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The buried treasure of the church

The positive contribution which older people can make

There is a lot to be said for the value of older Christians, that is, those over the age of 55.

They buy more books than anyone else and, generally speaking, have sorted out their lives and are ‘more together’ than their younger counterparts. They have battled temptations and been through the deep waters and, when tapped, are springs of faith and encouragement.

They are like the Sherpa guides who help people get safely to the top of Everest. Climbers may have maps and global satellite positioning equipment, but the wise ones still hire experienced Sherpas to accompany them. (You sometimes read newspaper stories about the ones who do not.) And there are the biblical accounts of those wonderful older warriors of God: Caleb, who achieved more at the age of 85 than at any time in his life; Jacob, 130, who stood before Pharaoh and blessed him — not the other way around — and prophesied the coming of Christ; and Moses, who did not begin to be used by God until he was 80.

Evangelists and communicators

Those of us working with Pilgrim Homes have contemporary stories of dozens, if not hundreds of others; people like Pilgrim Homes’ care home resident 84-year-old Winifred Vandenburg, who chose to stay on at the Leonora Home after the death of her husband, using the communication skills honed as a nurse to help and encourage other residents. Then there was 93-year-old Reg Field, who would evangelise every contractor who came to the home, and who once wrote to everyone with his surname in the local telephone directory telling them of Jesus, and 95-year-old Elsie Peacock of Bradford, Yorkshire, whose purpose in life, she says, is to encourage communication between the young and the old in her church. They are treasures, especially to God: he has even taken the trouble to tell the rest of us how we should treat them (1Timothy 5, Leviticus 19.32).

How is it then that so many church bulletins list youth work, evangelism and mission, but rarely anything involving older people?

Excluding Moses?

Probably Moses, among the greatest of men in Scripture, would not be called into most of our churches today because of his age. Can you imagine the conversation: ‘How old are you? 80? Sorry, we want someone who is 35 with a couple of children who knows how to work with young people. 80-year-olds are out.’

Perhaps it depends where you live. In rural or semi-rural areas where there is still a sense of community, older people are known and respected and, because they have the most time and commitment, usually run the churches and chapels that still are at the centre of village life, though the vicar or pastor may be younger.

But it is different in the towns and cities where most of us live. Communities no longer exist and many people are strangers even to the people living next door. It should be different in our churches, but many older Christians say they feel ignored and insignificant, dumped along with the old hymns and swept aside by the energies focused solely on youth work and evangelism. In the hurried, bigger and impersonal towns, the treasure that older Christians represent is often buried under a mound of indifference.

No invisible generation

What difference does it make to Pilgrim Homes? A great deal, because these are our older brothers and sisters in Christ and our ministry is specifically for them. When churches are not interested in them they are not interested in how we help them. But there are signs that the tide is turning. Understanding the needs of elderly Christians and how to meet them was the subject of the seminar we gave at some conferences earlier this year. It was called ‘Invisible Generation’ because that’s how many describe themselves. Judging by the response, it clearly struck a chord and requests for copies of the seminar notes are still coming in.

I am very interested in knowing how widespread the ‘buried treasure’ phenomenon is. Are you a buried treasure, or are you able contribute to your church life? Do you have stories to share about how the Lord is using older people in your fellowship? Do you have thoughts and ideas?

Please email me at pm@pilgrim homes.org.uk, or write to me at Pilgrim Homes, 175 Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2AL.

Louise Morse