Vibrant Living, Vibrant Faith:
Inspiring a New Culture of Senior Ministry

Hosted by National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS) and Fellowship Square Foundation (FSF)

 

Please note that not all session notes are available for posting. Sessions that have notes available will be indicated next to the speaker name and title of their session. All materials are copyrighted to the speaker, but you are free to download for personal use.

Coffee & Networking - 9:30 a.m.
Welcome & Opening Remarks - 9:45 a.m.
Keynote Speaker Dr. David Gallagher - 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.
Keynote Speaker Rabbi Dayle Friedman - 11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.
Lunch - Noon
Breakout Sessions - 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. (select one session to attend)
Q&A Panel with All Speakers - 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.




Dr. David P. Gallagher, D. Min. - Read his bio

10 Practical Tips to Inspire New Ways of Reaching Older Adults - 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.  Download Session Notes

  • Pastor Emeritus, Palm West Community Church, Sun City West, Arizona
  • Program Director, Green Lake Conference Center, Greenlake, Wisconsin
  • Author and Conference Speaker, www.agingsuccessfullytoday.com

 10 Practical Tips to Inspire New Ways of Reaching Older Adults will provide suggestions for helping people experience greater satisfaction and happiness as they age. We’ll raise spiritual and emotional issues and suggest resources to help provide a roadmap for aging. Practical tips such as helping people keep perspective, stay balanced and prepare for the later years will be shared. Maintaining a biblical view, understanding loss and grief, helping people keep their spirits high and relieving anxiety will also be discussed to help inspire a new culture of senior ministry.

Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman, MSW, MAJCS, BCC - Read her bio

Births Out of Brokenness: The Spiritual Journey of Later Life - 11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.

  • Spiritual Guide Consultant and Trainer, Growing Older (www.growingolder.co)
  • Author, Jewish Visions for Aging
  • Editor, Jewish Pastoral Care (Jewish Lights Publishing)

 How is that some elders are able to be fresh and positive, while others become brittle and bitter? What makes for wholeness amidst the shatterings that are so much a part of the process of growing older? How can our faith communities for fostering growth and grounding in later life? We will draw on a concept from Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition, to map the spiritual journey of aging and to explore resources from our faith traditions for fostering vibrancy and resilience in later life.




The breakout session will be held from 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Please choose from one of the following sessions:

Dr. Ramonia Lee - Read her bio

The Challenge of Older Adult Ministry in the 21st Century:
Re-tooling Our Ministries for Maximum Impact      Download Session Notes

 

  • Minister of Congregational Life, The Inter-Faith Chapel at Leisure World

    According to the U.S. Census, more than 76 million Americans (more than 25 percent of the population) are fifty or older.  Many of our congregations are blessed with a considerable number of older adults among their membership but they are facing the challenge of establishing an effective older adult ministry in the twenty-first century.  This breakout session will help congregational leaders develop strategies for a multigenerational approach to ministries by, for, and with older adults to address the issues and needs of all the aging in our churches.  Come, join the discussion, as we rethink and retool our ministries for maximum impact and effectiveness.

Rev. David G. Berg - Read his bio

Retired and Wired: Equipping Boomers for Life and Ministry

  • Chaplain, Fellowship Square Foundation

What does God require of Baby Boomers now that their kids are gone, their pension is vested, their house is paid for, and their backyard grill is bigger than their first apartment was? We will explore some of the values that characterize this generation known for anti-war protests, Woodstock and Disco, a generation sometimes known for having multiple careers and multiple spouses (each ostensibly appropriate to one’s current stage of self-development), a generation now inclined to confuse religion with relaxation.

Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman - Read her bio

From Generation to Generation: Engaging Elders in Vibrant Congregations for ALL Ages

  • Keynote Speaker

This workshop is based on the concept of Communities for All Ages, which posits that our lives are enriched when we are in organic, reciprocal relationships with people at different ages and stages. The multi-generational congregation is a natural community for all ages. We will investigate how elders can be dynamically woven into the fabric of the congregation’s spiritual life. We will see how this engagement enables elders to continue to grow spiritually and to share their gifts. We will consider models for transforming congregational life with this paradigm shifting approach.

James A. Brown, Jr. - Read his bio

Affordable Housing For Seniors: Faith-Based Efforts

  • President of Victory Housing, Inc.

Victory Housing, under the auspices of the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, has 26 affordable housing communities in operation, 23 of which are for seniors. Two more are under construction, with others in the pipeline. The need for such housing is urgent, but the challenges are daunting. Jim Brown, the president of Victory Housing, will speak about the obstacles as well as the opportunities, and how the faith-based community can support the cause of affordable housing for seniors.