship Resources. (The following may be used in planning a worship service for Older Adult Recognition Day -‐-‐ whether observed on a Sunday or another day.) Proclamation: The message should include thanksgiving for the many gifts that older adults give to the church. Such gifts include friendship, experience, and wisdom. It may be helpful to personalize this recognition during the message by naming older adults who make up the community of faith, especially those who may not be well known. One way to form the proclamation is to focus on the stories of older adult biblical characters who remained faithful and to note how God used them as prophets, teachers, and disciple makers. Indeed, the scriptural narrative views a good life as a reward for faithfulness. It is important to incorporate older adults into the message in significant ways, either by naming them in the message itself or by encouraging their participation in worship. One interesting approach might be to invite an older adult lay speaker or a retired minister in the church to deliver a message based upon a favorite passage from Scripture, a lectionary passage for the day, or one of the suggested texts below. Selected Scripture and Sermon Starters These passages are among the most commonly cited passages about old age and the wisdom of older adults. Leviticus 19:32: “You shall rise before the aged, and defer to the old; and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” Isaiah 46:4: “Even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” Proverbs 17:6: “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their parents.” Psalm 92:14: “In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap.”
Psalm 139: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. . . . Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ruth 4:15 – “He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-‐in-‐law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Luke 2:22-‐38 (The expectation of joy in old age): “When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord . . . There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-‐four. . .” Acts 14:22-‐24: “There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, 'It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.' And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe. Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 (inner strength): “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.”
Philippians 3:13-‐14: “Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” Titus 2:2-‐5: “Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, prudent, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior . . ."
1 Timothy 5:1-‐8: “Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers, to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters—with absolute purity. . . ." Please see previous year’s Scripture suggestions on the older adult ministry website, http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/leadership-‐resources/older-‐adults
Music The United Methodist Hymnal "Great is Thy Faithfulness" UMH 140 “This Is My Father’s World” UMH 144 "I Love to Tell the Story" UMH 156 "It is Well with My Soul" UMH 377 “I Am Thine, O Lord” UMH 419 “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” UMH 557 “Come, Let Us Join Our Friends Above” UMH 709 More information on the History of these Hymns are available at http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-‐of-‐hymns-‐great-‐is-‐thy-‐faithfulness http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-‐of-‐hymns-‐this-‐is-‐my-‐fathers-‐world http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-‐of-‐hymns-‐i-‐love-‐to-‐tell-‐the-‐story http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-‐of-‐hymns-‐it-‐is-‐well-‐with-‐my-‐soul http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-‐of-‐hymns-‐i-‐am-‐thine-‐o-‐lord http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-‐of-‐hymns-‐blest-‐be-‐the-‐tie-‐that-‐binds
The Faith We Sing “You Are Mine” TFWS 2218 “I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry” TFWS 2051 More information on the History of this Hymn is available at http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-‐of-‐hymns-‐i-‐was-‐there-‐to-‐hear-‐your-‐borning-‐cry
Worship and Song Hymnal All My Days W&S 3011 “A Place at the Table” W&S 3149 More information on the History of this Hymn is available at http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-‐of-‐hymns-‐a-‐place-‐at-‐the-‐table
Hymns Not in Current Hymn Collections “And Now, My Soul, Another Year” Simon Browne “Lord, Give Me Strength for Golden Years” James R. Webb Glory to God Presbyterian Church, USA Hymnal “When Memory Fades” Mary Louise Bringle* “When We Must Bear Persistent Pain” Ruth Duck* http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-‐of-‐hymns-‐when-‐memory-‐fades Hymns Written about Older Adults or for Older Adult Recognition Day “They Found Purpose for Their Living” F. Richard Garland (Sung to the tune Nettleton # 400, “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing,” (The United Methodist Hymnal), soon available at Discipleship Music Resources at http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/they-‐found-‐purpose-‐for-‐their-‐living “God of Generations” Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Sung to the tune of Nicaea #64, “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty,” (The United Methodist Hymnal) available through Gifts of Love: New hymns for today's worship #16 I Will Not Always Walk This Earth Dan Damon (Suggested Tune is Silver Fork). Note the lyrics and rights to this piece can be located at the Hope Publishing Website (http://www.hopepublishing.com/ ) and use of it must follow their terms and conditions. Communion Hymns if Communion Is Celebrated “Christ, You Often Sat at Dinner” Carolyn Winfrey Gillette* (sung to the tune, Hyfrydol, #196, “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” The United Methodist Hymnal), also available through Glory to God Hymnal, Presbyterian Church, USA, Westminster John Knox Press, 2013.* “When Hands Reach Out and Fingers Trace” Carolyn Winfrey Gillette* (Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor, 61a), available through Glory to God Hymnal, Presbyterian Church, USA, Westminster John Knox Press, 2013.
*= Glory to God Hymnal, Presbyterian Church, USA, Westminster John Knox Press, 2013
Litany of Thanksgiving Leader: We have gathered in gratitude for the gift of years with which God has blessed our community through our older adults. We celebrate who they are as part of our faith community and honor them today before God. Children of All Ages: Older adults are our parents, grandparents, neighbors, and friends. They are our past, and we are their legacy. Parents of All Ages: Older adults are sages, mentors, teachers, and models in faith. They are the keepers of wisdom, experience, and tradition; and we grow in faith as a result of knowing them. Leader: Older adults are what we one day will become. Will we be like them? Children: Beloved by others. Young Adults: Admired by others. Middle-‐Aged Adults: Faithful before God. Leader: We give thanks to God for the gift of years, for forming the faith of older adults before our eyes. Older Adults: We give thanks to God for creating us and crafting in us the people we are becoming. We give thanks, God, for your expressing love for us and for our faith community throughout our lives. Rest of Congregation: We give thanks for the faith of older adults that guides our faith and enriches our relationships with one another. All: In gratitude, we honor our older adults and give thanks to you, O God.
Litany on What It Means to Be Old Leader: God promised Abraham a blessing in advanced age. God said, “I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” God’s blessing came with old age. People: How can advanced years and old age be a blessing? How can God continue to use me? I wonder sometimes, especially when I see all the changes in life I have gone through.
Leader: It is God’s promise to Abraham and to you: “In old age you are a blessing and you will be blessed.” God also promised to bless those who honor and bless you! God blesses the church through you in many ways. Let’s count the ways of blessing. Children: When you tell stories, you bless us and help us grow. Youth: When you hear our dreams in life, you are a blessing to us. Young Adults: When you try to understand our struggles and do not judge us, we am blessed. Adults: When you love us and express friendship, your life is a blessing. All: When you set an example of how to live honorably and in praise before God, you are a blessing. Leader: When you mentor me in learning something new using your experience, you are my blessing. All: When you face death faithfully and live courageously, you make it easier for us to do the same, and you bless us. Leader: You are blessed and are a blessing in so many ways. It is a blessing that is only realized in advanced years and within a community of faith. God promised to make you a blessing in your advanced years and has.
Prayer of Invocation O God beyond all our years: Help us to remember that long life is a gift. Help us to properly honor the gift of our elders who have taught us to live lives of faith. Through our worship, help us to honor you as the giver of this gift, in which you have made your love present and real through the lives of our older adults. We offer ourselves in thanksgiving and worship for your many blessings. Amen.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving Creator God of us all, we give thanks for our older adults. We give thanks for the joy they have brought us, the laughter and the tears we have shared with them. We give thanks for their friendship, their compassion, for their teaching, and their mentoring. We name happy and joyous memories and the painful and lonely memories that have brought us closer together and to you. We name service opportunities we shared with them that allowed us to be a community and shaped us for your kingdom. We name learning moments where their insights inspired ours and our insights moved their learning to even greater heights. We have been richly blessed by your loving generosity in sharing these older adults with us, and we name them in our hearts and give thanks in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
Benedictions Go as the beloved of God to grow old in Christ. Be blessed in years and be a blessing to God’s kingdom. Remember, you are God’s child, even into old age. Amen. Go forth to scatter light into the darkness of our world through our Everlasting One. Celebrate daily the blessings of experience, knowledge, and wisdom that come with age. Keep alive the gift of years received from older friends and become the gift of years for those who follow. Amen.
Call to Worship Minister: Lord God, we are running the good race of our lives and follow the way home to you to fight the good fight for faith. People: We journey with a cloud of witnesses to your kingdom come. We serve with others who are also running the race. Minister: Old, young, middle-‐aged, youth, children. Some have run longer and further than others, and we count them as older adults. People: We thank you for those who have gone before us, and we thank you for their example. We praise you for their lives of faith today. All: We thank you for our sages and pioneers, for those who have run before us. We remember them as parents, friends, teachers, neighbors, fellow church members, and a cloud of witnesses. We celebrate your abiding presence with us through their friendship, sacrifice, and leadership.
Contemporary Message Formats This guide includes some alternative contemporary message formats this year. Consider the themes and titles below, especially for contemporary worship services. One Interesting approach is to start with one of the titles or themes and turn it into a question and answer to frame the message. An example would be the title “When I Grow Old.” The preacher asks, “How Do I Know When I Am Fully Grown, Spiritually?” In developing such an approach, older adults could be asked to help answer the question to assist the proclaimer with their message. .
Possible Sermon Topics
1. When I Grow Old— What is it like to grow older and grow spiritually toward God?
2. The Advantages of Being Old— A look at the positives of growing old and the gifts of being older -‐-‐ insight, tradition, wisdom, and a spiritual orientation.
3. It Takes a Lifetime to Grow Old—The significant experiences of a lifetime, growing up, going to war, graduating, having children and grandchildren, and coming to faith, both the good and the bad.
4. Final Notes—Advice an older person would give to younger people about life and overcoming, about faith and spirituality, and about serving the community and God.
5. Questions about Aging— Have questions submitted a week in advance, then the proclaimer answers 4 or 5 of the best questions, explaining how his or her perspectives have changed with age.
6. Look through the Windshield, Not in the Mirror— This sermon is designed to help older adults look toward the future instead of dwelling in the past.
7. The Measure of Days, all 25,567 of them (70 Years x Days) — This legacy sermon talks about how God has used older adults through good times and bad. It should speak to the faithfulness of God.
8. Grow Old Along with Me! A positive look at the aging process will meet the fear of growing old with the gifts of aging. This approach will help aging boomers confront their fears.
9. Be Old or BOLD—Talk about bold older adults who defy the stereotypes of growing older.
10. Not Yet Old Enough— Consider what we would miss in life if we did not age (like the mythical Peter Pan).
11. Old Age 101— Lifecycle stages meets Christian living -‐-‐ How we change physically and spiritually as we grow older.
12. The Secrets Lives of Old People—Demonstrate how older adults live out their Christian heritage in their daily lives, often quietly, behind the scenes.
13. Old Age is Like Dessert—Dessert is the last course of a meal because the sweetest is always saved for last. Old age can be the best stage of life.
14. A New Way of Being Old—Aging and retirement are changing radically with the retirement of baby boomers. Retirement can be the most spiritual time of life.
15. The Dreams of Our Elders— In this sermon, the legacy of those who have gone before is acknowledged in the lives of faith of those who follow.
Ideas for Congregations for Observing Older Adult Recognition Day
Advocacy -‐ Invite experts, civic leaders, or government officials to speak during an information session on an issue such as dementia, depression, grief, or security. Panel Discussion – Form a panel discussion with older adults sharing their memories, either free form, or with standard questions. This can be a guided discussion. A unique panel would be to pair multiple generations together to answer the same questions to reveal how age changes our perspectives and attitudes about faith and life. Include homebound members through the use of video. Planned Visitation (During the week of Older Adult Recognition Day) – Make lists of all older adults in the church who are willing to visit along with older adults who are interested in being visited and match together as visitors and the visited (including a driver, as needed, so those who do not drive can participate). Matching can be random or intentional. Day of Service – Organize a project or special day of service to benefit older adults directly or to honor ministries served by older adults. This can be a perfect opportunity to find a project that addresses older-‐adult poverty in the community. Plant an Honor Tree – Designate an area on the church campus for planting honor trees (spruces, pines, cypress, magnolias or other evergreens work best).
Through a local nursery, take orders for trees to be planted in honor of older adults in the church. At the conclusion of the worship service, have participants move to the garden area for the planting of the trees. Make a plaque available for each tree. Sponsor Families – Match each older person in the congregation to a volunteer hospitality family for the coming year. Ask the older person to pray for members of the hospitality family. Provide the older adults with cards with pictures of the family members for whom they will pray. Have the families and older adults gather for a get-‐acquainted meal. Have an exchange sheet with information about significant events or days in the lives of the older adults and the volunteer hospitality family members: wedding day, birthdays, and so on. At the end of the year, have the sponsor families and older adults write notes about what they enjoyed most about each other. Spiritual Biographies -‐ Interview older persons with a list of questions such as, “Who has been influential in your faith life?” “What are your favorite Scripture passages?” From the interviews, develop spiritual biographies. The use of video or audio recording is a good way to do this; but if biographies are displayed, they all should be in the same format. Display a timeline of the subjects’ lives with pictures on bulletin boards or monitors in the church. You could feature the biographies as a group at one time, or feature them individually once a month. Publish a biography at the end of the year. Make sure the older adults approve their biographies before publishing them. Be sure, also, that each featured older adult gets a copy of the publication. Safe Sanctuaries® Check -‐ Make sure there are no accessibility issues in your church that limit full participation for those with some disability. Consider the acoustics for those with hearing impairments. Use large fonts on projected screens, hymnals, and bulletins for those who have trouble seeing clearly. Look at the number of steps into buildings and other provisions such as special parking, wheelchair friendly restrooms, and pew space for wheelchairs or walkers. Specialized Classes -‐ Invite older adults to share their hobbies and crafts with others by asking them to teach introductory classes, either as a periodic (weekly or monthly) class or a one-‐time demonstration class; for example, a cooking class. This is particularly great intergenerational way of celebrating Older Adult Recognition Sunday. Single and Widow Fellowship Groups – Develop programs to meet the needs of widowed, single again, and never married older adults. Because many older adults have lost significant others, this is an important way to honor older adults.
Sponsored Discussion of Movies with Older Adult Characters or Video Clips about Aging or Older Adult Issues. -‐-‐ Many churches regularly employ video. We live in a video rich world. One unique Multi-‐generational event which could occur along with Older Adult Recognition Day would be to select clips from movies and show them to a group and then hold a discussion, about how the characters reflect a mature view of life, faith, and aging. AARP has a series titled “Movies for Grownups” that can be surveyed as a source for videos. Check their reviews of films. A selected message clip should portray themes like sacrifice, hope, joy, peace, grace, courage, healing, and forgiveness. The following movies contain scenes in which older characters reflect these themes. Grumpy Old Men The Straight Story Harold and Maude Tokyo Story Cocoon All of Me Away from Her Most Exotic Marigold Motel Strangers in Good Company Quartet The Intern Aurora Borealis The Sunshine Boys About Schmidt Trouble with the Curve Up Bucket List Water for Elephants Sourcing the appropriate clips can be easy since many can be located from YouTube and Vimeo. Whole movies can also be downloaded from streaming services or rented from video stores and film editing software can be used to focus on a short clip. Selected scene should be self-‐contained and not require an introduction or setting of the scene. Videos should focus on one universal and positive experience of old age. The message is not the time to examine heavy subjects like Dementia or Elder Abuse, or Aging Poverty, unless this is something which a church has already been active and has prepared counseling and other resources. Since care must be taken in selecting video clips, one idea is to use only video clips previewed by Older Adults and approved by them before they are shown. Because there will be participants of all ages present, it is suggested mature situations and language be left out of the video clip. Verify the church’s video license allows the use of the video beforehand and give proper attribution to video. Don’t have a license? License are available
through http://cvli.com/ or Church Video Licensing. Do not assume because it is available in the public domain it is available for you to use. Selected Resources Consider giving these as gifts to leaders with older adults, to your church, or to older adults. These are primarily in book format. Building a Ministry for Homebound and Nursing Home Residents by Marie White Webb. (Discipleship Resources, Nashville, TN, 2003). An excellent guidebook for doing ministry with the homebound and residents in continuing care retirement communities. Designing an Older Adult Ministry by Richard Gentzler (Discipleship Resources, Nashville, TN). This is still the go-‐to book for getting started in older-‐adult ministry. It has helpful suggestions and a basic plan to get started that has proven effective over and over again. Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr (Jossey-‐Bass Publishing, 2011). Fr. Rohr examines how the later years are different from our first half of life. He also presents a new way of thinking about old age, not as frailty or decay, but as a time of drawing closer to the Divine. The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully by Joan D. Chittister (BlueBridge Publishing, 2010). This collection of inspirational reflections will help older adults reflect even more on the spiritual nature of the last chapters of their lives. It will also help them see God present even in the mundane areas of life. Graying Gracefully: Preaching to Older Adults by William J. Carl Jr. (Westminster John Knox Press, 1997). This book gives practical instruction and examples of biblical and theological sermons to this growing population, enabling the preacher to proclaim the gospel more clearly for older adults. Joy Boosters: 120 Ways to Encourage Older Adults by Missy Buchanan (Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN). Joy is one of the key ingredients for good aging. This book contains a lot of practical ideas anyone can do to give the gift of joy to an older adult.
Parents & Grandparents as Spiritual Guides: Nurturing Children of the Promise by Betty Shannon Cloyd (Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN). The highlight of many older adults’ life is when they have and establish relationships with grandchildren. This book instructs grandparents about how to be spiritual mentors and guides for their grandchildren. Pilgrimage into the Last Third of Life: 7 Gateways to Spiritual Growth by Jane Marie Thibault, Richard L Morgan (Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN). This book is designed as more than a spiritual guide to navigate the waters of retirement. It is one of the best books to help older adults think about their legacy. Remembering Your Story: Creating Your Own Spiritual Autobiography by Richard L. Morgan. (Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN; Revised edition, 2002). Designed for small groups, this resource encourages and guides participants through 10 sessions of life review and future direction. Safe Sanctuaries: The Church Responds to Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Older Adults by Joy Thornburg Melton (Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN). One issue that the church often overlooks in its ministry is elder abuse. This book addresses how a church can respond. Shaping a Life of Significance for Retirement by Jerry P. Haas & R. Jack Hansen (Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN). This book is great resource to help church leaders understand what retirement is like for its member retirees and invites people going through it to think about retirement in terms of legacy and service instead of finances and leisure. Voices of Aging: Adult Children and Aging Parents Talk with God by Missy Buchanan (Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN). Missy Buchanan offers a compassionate look at adult children and their parents as they face the fears and frustrations of aging. A Widow's Prayer: Finding God's Grace for the Days Ahead by Nell Noonan (Upper Room Books, 2015). This book ponders what it means to be alone but never away from God. It is an amazing collection of reflections designed to help those who have lost their mate as they journey through grief.
Additional Resources for Older-‐Adult Recognition Day The Virginia Annual Conference -‐-‐ even before General Conference passed a resolution calling for Older-‐Adult Recognition Day -‐-‐ recommended its churches observe the day. They prepare a guide every year similar to this one. See “Sermon Notes for Older Adult Sunday 2015,” http://www.vaumc.org/ncfilerepository/OlderAdult/2015Older_Adult_Sunday_2015_Sermon_notes.pdf The Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network, POAMN, provides an Annual Older Adult Resources Guide, which includes worship suggestions for a celebration of Older Adult Recognition Day. It may be ordered as a separate printed guide or viewed online. 2014 PDF 2015 PDF-‐ PDS# 23304-‐14-‐001-‐($3.00 + S&H). -‐Order from: Presbyterian Distribution Service (PDS), (800) 524-‐ 2612, www.pcusa.org/marketplace or view online, www.poamn.org/wp-‐content/uploads/2014/01/14-‐Planning-‐Guide.pdf 2015 PDF-‐ PDS# 23304-‐15-‐001-‐($3.00 + S&H). Order from: Presbyterian Distribution Service (PDS), (800) 524-‐ 2612, www.pcusa.org/marketplace or view online, www.poamn.org/wp-‐content/uploads/2015/02/15-‐Planning-‐Guide.pdf 2016 PDF-‐ PDS# 23304-‐16-‐001 ($3.00 + S&H). Order from: Presbyterian Distribution Service (PDS), (800) 524-‐ 2612, www.pcusa.org/marketplace or view online, www.poamn.org/wp-‐content/uploads/2015/02/16-‐Planning-‐Guide.pdf Resolution 3023. Older Adult Recognition Day Original Resolution authorizing Older Adult Recognition Day as a special day observance. WHEREAS, special observances in The United Methodist Church are intended to illustrate the nature and calling of the church and are celebrated annually, and WHEREAS, special observances are placed on the calendar to make clear the calling of the church as the people of God; and
WHEREAS, both the population in the United States and throughout the world is WHEREAS, the average age of the membership of The United Methodist Church is comprised of persons 60 years of age and older; and WHEREAS, older adults make significant and important contributions in the life of The United Methodist Church and to spreading the gospel throughout the world; and WHEREAS, the scripture commands us to “honor your father and mother,” Therefore, be it resolved, that The United Methodist Church observe an annual Older Adult Recognition Day; and Be it further resolved, that an Older Adult Recognition Day may be observed annually, preferably during the month of May. The day is to recognize and celebrate the gifts, talents, and contributions older adults make within and beyond the local church. The day should also provide congregation with the opportunity to learn more about the issues and concerns related to aging and older adulthood. The Committee on Older Adult Ministries will have responsibility for the supervision and promotion of the observance of this special day.
Note: While the resolution suggests Older Adult Recognition be held in May to coincide with Older Americans Month, it can be and is observed by churches at other times of the year. Here are some alternatives.
• During the month of November, which is recognized as National Family Caregivers Month by the U.S. Administration on Aging and especially On All Saints Sunday
• In conjunction with United Methodist Women’s or Men’s recognition services.
• The Sunday following Labor Day, which is recognized as Grandparents’ Day.