| Churches urged to develop older adult ministries By John W. Coleman Jr.UMConnection Staff 
Sue Roberts, 70, started older adult ministries at St. Pauls UMC in Kensington in 1997 because she and her now-retired pastor, the Rev. Chet Kirk, knew their peers in this aging congregation needed more fellowship and discipleship activities. Today she conducts a weekly stretcher-cise class for seniors. But the St. Pauls ministry, now directed by Meg Baker, also involves older adults in birthday and holiday celebrations, health screenings, volunteering at local charities, group visits to homebound seniors and monthly gatherings for worship, lunch and games. Members also receive home repair assistance from the United Methodist Men and participate in intergenerational activities like their Seniors Honoring Seniors tribute to new high school graduates. We are the majority in terms of membership and financial support of this church, Roberts said, and while it is important to attract more young people to the church, our needs should not be neglected. As Baby Boomers begin to reach their senior years, the fastest growing population in the United States will soon become adults over the age of 60. This trend presents a challenge to churches, which must increase their ability to serve the needs of older adults more effectively. A recent seminar co-sponsored by the Baltimore-Washington Conference Committee on Older Adult Ministries, the Maryland Department of Aging and the Alzheimers Association of Greater Maryland explored this promising ministry area and related concerns about aging. About 40 people attended the event, titled Ministry with the Majority, Nov. 13, at Brook Hill UMC in Frederick. We need to get more clergy and laity on board with being in ministry with seniors, who are the majority in our churches, said the Rev. Linda Wareheim, a member of the conference committee and associate pastor of Brook Hill. Often churches have at best an eat-and-meet kind of program only, but people are learning that theres so much more to do. We have go-goes, slow-goes and no-goes in our churches, but often we develop ministries just for the go-goes, said the Rev. Richard Gentzler, director of the Center on Aging and Older Adult Ministries at the denominations Board of Discipleship in Nashville. He urged his plenary and workshop audiences to create multiple ministries, not just for active seniors, but also for those who are homebound and inactive. Gentzler told of a homebound, depressed, arthritic 83-year-old church member who asked why God was keeping her alive. But she found a new purpose for her life, he said, when she joined a telephone prayer ministry and became a phone prayer warrior for her church. He shared a host of ideas, including physical fitness and recreational activities, weekend retreats, personal journaling and dialogues to share life stories, drama and arts programs, outdoor mission projects and Bible study and worship by telephone for the homebound. He also suggested intergenerational mentoring and faith-sharing ministries. I came to get more resources and ideas to help us continue building our older adult ministry, said the Rev. Joan Carter-Rimbach, pastor of Milford Mill UMC in Pikesville. Her churchs three-year-old ministry offers members monthly activities with guest speakers. But I learned that we also need to creatively reach out to more seniors in the community who dont come to our programs. And Im glad to know there are grants and resources and experts out there who can help us. Gentzler and other speakers also discussed the growing need for churches to provide caregiving ministries for elderly people who find themselves alone and for overwhelmed caregivers. Suggestions included daycare and telephone monitoring programs, special housing and other services for seniors and respite ministries for caregivers. | 
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