Pastors, church leaders, senior adult ministry directors – we hope YOUR church will highlight in some way during May the senior adults who attend your local assembly!

Would you prayerfully consider talking with members of your pastoral or deacon team to see what you as a church could do to shine a spotlight on your faithful seniors sometime in May? It doesn’t have to be anything huge or fancy, but oftentimes simply being intentional can mean so much to faithful seniors who most likely are a key part of your church.

Here are some ideas you may consider:

• Host a special breakfast or lunch during the month specifically for seniors. Use this time as a way to express appreciation to them, perhaps having some of the younger crowd serve them at their tables. If the church can handle the meal expense for the seniors, that will help draw a good crowd!
• Perhaps during one or more of your Sunday worship services, you share a brief highlight about a senior who is part of your volunteer team. Even just a quick “Thanks to so and so for the way they contribute to the life of this church” will say a lot!
• Organize a time during the month for a Hymn Sing or a time of allowing the seniors to gather and sing familiar choruses. Some churches combine it with food, like a “Hymns and Pie,” or some other food item. Doesn’t have to be long or fancy, but the seniors will love it! I know of an AG church that schedules this event on a late afternoon/early evening of one of the 5th Sundays during the year.
• Interview one of your faithful seniors during one or more of your Sunday services, allowing them to share their testimony of serving the Lord faithfully.
• Produce a brief video that could be shown on a Sunday that would show seniors as they participate in the life of the church!
• Ask your youth leader to bring some seniors to one of the youth meetings in May; interview them, allowing them to encourage the youth in their walk with the Lord.

One of our AG churches in our area recently scheduled an entire morning worship service that highlighted the senior adults, bringing in a special guest speaker for the occasion. At the conclusion of the service, all the senior adults came to the altars, and younger ones gathered around and prayed over them. It was powerful! The seniors left encouraged in their faith and in their love for their church!

Please consider doing SOMETHING in the month of May to encourage the senior adults in your church, Pastor. The Lord will give you creativity as to what you should do. You won’t regret affirming your senior adults!

If you need more ideas, contact your district/network Senior Adult director, or you can contact our national SA office by emailing: [email protected]

Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus,
Bob Cook