Are we ready for the opportunities and challenges facing the aging church? Now is the time for the church to offer ministry to its increasing numbers of seniors and to benefit from ministry they can offer. In this book James M. Houston and Michael Parker issue an urgent call to reconceive the place and part of the elderly and seniors in the local church congregation. Confronting the idea that the aging are mostly a burden on the church, they boldly address the moral issues related to caring for them, provide examples of successful care-giving programs and challenge the church to restore broken connections across the generations. Cowritten by a noted theologian and an expert in the fields of social work and gerontology, this interdisciplinary book assesses our current cultural context and the challenges and opportunities we face. The authors show us that seniors aren't the problem. They are the solution.
"This is a resource that provides fresh insight for ministry to and with senior adults. Houston and Parker challenge both pastors and congregations to see their senior members as a 'living curriculum' for the generations that follow. They also challenge the church to be present as a resource for seniors and their caregivers. Pastors and church leaders would do well to engage this book as a resource for planning and enriching ministry in a local setting. . . . This insightful and thought-provoking book is both a theological and a sociological gift to the church that promises to renew ministry for and by seniors."