official employment agency for his congregation by bring ing needs and workers together. Other older persons can serve as helpers when disasters strike or as coordinators for disaster relief. A growing number of retired couples are offering their services to the mission b’oards as houseparents to Volun tary Service units. Widowers, bachelors, and unmarried ladies can also serve in a great variety of church-related assignments. Mature spiritual insights and practical skills can make excellent contributions to the cause of Christ and afford you an experience in abundant living. Elderly couples can open their hearts and homes to visiting speakers in the community. This service is espe cially appreciated when the preacher has a large family of growing children. One minister, upon his retirement, took upon himself the ministry of calling upon the aged and chronically ill. Besides leading a number of unsaved older men and women to faith in Christ, he found a new joy in his own soul. Christian laymen could do much more of this kind of service and possibly win as many souls for Christ in their home communities as some missionaries do in for eign fields. There are often jobs on the church property that need doing. Many churches have a down-in-the-mouth appear ance because the driveways, lawns, and shrubbery need fertilizer, or trimming, or other care. Chairs and desks in the classrooms may be squeaky and shaky, or the classes may meet in dingy rooms. What a transformation you older men could make in the house of God if you would dedicate your shovels, shears, hammer, or paint brush to Christ and serve Him right on your church property! Suggest this to your church trustees and see what response you will get from them. Who knows better than you older ladies how to col lect, sort, and prepare clothes for relief? Dorcas has set a permanent example to the consecrated women of the churches. An increasing number of churches serve church din ners for funerals, weddings, conferences, or for evangelis tic purposes. The experienced help you can give in the name of Christ will not be forgotten by the Great Re warder. There are many other tasks that some of you can do for the Lord and the church, such as baby-sitting for young mothers, helping junior leaders in woodworking projects, sharing crafts or hobbies with each other, coun seling younger members about vocational, family, or retirement problems, clipping church news items for scrapbooks, giving book reviews, gathering data for the church historian, and leading in prayer services. Are you unhappy with the changes taking place in the church? The wide-awake church will be sensitive to your feelings and do what it can to make all classes feel a definite part of the church. On your part, you should remember that times do change, and that maybe con ditions are not as bad as they appear to you. The old and the past may have an aura for you which does not quite reflect the good old days as they really were. We have a tendency to forget the unpleasant experiences and put a halo around the pleasant ones. You might invite your pastor for a period of spiritual fellowship and tell him how you feel about things. But don’t “ summon” your pastor, and beware of being only “ negative.” He has to serve the whole church. Let him serve God in this generation, not the one that is past. The past is yours to enjoy through memories. The future you have left in God’s hand. But the unfolding present is your opportunity to “walk in wisdom . . . redeeming the time” (Col. 4:5).
all ages in her working ranks. “Young people for action and older people for counsel.” This is the normal pattern of society, ft should be so in the church as well. “But,” you may ask, “ what are some specific things that we can do?” You can contribute to the offerings. Many of you cannot give as you used to because you have been forced to trim your sails to suit the wind that brings your ship in, and by now the wind has died down to a weak little breeze. 'If this is true, your congregational leaders will not expect you to meet the stewardship “ quotas.” Still, do give something. Whatever you are able to put into the offering plate can still bring you a fine measure of spiritual blessing. (And if you happen to be well-to-do, now is the time to give heavily.) At any rate, don’t let yourself be drawn into the ranks of those who stop going to church because they cannot contribute any more. Keep going to church even if you cannot give a penny. Your keen attention, friendly smile, and warm handshake are worth more to the church than any amount of money you can give. You can engage in personal devotions. Your faithful reading of the Bible and meaningful prayer life are communicated to the church subconsciously. The other members of the congregation will sense your Christian faith and will be better Christians because of it. Min isters, missionaries, and others in positions of influence in the church need your prayers. Be generous in this service, which does not cost you a penny. You can still assist in the teaching ministry of the church. A few of you will be asked to teach Sunday school classes; more of you can assist the teachers in the younger departments of the Sunday school and the vaca tion Bible school. Why not also have Bible classes in convalescent and old people’s homes for people who cannot get to services? Here is where you can perform a much-appreciated service in the teaching ministry. You can service a missionary bulletin board or map, or write to missionaries and encourage them. You can lighten the load of your pastor in many ways. If he is a new minister, you can take him to all the fami lies in your church and introduce the members to him in their own homes. Accompany him when he visits the shut-ins, especially when he gives them communion. Offer to do some of his clerical work, such as typing, stencil-cutting, mimeographing, and mailing church bul letins or pastoral letters. Notify him of new babies born, of members who are hospitalized, and of new people moving into the com munity. Visit new people yourself and invite them to your church. Occasionally it is a big lift to the pastor if the members do some telephoning for him. Make a standing offer of your sevices; let him know that you are loyal to the church and to the pastor. You can also do the research necessary to produce a church directory which lists all the members in alpha betical order, giving their names, names and ages of the children, date of marriage, occupations, and telephone numbers. Other church-related jobs are open for you if you are willing to help. If you are still a safe driver (better ask some younger person’s opinion on this), maybe you can transport children to and from vacation Bible school. You older ladies can help in the teaching or provide meals for mothers who teach. Some of you can serve as official greeters at the church. Your friendly hand shake and smile can give visitors a warm spot in their hearts for your church and make them want to come again. George Driver , who loves the Lord and the church, uses his car to take members to help churches in building and remodeling programs. In fact, he serves as an un- JA N U A R Y , 1964
Reprinted by permission o f Herald Press from the new book ''Zestful Living for Older Adults / 1 19
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