Reaching older people

One of my passions is reaching that neglected age group, the over-65s. I get very wound up - for a number of reasons - when people say things like, "the church will die unless we get more young people". Churches that swallow this line almost always end up providing less for a vulnerable group who need more, which is way off the gospel that I know. The basic premise that a church "dies" this way is completely illogical; did you ever see a block of retirement flats going out of business because the residents died or left? Of course not, they just fill the rooms with more elderly people. We need to do the same in the church.

I went to an Outlook Trust conference last month and networked with some like-minded people. Talking with various groups, I was amazed by the lack of resources for this age group. There is a tiny fraction of books compared to those about youth work, and "post-modernism". Nor do the denominational bodies offer much help or support. It seems that old people just aren't trendy.

I did pick up a couple of books which I would recommend to others.


Three Score Years - and Then? How to reach older people for Christ by Rhena Taylor is an encouraging, inspiring book, first setting out the challenge, then providing lots of ideas. I would say this is a "must read" for every church serious about the gospel.




The Bible Speaks to Third and Fourth Agers by Richard L. Morgan is a series of 120 Bible reflections on the theme of ageing and the challenges faced. I bought this book to use as a resource, perhaps for very brief sermons at care homes, but I soon found myself being challenged by the content. It is not deep, each reflection is typically a couple of pages, but it is thought-provoking, and gives new angles on familiar passages.