Newsletter

Dear *|FNAME|*,

Over the past several years, God has given me the opportunity to influence church leaders and older adults across the country through a speaking, writing and consulting ministry. The more I travel and talk with people the more I am convinced of the need for this ministry. In less than 4 months, the baby boom generation will begin turning 65 and over the next 18 years nearly 78 million of them will cross that threshold. It is imperative that we not miss the window of opportunity that exists right now to call these adults to action. I hope to come alongside you and others to provide tools that will help you effectively minister with today’s older adult. Thank you for a moment of your time!

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The Dream Team: A Great Way to Begin a Ministry with the New Old

You’ve seen the statistics.

• 78 million baby boomers. 10,000 turning 65 each day.
• A huge group of adults with tremendous ministry potential.
• You know your current senior adult ministry won’t reach them.
• What do you do? How do you start?

One great way to begin to move a ministry with the new old from an idea to a reality is to form a Dream Team. Several churches have launched or expanded their boomer ministries this way and have seen some great results.

What is a Dream Team?

A dream team is a small group of adults in the boomer age range (I’d suggest adults age 55-70) who commit to meeting three to six times to brainstorm about ministry with the new old. For some church leaders, one goal of the dream team is that several of those who are a part of the group will develop a passion for reaching the new old and will become leaders that will spear-head the ministry.

In an effort to better understand the dream team concept, I interviewed some church leaders who have pioneered the dream team concept. From them, I gathered several key elements that will help you have a successful dream team.

Strategies for a Successful Dream Team

1. Choose high capacity people and extend a personal invitation. Dave McElheran, Encore Ministries pastor at Cedar Mills Bible Church in Portland, Oregon selects adults who are committed Christians and engaged as active members at the church. He also considers how well the adults will relate to the others on the team, because good discussion is essential to the success of the dream team. The group should be between eight to twelve participants. Any larger and it will be too hard to have a good interchange of ideas. Some churches invite all couples, while others choose a mixture of couples and singles. Make sure you have both males and females.

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Catalytic Event

Boomers and Beyond Weekend

Baby Boomers and Beyond is a weekend conference designed to inspire and unleash the mid-life and older adults in your church to make a significant Kingdom impact with their lives. Read more about hosting one of these conferences at your church or in your community.

Hear what others have to say about a Baby Boomers and Beyond weekend.

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Join the Conversation

Blog Posts on Ministry with the New Old

One of the best ways to stay current on topics related to ministry with the new old is to follow my blog. You can subscribe to the blog via the RSS feed. This way you will always receive the new posts in your inbox or your google reader, or whatever format you choose.

I make a weekly post on the latest trends regarding ministry with baby boomers and beyond and I would love for you to join the conversation with your comments. Below are a few recent posts to wet your appetite.

The Blessings that Come with Age

Church, Culture and Aging Baby Boomers

Flexibility: A Must for Engaging Boomers as Volunteers

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