Online Archives

BY CHRISTINE KUMAR
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Growing old provides new opportunities to grow in one?s faith, more than 100 people learned when they met at West River camp at the Older Adult Day Apart Oct. 23.

'It?s a beautiful time in our life, Jesus Christ gives us a chance to draw closer to him, ' said Father Joseph Girzone.

Girzone, author of the Joshua series, spoke on how loneliness can affect the older adult community since many have loved ones and friends that are dying.

'Was Jesus lonely? ' he asked. 'He had to be lonely, he would go to the hills and spend time in prayer. Loneliness means you have nothing to relate to and Jesus had no one who could understand him. '

But loneliness can also be an opportunity to spend more time with God, Girzone said.

Betty Reed, a member of Corkran Memorial UMC in Temple Hills, agreed. 'Only Jesus can fill the loneliness, ' she said.

'Our time is freed up to spend more time with the Bible and we learn to be more spiritual as we get older, ' added Janice Mason of Epworth Chapel in Baltimore.

Girzone, 76, also spoke of forgiveness and acceptance, 'We were taught that when we sin, we cut ourselves from God. Even though we fall, we can still be close to God, ' he said. 'Jesus does not want to make us over, he accepts us as we are. '

During the Bible study, the Rev. Rebecca Ianicelli, pastor of Centenary UMC in Shady Side, spoke of having kairos moments. 'Kairos time is different from ?chronos? time. It means that something significant is happening. The Kingdom of God is here, repent and believe the good news. '

She encouraged the participants to find the kairos moments in their lives.

After lunch, there were several activities, group discussions and boat rides. Ken and Evelyn Pinkard of St. Paul UMC in Kensington displayed and sold Appalachian crafts from Henderson Settlement and Red Bird Mission.

The Rev. Carlee Hallman, a retired pastor, led a discussion and read from her newly published book, 'Abide with Me, ' which contains prayers that highlight issues and challenges that older adults face everyday.

In addition, Andy Thornton, camp director, led a discussion on thriving older adult ministries in local churches. Some of the ministries that were highlighted were exercise and devotions two days a week at Albright UMC in Washington, D.C. An 86-year old member of Queens Chapel in Beltsville taught men, women and youth how to make biscuits.

Retired men at Woods Memorial in Severna Park meet for coffee and doughnuts and accomplish projects and repairs for their church, and Magothy UMC reaches out to the unchurched once a week by inviting them for breakfast.

'I?m going to tell my church members that they missed a good one and that they should come next year, ' said Camille Bohanon, member of Covenant UMC in Montgomery Village.

According to the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, 13 percent of the U.S. population is adults who are 65 and older. The older adult population percentage has increased due to low birth rate during the 1990s. By the year 2020, those who are 65 or older will comprise 18 percent of the population and will continue to rise.