Aging and Ministry in the 21st Century: An Inquiry Approach

The church is in the hands of its elders. While the popular perception is that the aged are needy and infirm, Gentzler affirms the majority of older adults have plenty to give. The church needs to tap into their wisdom, energy, experience, and talents. Gentzler stresses that older adult ministries need to be by and with elders as well as for them, since participants will represent all stages of retirement and activity levels. In addition to the practical issues of programming, Gentzler takes on more difficult topics of aging including chronic conditions, depression and death. He also recommends that churches pay special attention to the needs of the Boomer generation, since they are now becoming the older adults who will determine the churchs path for years to come. ""As Boomers have cycled through their various life stages they passed through hippie and yuppie to become abbies: aging baby boomers,"" Gentzler writes. ""But dont tell Boomers theyre aging. ...They really do expect to stay young and see getting old as an option, rather than a reality.