Later life is a time of reassessment and reflection. What sense do we make of the lives we have lived? How do we come to terms with illness and death? What do we want to give to others as we grow older?
“The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon…In old age they still produce fruit, they are always green and full of sap” (Psalm 92:12,14). Some studies indicate that ageism is decreasing in our society and we’re headed toward a more inclusive view of aging. They also indicate that age stigma is getting reduced, citing …
The church is in the hands of its elders. While the popular perception is that the aged are needy and infirm, Rick Gentzler affirms that the majority of older adults have plenty to give. The church needs to tap into their wisdom, energy, experience, and talents.
By Dr. Richard H. Gentzler, Jr., director, ENCORE Ministry Recently, when I was consulting with a local church in my role as director of ENCORE Ministry, I was approached by an older woman with a big smile on her face. She said that she was looking forward to my visit with leaders of the older adult ministry in her church. …
Alzheimer’s or another other form of dementia every 77 seconds. Today, someone is diagnosed every 66 seconds.
And the number is escalating. In 2050, it will be one person every 33 seconds.
Richard H. Gentzler, Jr. January 1, 2016, leading edge Boomers started turning 70 and nearly half of all Boomers will be approaching or in their sixties! The generation that didn’t trust anyone over 30 is now becoming the new seniors. Boomers, a post-World War II generation, were born in the years 1946-1964. There are approximately 78 million Boomers in the …
By Ed Zinkiewicz Does that title ring any bells for you? Do you remember Kansas? And Oz? Dorothy would truly be amazed. Consider what she would find coming back from Oz today: Hundreds of thousands of centenarians worldwide are alive today and the population in general is living longer. People are retiring later and staying active for a longer time …
By Chaplain David Brinker Rev. Dr. Frederick Schmidt is the Rueben P. Job Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. He has shared insightful principles on the difference between aging and growing older in an online spiritual journal called “Patheos.” He writes: Sometime ago, a friend who had just celebrated his 84th birthday observed, “You know, when I …