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In the following interview, Leadership Network talks with Amy Hanson about the significance of her new book, Baby Boomers & Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passions of Adults over 50 (Jossey-Bass, 2010).
Why did you write Baby Boomers and Beyond?
I wrote the book to be a wake-up call for church leaders--alerting them to the 78 million baby boomers who begin turning 65 next year. As a group, this new generation of older adults is going through a season of significant change and the church has a huge opportunity to lead them into a deeper relationship with Christ and empower them to use their retirement years to advance God’s mission in the world.
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How did you become interested in this field?
I’ve had a passion for older adult ministry since my earliest days in Bible college. My mission has always been to challenge older adults to live Christ-filled lives of meaning and purpose. Unfortunately, the church has not always helped communicate this message of meaning and purpose. Many churches have bought into the idea that to be a growing church, you have to be solely focused on the young. And sometimes church leaders even have a philosophy of “let’s just figure out some way to keep the older people happy.”
What’s one of the “Aha!” moments in your book?
When I explain the three different groups of older adults--the frail elderly, seniors, and the new old--and specifically begin to talk about the third group, a light bulb tends to go on among church leaders. I would say these are adults roughly around age 55--70 and they are dealing with a number of issues, including concerns regarding retirement, grandparenting, and caring for aging parents. For the most part, they are healthy, active and quite capable of serving God in some remarkable ways. They have more discretionary time and may be searching for what their purpose will be as they begin to phase out of their careers. As leaders begin to get a picture of this group of people, they begin to see that focusing ministry effort on this generation is extremely valuable.
Why is the timing of Baby Boomers & Beyond so important?
In the past century, the number of Americans over age 65 has increased twelvefold (from 3.1 million to 37.9 million). By the year 2030, there will be 72.1 million people in America over the age of 65. The sheer numbers of this group make it a reality the church can’t afford to ignore.1
What important lessons have you learned about older adult ministry?
When I was leading the active adult ministry at Central Christian Church, in Las Vegas, NV over 10 years ago, I quickly realized that a one-size-fits-all approach to older adult ministry was never going to work. I know many older adults who are capable of and want to do a whole lot more than fold bulletins, staple newsletters, and greet folks on Sunday mornings. We need to provide opportunities for the new generation of older adults to be involved in big kinds of service like mission trips and community efforts.
I also have learned that using the word senior is not going to reach the new generation of older adults. They don’t like anything that smacks of being old and they simply will not respond to the word senior or anything they think resembles a traditional senior adult activity. In fact, I suggest that we begin to eliminate the word senior from our vocabulary entirely.
What questions do you address in the book?
This book is about shaking us up to the fact that one of the largest generations in history now has the time, experience and talents to be invested in significant kingdom work. Who are they? How do we unleash them for ministry? How do we create a new paradigm for aging, one that lets go of the negative stereotypes and embraces their potential? How do we shape our churches to be more intergenerational? How do we reach out to the millions of aging baby boomers who do not yet know Christ? In the book there are lots of illustrations from churches who are engaging older adults in meaningful ministry.
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What do you hope the reader takes away from the book?
I hope leaders finish this book with a strong desire to do something to reach and unleash the millions of boomers who are approaching their retirement years. They are not just a generation to put on the sidelines while we focus on the young. I want leaders to start seeing older adults as absolutely central and critical to the mission of the Church.
What can we look for next?
I think we are going to see some new and innovative ways of reaching this generation. For example, more church plants that are intentionally targeted at reaching the 50-plus generation. More churches who are strategic about integrating the generations. More churches who become sending agencies that launch older adults into significant ministry. You get the idea. I think we are going to start seeing some out of the box thinking which in turn will reach an entire generation for Christ.
1. A Profile of Older Americans: 2008. Administration on Aging. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.aoa.gov/AoAroot/Aging_Statistics/Profile/2008/docs/2008profile.pdf. p. 5.
Amy’s book Baby Boomers & Beyond is available for purchase at these online retailers:
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For a free sample chapter and downloadable discussion guide, visit amyhanson.org
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Amy Hanson is a speaker, teacher, writer and consultant who is passionate about helping older adults discover a life of Christ-centered meaning and purpose. She formerly led the active adult (fifty-plus) ministries at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, NV. Today, she unites her doctorate in gerontology with her ministry experience to educate and equip pastors, denominational leaders, students, health care professionals and older adults on the unique opportunities of an aging America. Amy lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband, Jon, and their two young children. Find out more about Amy’s ministry at www.amyhanson.org. |
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