Order the book today! Baby Boomers and Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passions of Adults over 50

Why did you write Transformation?
There was a time where I was discouraged our church wasn't growing. As I struggled with that, God seemed to say to me, "When will Jesus be enough? I felt it was a calling to give up seeking to build a big church and instead focus on hearing from God and obediently do as He leads.

I discovered what it meant to know not just the Gospel of Salvation, but the Gospel of the Kingdom--which is what Jesus talked about--and how it really is livable and transforming. I started on a journey and began to see things happen that were far more than I expected.

We have settled for way too little in terms of what it means to follow Jesus and how radically he changes ourselves, our church, the city, and the world when he truly gets a hold of us.

What ideas do you want readers to contemplate as they read Transformation?
Is Jesus enough for you? When he is the primary focus in your life, you'll start to make a difference in the world. We call it "Kingdom In / Kingdom Out." As the indwelling of the Holy Spirit works in a believer's life, the Christian goes out into his or her community to engage the world.

Once a community of Christians understands that being a disciple is more than being saved and studying the Bible, what if the church were the missionary? It would focus on a place, and mobilize the members according to their jobs and connect with the society first.

What do you hope readers take away from the book?
I hope readers understand they can be a disciple who is making a radical difference glocally (globally + locally), no matter who they are or what their job is. When we begin to obey Jesus, he takes everyday ordinary people in ordinary experiences and uses those things to be huge game changers in our lives and in the world.

Following Jesus is being a disciple. A disciple hears and obeys. We've made discipleship into something that is based on information, when it really should be more about behavior, engagement and personal disciplines. Those disciplines. . . continue reading this article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stephanie Plagens is the Publications Manager for Leadership Network.

 Transition Plan: 7 Secrets Every Leader Needs to Know by Bob Russell and Bryan Bucher is about the leadership needed for organizational transition. Just as relay runners practice the all-important baton transition, why don't Christian leaders likewise prepare for that inevitable moment? Bob Russell’s own transition from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, is one of the most frequently cited examples of wise and successful pastoral transition. The book offers many illustrations from that process. The concluding chapters are the best: “Saying Goodbye” and “Life After Retirement.” They show how to end well and how the best is yet to be.

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria has an intriguing title with a very simple   point. In fact the opening two sentences summarize the idea behind the book:

“This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else. It is about the great transformation taking place around the world, a transformation that, though often discussed, remains poorly understood.”

The author, editor of Newsweek magazine’s international edition, writes in a very readable style. His illustrations are memorable. The application I made as a church leader is to remember to show respect and humility to non-Americans, many of whom perceive our country (and thus my faith) as arrogant and bullying.

Wired for Intimacy by William Struthers is all about what pornography does to the human mind, especially to males. The author, a professor of psychology at a Christian college, helps readers understand the connection between the lack of intimacy and the drive toward pornography. He offers perspectives I have not seen elsewhere, such as an explanation of the neurological patterns in the brain that are reinforced (“hijacked” he says) each time pornography is viewed.

He avoids simplistic answers. While showing a deep empathy toward people who struggle with lust, he points them toward a “rewiring” of the mind that accompanies sanctification. With insights for both married and single men alike, this book offers hope for freedom from pornography. His guidance is not specific, but it is insightful and from all I could tell, consistent with the many Scriptures he references.

A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer by Lyle Dorsett is the third biography to be written over the years about an influential pastor who wrote The Pursuit of God and Knowledge of the Holy among many other books. I’ve read all three biographies of him and the distinction of this one is how it focuses on Tozer the person, especially Tozer the husband and father. It draws from extensive interviews with Tozer’s widow, children, and friends. It shows a sympathetic but frank picture of one person with contradictory practices, at least as viewed from our era. On the one hand he experienced incredible personal communion with God and taught masterfully about it. On the other hand he was an emotionally distant husband and father, inconsiderate of his family’s physical and relational needs. I thought it poignant that this great hero to many, including me, described himself as a lonely man. His wife Alma also described herself as lonely.

The Power of Mentoring by Martin Sanders takes the angle that mentoring is the indispensable tool in the spiritual and character formation of today’s emerging leaders. This book by a seminary professor with extensive experience in mentoring provides practical strategies, exercises and models for shaping the kind of disciples who will shape the world.

Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites and Other Lies You’ve Been Told by Bradley Wright is a heady book, but written with wit. The author is a sociologist who shatters several myths from the secular and Christian media. These include: “Christian young people are leaving the Christian faith in record numbers,” “The divorce rate among Christians is as high as those of nonbelievers,” and “Christians today are watered down in their beliefs and actions.” He focuses on evangelical Christians in particular. See fuller review of the book here:

Warren Bird, Ph.D., is Research Director at Leadership Network, and co-author of 21 books on various aspects of church health and innovation. His recent “Leadership Network” books blogs include He Irritates Christians to Get Busy and Change the World, Becoming a Healthy Fruitful Multi-Ethnic Church, What Is Necessary for Church Planting to Go Viral?Mark Batterson’s Primal, Updated Publishing Updates, Beyond Christendom Says Migration Keeps Transforming the Church, Terrific Biography of Rick Warren, The Soviet Plot to Kill God, The Worst Moment in Most Church Services, Excellent Resources for Church-Based Grants, Multi-Site Church Roadtrip Released Today, Do White Churches Hold Others in Cultural Captivity?and Church Merger Phenomenon Continues to Expand

Bobbi Baxter always wanted to go on a mission trip, but didn't have the opportunity until she was 80 years old.

While other retired women might be baking cookies or watching television, Bobbi joined the Second Half Ministries team from Northshore Baptist Church (Bothell, WA) on a short-term mission trip to Nicaragua.

She is not the only older adult who has invested time and energy in the lives of the poverty stricken people of that country. In fact, 45 to 50 percent of all the volunteers from Northshore who do short-term mission work in Nicaragua are 50 years of age or older.

Older Adults Serving Overseas
The mission to Nicaragua was started in 2004 when Northshore adopted the small town of Los Cedros.

According to Richard Bergstrom, pastor of Second Half Ministries, "Our church has a strong mission mindset and some of our leaders had a vision to establish long-term relationships in a mission environment. We wanted to make missions real to the entire church, rather than something general."

Northshore serves the Los Cedros community through an elementary school that it built and through the Ebenezer church. The church was already established in Nicaragua, and Northshore has come alongside to assist in its ministry.

More than 400 people have visited the town as part of church teams that are involved in construction projects, medical clinics, feeding programs, Vacation Bible School and economic development.

All of the teams have included people who are 50+ in age, and retirees often return to spend more time ministering in the overseas community.

Jack and Katie Day went on a Second Half mission trip and were so burdened that they returned to Nicaragua on their own. They spent an entire month in the community developing business partnerships.

Currently, individuals have to travel a considerable distance for employment and spend nearly 1/3 of their wages for their travel. So Jack, a retiree from Boeing, felt compelled to use his own business experience to help set up possible employment opportunities in the community.

"Every missions team that comes back from a trip to Nicaragua has a deep concern that the community is able to sustain itself and this requires that people find jobs," says Tom Gillespie, part of the Second Half leadership team.

Specifically, Jack and other businessmen are encouraging a cabinetry company to base their business near Los Cedros.

Leona Bergstrom, also a Second Half Ministries leader says, "The second half people are apt to go back to the community because they have expertise that they can share with the people and the community. They are the ones with business savvy and life experience."

Older Adults Serving in the Local Community
The experience of 50+ age adults at Northshore follows a national trend of both secular organizations and faith-based communities recognizing the invaluable resources in the older adult demographic.

Research has shown that today's retirees have always been involved in volunteer efforts and are continuing this trend into their later years¹.

A number of leading churches in older adult ministry are discovering that seniors need to be exposed to ministry opportunities and encouraged to use their time and resources for Kingdom expansion.

These churches create service opportunities by utilizing a variety of methods, including intentionally emphasizing service for older adults, forming intergenerational ministry teams and partnering with other churches to utilize retirees.

Rod Toews, the 77-year-old pastor of PLUS, the 50+ ministry at Peninsula Covenant Church (Redwood City, CA), has a vision for the church's older adults to have a representative in every social club in the seven cities that surround their church in northern California.

Rod himself is a member of the Redwood City Rotary Club. "It is more than just membership, but rather being actively involved," Rod stresses.

Rod recently had the opportunity to do the funeral of one of the women in the club. "Her husband knew that I was a pastor and he asked me to conduct the service," he says. "Since then, he has started regularly attending the church.

"I've been more involved in one-on-one evangelism through this club than I've ever been in my life."

For more stories from churches that are finding innovative ways to expand their older adult ministry, download Amy Hanson's paper Creating New Opportunities for Older Adults to Serve; 50+ Age Adults Reaching Outside the Walls of the Church.

¹ Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling Alone. New York: Simon & Schuster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amy Hanson is a speaker, teacher, writer and consultant who is passionate about helping older adults discover a life of Christ-centered meaning and purpose. She formerly led the active adult (50+) ministries at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. Today, she unites her doctorate in gerontology with her ministry experience to educate and equip leaders, students, health care professionals and older adults on the unique opportunities of an aging America. Find out more about Amy’s ministry at amyhanson.org.

Amy’s new book Baby Boomers & Beyond is available now at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble. You can also download a free sample chapter.

And there are more resources:

• To order your copy of Relational Intelligence, visit www.leadnet.org/books
• For the free RI Assessment, free study guide, and videos, visit www.relationalintelligence.info 
• And for a free sample chapter of the book, visit http://stevesaccone.com/freechapter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stephanie Plagens is the Publications Manager for Leadership Network.

Bill Easum Interviews Frank Viola on the new book JESUS MANFIESTO

I had a chance to chat with Frank Viola recently. You may recall, Frank has published some cutting edge books lately. Then along came Jesus Manifesto coauthored with Len Sweet, a long time friend. When I asked Frank if he would talk with me about the book, he was gracious to talk to me. Here are the results of our conversation.

Frank, it’s good to have you do this interview. I know our readers are to benefit greatly. What motivated you both to write this book?

For years, Len and I both shared a burden and concern that Jesus has been getting short-changed in many quarters of His church. In our observation, scores of Christians are excited about and majoring in things that are about Jesus, while Christ Himself is getting left out in the cold.

It appears that there’s a segment of the Christian church that wants to be the hands and feet of Jesus, while detaching themselves from the Head. Others want to bring attention to the work of Christ in the past, but don’t care too much about seeking His face or living by His Risen life in the present.

So we felt to do a project together that would not only give Christ His rightful place . . . that would not only exalt Him beyond the exosphere . . . but that would also unveil His breathtaking Person in ways that would re-introduce Him in a powerfully fresh way to many of God’s people, leaving them staggering to hunger and thirst for Him and Him alone. Our book seeks to bring together the atoning work of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, and the Person of Christ into one enormous whole in the context of knowing Christ as our indwelling Lord as Galatians 2:20, Colossians 2, and Romans 8 vividly describe.

Let me give you an example of how deep the problem runs. Take for instance the four Gospels. A question sometimes asked is “What are the main themes of the four Gospels?” And so people will begin counting words and underling terms. “The Kingdom of God” is a popular answer. “Eternal Life” is another. “Salvation” another. But the governing theme of all four Gospels is none of the above. In fact, it’s as plain as the nose on an Italian’s face, yet we routinely and frequently miss it. (I’m Italian by the way ;-)

The theme is JESUS CHRIST.

What are the four Gospels? Among other things, they are the content of what Twelve men who lived with God in human form for a little over 3 years presented to a new group of Christians beginning on the day of Pentecost in the city of Jerusalem. They preached Christ to those new believers for about four years. They told the stories of what it was like to live with Him. What He said, did, taught, etc.

The first church on earth was built on a revelation of Jesus Christ. And that revelation is partly contained in the four Gospels. Yet we very rarely hear the four Gospels described in this way.

Let me go a little further. One of the things that has fascinated me as a Christian is the fact that Paul of Tarsus would spend several months with a new church plant in heathen soil, and then return after a year to find them still gathering under Christ and following Him. In fact, last year, I wrote an entire book about this very subject. The question before the house for me was: “What on earth did Paul preach to those people in the space of a few months to cause that kind of dynamic and sustaining effect?” Remember, that was a day in which there was no NT available, the OT scrolls were scarce and locked up in the synagogues, and 90% of those new Christians were illiterate.

Right or wrong, I believe that some of what we have presented in Jesus Manifesto gets close to what Paul preached. He called it “the unsearchable riches of Christ” in Ephesians – something we don’t hear too often today. We feel (and hope) that Jesus Manifesto gives readers a glimpse of some of those riches.

Tell us the story behind writing the book with Leonard Sweet.

In June of 2009, we put together a 2,400-word essay outlining what was on our hearts. We published it on the Internet, and it quickly went viral. As time went on, two things happened. Readers wanted us to expand the essay, and Thomas Nelson Publishers wanted to publish a book on it. So we began unpacking the ideas we had outlined in our essay into a 200-page book. It released a year later, June 2010.

What has the reaction from readers been so far, and how do you feel about it?

Concerning how I feel about it: To be frank, I think it’s a pretty sweet book ;-)

All jesting aside, I feel quite good about the work. Len and I both felt that a burden had lifted from us when we wrote the essay and particularly when we completed the book. The fact that so many influential Christian leaders from all different tribes have supported and endorsed the work has been a real marvel to me personally. (Readers can check out the endorser list at http://www.thejesusmanifesto.com/endorsements.php)

As far as reader reactions go, it’s beyond what I expected. Our goal in the book was to present a seismic revelation of Christ to the heart of every reader. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is using it toward that end in the lives of not a few people. Consequently, many are saying that the book has changed their lives. Others are saying it brought them to tears as well as to their knees – this includes Christian leaders and pastors.

When people use words like “masterpiece” … “epic” … “a classic” … “breathtaking” to describe your work, it’s profoundly humbling and causes you to thank the Lord in amazement, knowing that it’s Him and not you. So I feel confident that God has breathed upon it, and I’m very grateful that he would use the likes of me, a very flawed vessel, to carry a piece of the ark so to speak. I’m very in touch with the fact that it’s not what we do that has any spiritual or eternal value; it’s what God does.

Reviews and testimonials are coming to us almost daily. People can read how it’s impacting other readers here.

What do you hope to see changed as a result of the book, especially among leaders and pastors?

I began following the Lord seriously at the age of 16. For about the first decade of my Christian life, I gave my life to Christian service. I did a lot. But something happened to me in my late 20s. I got a revelation of Jesus Christ that ruined me. My entire pursuit changed from serving Him to knowing Him, for I realized that I didn’t know Him very well.

Some of the mail I’m getting is by pastors and leaders who are saying the same thing: it sounds like this -- “This book has wrecked me. I now realize that I don’t know Jesus very well and I’ve been preaching things instead of Christ.”

My hope is that this same epiphany (if I can use that word) would happen to every person undertaking Christian service today after reading the book. That they would put it down and begin to make their sole pursuit and obsession knowing Christ in the depths. For everything else flows out of that relational knowledge, including Christian service.

Incidentally, we’ve just launched a new iTunes podcast that explores these issues in depth called CHRIST IS ALL. It’s free to subscribe and many young leaders are making use of it.

You've written a number of books on the church and God's mission, how does Jesus Manifesto relate to those previous works?

I recently write an entire blog post on this very question. Readers can check it out here. But the short of is that the golden thread that runs through all of my work on the church and God’s mission is the absolute and utter headship, centrality, and supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus Jesus Manifesto is the thread that ties all my previous works together. It’s the hub and the rim while my previous five books are the spokes. In the same vein, Len has said that Jesus Manifesto may be the most important book he’s ever written. People can hear him talk about it here.

If you had one thing to say to a young pastor just starting out what would it be?

There are 3 books that I have written with every young leader in mind: They are: Finding Organic Church, Pagan Christianity, and Jesus Manifesto.

So my advice would be for young leaders (and those who feel called to the work) to read those three books prayerfully and with an open heart toward the Lord. And when you are finished, I'm completely available to talk to you about your impressions, reactions, and what you feel God is saying to you in response.

I'm on the look-out for young people who are gifted and called by the Lord, but who are people of integrity who won't take short-cuts in God's work. But rather, who are willing to prepare for their ministry the Lord's way.

I receive a steady influx of emails from pastors in their 40s, 50s and 60s who are burned-out spiritually and have come to conclusion that they didn't prepare for God's work in their youth the way the Lord prescribed. (The Lord’s way of raising up workers just about been forgotten in our time and it’s rarely observed today, unfortunately.) Youthful enthusiasm and youthful ambition drove them in their 20s, and now they feel they wasted much of their lives . . . and there's little fruit to show for it. Some of these men are (or were) pastors of large congregations.

So I'm always thrilled when I meet young gifted people who are willing to prepare for their ministry God’s way as laid out in the New Testament (the pattern is consistent from beginning to end). I’ve got one eye open for young people who are willing to throw away the calendar and spend their youth knowing Jesus Christ in the depths, learning what Body life is all about experientially, and learning a bit about the cross in experience. To my mind, these are the ones whom God will use mightily in the future for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose. Regrettably, such people are relatively rare today (I’m privileged to have some of them in my life right now). But I hope and pray that their tribe increases in the days ahead.

---

Frank’s website contains a vast array of free resources on the deeper Christian life and the organic expression of the church: www.FrankViola.com – To read all about Jesus Manifesto, go to www.theJesusManifesto.com

The following blog is excerpted from an article which originally appeared at The Christian Standard – How Some Churches are Ministering to and with Older Adults.

In order to better reach out to those who are 50-plus, some churches are dividing their ministry into different age categories.

Paul Stetler, senior adult minister at LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado, (www.lbcc.org), established three different ministries with three separate leadership teams as a part of the overall ministry with adults 50 and better. The Prime Time leadership team is comprised of those ages 50 to 65, the Mountain Toppers are 65 to 75, and the Saints Alive are 75-plus.

Stetler says, “The age distinctions are not defined in our promotional materials, nor are they something we advertise. They simply become a way of guiding the various activities that each leadership team plans.” For example, Prime Time organizes ski trips, hikes, and a yearly campout. Most of the people who attend these events fall into the 50 to 65 category, however there are some in the older age groups who choose to participate. Stetler says this has been a great experience for everyone.

The time of day certain activities are offered can influence who attends. Halftime Talks is a monthly, educational ministry at Central Christian Church in Mesa, Arizona (www.cccev.com). This ministry targets active retirees, according to Paul Forsythe, second-half ministries pastor. Its mission is to inspire and equip people to finish well through learning opportunities and a lunch. Speakers have included a physician, an attorney, and a wealth management adviser, and topics have ranged from Bible study methods to refugee resettlement.

Regardless of how an older adult ministry is organized, it is important to recognize the diversity within this area of ministry. Some adults who are 50-plus are limited by health, while others are still working full-time, and still others may be raising grandchildren. Successful older adult ministries are those that have a variety of opportunities available in order to reach the varied needs and interests of the people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amy Hanson is a speaker, teacher, writer and consultant who is passionate about helping older adults discover a life of Christ-centered meaning and purpose. She formerly led the active adult (50+) ministries at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. Today, she unites her doctorate in gerontology with her ministry experience to educate and equip leaders, students, health care professionals and older adults on the unique opportunities of an aging America. Find out more about Amy’s ministry at amyhanson.org.

Amy’s new book Baby Boomers & Beyond is available now at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble. You can also download a free sample chapter.