Churches Hiring Pastors for the Baby Boomers
The boomers are coming! The boomers are coming! It’s all over the headlines. CBS News and USA Today recently did a week-long series on the aging of the baby boomer. We know it is happening but there are some major unanswered questions for those of us in ministry: What does ministry with aging baby boomers look like? What works in reaching them and engaging them in Kingdom causes?
This week I received an e-mail from a boomer pastor who expressed what I often hear from ministry leaders who are attempting to reach boomers.
With some of my own paraphrasing, here is a portion of what he wrote:
The problem we are having is getting the boomer engaged in kingdom focused thinking and involved in the call. You point out in chapter six (of Baby Boomers and Beyond) that the boomer does not like to be involved in activities linked with their parent’s generation, and that is the problem we are having! No matter how we try and differentiate the ministry, our church of around 1000 sees anything in this arena as for old people.
Can you relate to his challenge? Those of us who are attempting to create ministries to reach aging baby boomers are pioneers. We are starting something brand new and don’t have much of a road-map. This can be exciting, scary and HARD!
I would like to help move our efforts forward by identifying those churches who are attempting to do something specifically targeted towards aging boomers. I know of only a handful of churches who have hired someone on their church staff to give focus to this area, but I’m hopeful that there are others.
Do you know of a church that has a staff member (either full-time or part-time) specifically leading a ministry with adults age 50 to 70? (I’m looking for churches that have hired someone in addition to their senior adult or older adult pastor).
Do you know of a church that has a lay-leader or lay team specifically in place to lead ministry with adults 50 to 70?
I know there are a number of churches who have an older adult pastor (senior adult pastor), responsible for adults 50+, but for the purpose of this post, I’m looking for those churches that are working to create something entirely specific to the boomer.
So…if you know of a church (or churches) that fit this criteria, please post the name of the church in the comment section (and the leaders name, if you have it). I’ll then compile these churches and hopefully we can do some informal networking in order to learn from one another.
Broadmoor is involving the Boomer generation in new and different way. In fact we are “redefining church for a generation.” This is the generation that grew up with youth ministry that was exciting and fresh. They cannot be expected to go into the aging years with a quiet and reserved spirit. The generation wants to be engaged in life and all the parts that surround it. Churches need to look at the generation and seek to capture the excitement and zest they have for life, ministry, and mission. Boomers are a valuable resource for the church, community, world, and the Kingdom of God.
Hi Amy,
Hope you are doing well. I know that you are aware that we are specific in this ministry. JIm Martin is my “lay-director” for our “Leading Edge Ministry” to Boomers. He is doing a great job!
Love to hear from you soon.
Dan
I’m the Minister of Adult Impact at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, TX. We are a strong multi-generational church. In August of 2007 I began this ministry that focuses on the Boomer Generation. It has been a wonderful and unique journey of finding ways to connect the Boomers to ministry. I’m still discovering ing new things about this pioneer area of ministry each week.
I would love to connect with others who are doing similar ministry with Boomers. The idea of networking together is something I would be very interested in.
Thanks.
Kevin
Bobby, Dan and Kevin — Thanks for sharing what you are doing in ministry with boomers. Those of us working in this area are certainly pioneers and the ministry is ripe with potential. I think exciting days are ahead and I look forward to us learning from each other (and from others).
Dear Amy,
My wife and I are ready to assume a senior adult associate pastorship preferably in Arizona, though we will consider anywhere in US. We have excellent credentials, references, and 30+ yrs. of pastoral experience (with staffs). We know this is our destiny that God has been preparing us for many years. I am an author as well. I have written two books related to this ministry. The latest, SO THIS IS GOODBYE!, for seniors who are grieving over a loss of a special pet. The other, I THINK I HAVE LOST MY PLACE, focusing on loss of PURPOSE and PLACE.
Amy,
The following is a example of a New-Old ministry & sample description position:
Whittier Area Community Church (www.wacc.net) 8175 Villa Verde Drive, Whittier, CA 90605 (562) 945-4500 Hal Lentz Lead Pastor of Development and New Horizons, (562) 945-4500×157 HAL@WACC.net
Sample Position Description for Encore Generation and Development
Encore Generation: implement and direct a full scale ministry for active adults by providing leadership, training, and mobilizing them in life step opportunities:
•For initial guidance, create two to three “Focus Groups” made up of eight to ten Boomers to cast vision and strategize how best to do ministry with their own age group and help bridge the “generation gap”.
•Facilitate the involvement of adults into volunteer ministry with office space and opportunities for service across the spectrum of ministries at this church.
•Provide and coordinate a wide variety of ministry opportunities and activities to encourage meaningful involvement, spiritual growth and facilitate the nurturing of relationships with others who are in similar stages of life.
•Foster intergenerational health by integrating active adults with other life stage ministries.
•Provide life stage support for issues significant to this segment of the congregation such as financial planning, health issues, aging with grace,
care for aging parents, grand parenting, et al.
•Develop, implement and oversee coordinated in and outreach assimilation strategies for active adults.
•Provide training that will unleash/mobilize active adults to discover and use their gifts.
•Create partnerships with agencies/organizations outside the church that dovetail with the encore ministry focus.
•Develop budgets for the ministry consistent with current youth ministry investment.
Development: Identify, cultivate, and challenge partners; increase the level of generosity participation and ownership, through direct involvement and consistent financial giving.
•Provide necessary leadership to initiate and implement a development plan, to identify, cultivate, and challenge givers who have potential to support the ongoing mission.
•Work closely with high capacity givers to complete major gifts and major gift plans.
•Assure that gift arrangements are properly completed, and maintain ongoing commitment to givers, building generosity into their life.
•Plan and carry out special dinners, events, and stewardship training that will maximize partnership with and raise financial resources for its ministries.
•Maintain regular communication with the Pastor Team to assure effective administration and prompt response to each givers questions, concerns,
and interests.
•Take executive leadership to further resource the organization’s development plan; educate and support each leader with respect to their development ministry roles. Review research and develop strategies used in matching high capacity givers.
•Give overall leadership in close consultation with the Senior Pastor to all current, deferred, and capital campaign activities.
•Provide supervision, training, and resources to the Senior Pastor, aiding in Moves Management integration of identified and assigned givers and/or major givers.
•Oversee the Foundation, work with the Foundation Board to raise support for, and help provide leadership to the Foundation.
•Provide leadership to Planned Giving efforts which would include education
marketing, presentations, proposals, gift arrangements, and gift closure.
Qualifications: Strong personal relationship with Jesus Christ as evidenced by spiritual maturity, a close daily walk with Him, a consistent vision with area of ministry and our mission statement.
•Be committed to the theological stance of the Church.
•Understanding of the ministries of the Church.
•Proven knowledge, experience and success in not for profit development.
•College degree in business, communications, marketing or related disciplines.
•Highly desirable: advanced development training or experience, older adult training, research or experience, catalytic leadership style, church member.
Working With Church Staff and Volunteer Relationships:
•Report directly to the Senior Pastor.
•Develop and be responsible for departmental meetings staff and/or volunteers, as needed.
•Be informed of and function within the guidelines.
Benefits – Compensation:
•Salary and benefits will be reconsidered each year
•Insurance coverage, retirement, and other benefits.
•Four (4) weeks paid vacation.
•This is a full-time 40 hours per week position.
(“Job Description about Older Adults” by Amy Hanson; “What this “Baby Boomer” Senior Pastor learned at a CASA” by Joe Boerman, Senior Pastor, Immanuel Church, Gurnee, IL; EFCA Encore Sample Job Description Resources; networking with Hal Lentz, Lead Pastor of Development and New Horizons, Whittier Area Community Church, Whittier, CA and Dr Charles Arn, Institute for American Church Growth, Monrovia, CA)
Tim & Bob, Thanks for sharing these resources with the rest of us!
Hi Amy,
I am on the pastoral staff of Hope Chapel in Hermosa Beach and I have the privledge of working with those over 50. This ministry to the seniors has been
going fro about three years now and I am still working with a team of volunteers to make this ministry more effective.
I would love to hear what the Lord is doing in other churches and what has been effective.
Thanks for connecting here, Bruce! I hope we can all learn from one another as we share ‘what’s working’ and ‘what is not working’!
TO ALL RECIPIENTS OF HAL LENTZ AND AMY HANSON’S NEW TAX PLAN:
Please list below the names of the churches you know who provide their rookie ministers with four weeks vacation per year. Thank you. Jim Sokoloff, sokoloff2000@yahoo.com/
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Our local church is just looking into Baby Boomer ministry. Also I am the chair for the Indiana Conference of Older Adults of the UMC. This covered Baby Boomers and I’m interested in this new ministry.
Hi. I was looking for articles on how come there are so few of us baby boomers in church (please please, don’t call us seniors!) It sounds elderly, and I am way too healthy and active, as many of us are, to be drawn to a “seniors” group. I am 55. Call us boomers-then we can relate. We like contemporary music, hymns are too slow for most. A lot of us like outdoor activities, so we can fellowship while hiking, talking around a campfire, water sports and so on. We are young in spirit, though we sometimes ache or have health problems. We like to laugh, and enjoy comedy. Too young for rocking chairs, too old to live on cell phones. We thrive on connecting in person. Many of us are working still, so if you hold groups only once a week, we may miss it so try different days and times. Small groups where we can connect and get to know each other is great. Singles are especially subject to isolation and loneliness. So pastors please pay attention and offer ways for us to get connected in an active way. If not, we will move on with hopes of finding fellowship and places to serve somewhere else. Or we might just give up. In my area, there are many small churches. Have a group open to the public to draw in boomers and tell them about Jesus. Hope some of that helps. I have been very frustrated in my own attempts for fellowship within my generation.
I don’t like contemporary music. I like the old hymns. I am 74.