Creating a Senior Ministry

Goals: The objective of this Special Topic Consultation is to see the senior adult ministry become a vital and contributing part of the overall growth and ministry of the sponsoring local church. New people will be added to the church membership from the unchurched older adult population and more older adults within the church will utilize their spiritual gifts and God-given talents in ministry and service.

Process: This Special Topic Consultation consists of four on-site visits by the consultant. Prior to the consultant’s first visit, the church is asked to complete a 6-page "Older Adult Ministry Analysis Inventory" and return it to the Church Growth offices. The following topics are the focus of the four on-site consulting visits

Visit #1 (one day)

• Consult with church staff and existing senior adult leadership to review the definition of the present older adult ministry.
• Conduct a 5-hour workshop introducing new perspectives and paradigms of older adult ministry. Anyone in the church over 50 years of age is invited and encouraged to attend. Included in the workshop are:

- "Revisiting the Matter of Purpose"
- "Why Senior Adult Groups grow and Don’t Grow"
- "Middle Adults: A New Frontier"
- "Key Principles of Effective Older Adult Ministry"

• A goal for the church between the first and second consultant visits is the appointment of 3 - 5 persons to an older adult strategy task force. This task force will work with the consultant for the duration of the consulting relationship in planning and implementing appropriate strategy in the older adult ministry area.

Visit #2 (one day)

• The consultant meets with the adult strategy task force with a focus on:

1) developing a purpose statement for the church’s older adult ministry,
2) designing an adult survey to be administered to the church in the coming months,
3) determining the steps involved to obtain demographic information on the church’s surrounding community, and
4) communicating guidelines and developing a timeline for the church to conduct an older adult high-visibility event, sponsored by the church.

• A goal for the church between the second and third consultant visits is for the adult task force to begin and/or complete the items above.
• The consultant also meets with appropriate church staff to keep them appraised of progress and anticipated future activities.

Visit #3 (one day)

• The consultant meets with the task force to review:

1) the purpose statement of the older adult ministry, and identify activities for pursuing this purpose statement.
2) the compilation of the adult church survey.
3) the information on the community demographic analysis of the older adult population surround the church.
4) and the plans for the older adult high-visibility event to be conducted by the church.

• The consultant meets with the task force to present the four common denominators for a growing older adult ministry ("evangelism," "service," "fellowship," "Christian formation") and leads a discussion on identifying plans for each area in the coming year.
• The consultant meets with the staff and task force to present guidelines for beginning a new ministry initiative in the church to middle adults, and discuss steps of strategy and timeline.

Visit #4 (one day)

• The consultant meets with the task force to review:

1) the steps taken in staring the new ministry to middle adults.
2) the progress/results of the community high-visibility event.

• The consultant meets with the task force to review/plan steps for growth in each of the four "common denominators" areas of ministry in the coming year.
• The consultant meets with the staff and task force to review the consultation experience, progress, and future plans.

The normal length of time between the first and second consultant visit is 3 - 4 months. The time between the second and third consultant visit, and third and fourth visit, is normally 6 - 8 months.

Each consultant visit includes presentation of research and proven guidelines for developing an effective older adult ministry, as well as individual assessment of the sponsoring church’s particular situation.

A component of all "Special Topic Consultations" is free telephone consultation for one year surrounding the visit/s.

Cost: This Special Topic Consultation for Creating a Lifestyle Evangelism Process in the local church is available only as a package of four (4) on-site consultations. Total cost is $2100, plus travel & accommodations for one person from Los Angeles, California.