Senior adults are one of the fastest-growing populations in Baptist churches, yet they often are overlooked in the church’s programming and budgeting.
No matter how big or small the church — or the budget — however, senior adult programming should not be ignored.
Leroy Stringfield, senior adult minister of First Baptist Church, Prattville, says the best senior adult ministries are hinged around the ministry of the church. At his church, the starting point is Sunday School.
“We start by enrolling all our new senior adult members in Sunday School, and then try to plug them into the special interest programs,” Stringfield said.
The strategy has been extremely successful. First, Prattville, currently has 20 senior adult classes meeting on Sunday mornings and utilizes senior adult volunteers in many areas of worship and ministry.
“We couldn’t run this church without our senior adults, on Sunday mornings especially” Stringfield said.
Once seniors are plugged into the church’s traditional ministries, additional programming provides increased opportunities for service and fellowship.
“Senior adults enjoy having fellowship with people their age at this stage of life just like they’ve enjoyed at every stage of life,” Stringfield said.
Senior adults enjoy trips to local restaurants and to special events like movies and plays. Evening game nights and tours of nearby museums and tourist sites are also popular, Stringfield said.
While many churches focus on trips and social events, others also hold regular weekly or monthly meetings for their senior adult members, incorporating meals, informational speakers, music and Bible study into their programs.
At First, Prattville, Stringfield said they usually try to have a theme for their monthly meetings, but the first order of business for each meeting is laughter.
They often watch segments of videos of Christian comedians like Dennis Swanberg and Mark Lowry at their meetings.
“Our members are always saying they want to laugh, want to have a good time,” Stringfield said.
Laughter is a common theme for senior adults, according to Lloyd Jones, a retired minister who now serves as the program chairman for Baldwin Baptist Association’s senior adult ministry.
When Jones began working with senior adults several years ago, one of his members let him know what she wanted from the start.
“She said, ‘We don’t want people to tell us how to be buried or how to spend our money,’” Jones said. “We want to have fun and enjoy ourselves, so that’s what we try to do.”
Jones’ church, First Baptist Church, Gulf Shores, holds monthly senior adult activities that feature a variety of programs, including local experts who discuss topics like safety and financial planning.
Both the tone of the meetings and the response of members are positive, Jones said.
“Senior adult programs keep us active and give us something to do,” he said. “I know people who go to two or three different churches for senior adult meetings. It’s something they really look forward to.”
Under Jones’ leadership, Baldwin Baptist Association has taken senior adult ministry one step further by holding four association-wide senior adult meetings each year.
Jones plans the programs and chooses locations for the meetings at least a year in advance, and the association promotes the meetings to all its churches.
The meetings have been successful, drawing crowds of more than 200 from both associational churches and other churches in the area.
Jones said that much like the programs that individual churches plan, the associational programs include music, skits and entertainment with an emphasis on enjoying Christian fellowship.
Jones added that like all good Baptist gatherings, the meetings include a covered-dish luncheon. The biggest challenge according to Jones has been finding churches big enough to host the event — “a good problem to have,” he added. “We’re thrilled to death with the success of our quarterly meetings.”
Though Jones works primarily with churches in Baldwin County, he is an advocate of senior adult programming in all churches.
“Senior adults are a fun group, and it’s very rewarding to see the joy that a strong senior adult fellowship brings to those who participate.”
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