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Meeting Notes April 29, 2006

Tri-City Lay Council
Seasoned Ones
April 29, 2006 9-11am
Meeting Notes

John Staley opened with Introductions, and Dick Larson provided and opening prayer

John Staley provided an overview of Tri-City Lay Council – Mission, functions and brief history. Current Topic on Senior Issues, the “Seasoned Ones”. Five areas, financial, health, social, personal, faith and spiritual growth issues. One goal is to develop a web site, action plans information, minutes.

Broke into two groups to brainstorm and discuss social and spiritual growth issues.

Group A: Spiritual Growth Issues / Discussion / Ideas:

End of life concerns and acceptance
Keeping people involved in ministry
New believers – evangelizing seniors without faith background
Tradition and respect for and assisting in change issues
Worship styles – cottage meetings -Soul searching – mission change
Holding a Sense of purpose, Reflection on how people have invested in faith life and sharing that experience
Grief support loss of loved ones
Loss of support group – emptiness
Why am I still here?
An obstacle is the labor intensive nature of bringing spiritual guidance and support.
Small group worship service opportunities
Explore options for various new means of senior outreach, spiritual growth opportunities.
Stephens Ministry – providing support one on one to those in needs.
Eucharistic Ministry – homebound and non-mobile
Recording music and services – audio and videos to nursing homes
What is the coverage for opportunities in nursing homes?
Social events – recognition of seniors – bring history – show and tell on an individual level
Offer opportunities for seniors to share their experience.
Intergenerational – getting kids involved – seniors share their stories
Celebrated milestone weddings
When is someone a senior?
When do you give it up? Quality of life issue each person defines what that is… It’s your personal and spiritual issue. Family dialogue and support.
Acceptance for people’s own individual state

Group B: Spiritual Growth Issues / Discussion / Ideas:

Preparing to die, understand hospice, endowment opportunities.
Importance of spirituality
Appreciated contributions
Keeping them connected
Being sensitive to tradition
Life geared to younger generation
New believers
Keeping traditions
Bible study – rides to be arranged
Don’t leave them out - Rides, large print, audio
Appreciation - Intentional asking, include for all who volunteer, one on one thank you, greeting and reading scripture.
Opportunities for special recognition Veterans day, Mothers day, Labor day
Non Believers- Need to accept them, need to pray for them, include in prayer chain letters, include in social activities.

Group A: Social Issues / Discussion / Ideas:

ROMEO – Retired older men eating out
PROWLS Presbyterian Retired Older Wiser L …
Why Social Issues – We are social beings, concern about isolation
Not focusing on developing social opportunities – but with the intent of creating value for the individuals –
Small groups - Fixit group / Sawing circle – Lay “weedership” prime-timers supper and program or event.
Some issues with this. Difficult to get into a group… they sometimes have an issue with the group being developed, not bringing in new people, and eventually the leadership fades.
Events – community concerts – Hemmens and Aurora Summer series for example
Intergenerational groups – tie in with service group around church, or kids program, or high school program. One group putting on a program for another group, such as a kids group holding a senior tea. Informal coffee hour.
How many churches have someone on staff dedicated to senior ministry? No- one had that. Most covered by people dedicated to serving cross generational for education or small group ministry
Seniors must learn and be encouraged to reach out to other age groups.
Numbers verse – talking to the levite priests – at some point your role is to step back from leadership and move into a mentoring/teaching role.
WORM workshop rotation model for people to assist in teaching classes – rotating workshop style of curriculum.
Card stuff, dancing
Young people involved in teaching older people about computers. Touch screen navigation. Picture simple easy interface – personalized at Luther House.
Tech stuff – pictures, genealogy, email, web cam

Group B Social Issues / Discussion / Ideas:

Reasons for having social programs for seniors
Seniors limited in their ability to travel facing other challenges still want to be active and have a need to feel valued.
Seniors often have a need to feel meaningful and be able to contribute.
Seniors want to stay connected and want to have fun.
Integrated age activities can benefit seniors with limitations.

Groups that can serve seniors
Proactive invitations with offers of transportation.
Form a telephone squad to maintain contact with shut-ins. This can involve other senior members of the church. A possible name would be the “Sunshine Callers”.
OWLS - Older, Wiser, Lutheran Senior - sponsors luncheons, outings
PROWLS - Presbyterian Older, Wiser, Loving Seniors - an alternate acronym to show how other denominations can develop.
ROMEOs - Retired Old Men Eating Out
SILVER FOXES, PRIME TIMERS are other group names.
Small group ministry focus toward seniors

Challenges facing seniors programs
Recruitment/membership
How to get new members in forming a group; someone needs to lead the way.
Younger prospects are not always ready to join an older group.
Breaking into an established group is a challenge that many do not want to take on.
The 55-65 group rejects being older and does not consider themselves as seniors.
Few churches have a senior ministry or even line items on the budget for senior programs.
New leadership needs to be developed on a continuing basis.

Needs
Intergenerational contact
Educational opportunities
Seniors need to extend themselves and become involved.
Recognize that it’s time to retire, but work is not over.
Embrace new technology and derive benefits from using it.
Sensitivity toward financial issues/constraints by others.

Current programs of note
Church maintenance
Lay Weeders - gardening
Fix Its - basic maintenance, painting, repairs
Small Group Ministry
Women’s circles
Sewing, Knitting, Quilting groups
Book discussion club
Shawl ministry
Commercial enterprises
Tall Grass
Friendship Village
Retirement centers that offer specialized help and counseling

Ideas for Senior Programs
Communication:
Develop a central bulletin board / web site where activities and ideas could be posted.
Intergenerational ideas
Antique wedding featuring older wedding dresses worn by youth members of the church
Afternoon tea social hosted by youth group
Preschool, Vacation Bible School and/or church nursery participation by seniors
Nursing home visits by youth groups
Coffee hour service on Sunday morning hosted by youth groups
Participate in teaching Church school through a rotation program (example) Workship Rotation Model (WORM) program of FV Presbyterian teaches topics in 6 week sessions where a teacher can be recruited for that session and not be committed for the year.
Chapel services conducted by seniors or youth
Senior oriented programs
Opportunities for sharing memories and reminiscing
Lunches for single women and men
Adult education focusing on seniors
Monthly dancing or game programs to bridge the gap of a lost partner
Computer instruction by professionals or computer help offered by youth

Resources:

AARP – book on senior population and publishes a wide range of documents
on all topics relating to aging.

Delnor Vitality Center - sponsors an unwanted medical disposal program

Prairie State Legal Services - publishes a Senior Citizens Handbook, Renters Handbook and other documents. Offering free legal service to low income and senior citizens, information can be obtained on the web at: pslegal.org or the office serving Kane County which is located at 201 Houston Street, #200, Batavia, Illinois 60510, Telephone: (630) 232-9415 and (800) 942-4612, FAX: (630) 232-9402

Center for Aging Services Technologies CAST - This coalition of technology companies is developing new devices to help seniors with computers, etc. Information can be obtained at their web site: www.agingtech.org/index.aspx . Jointly produced a video, “Imagine the future of Aging”, with the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (see next). The Video will be on the agenda for the next Tri-Cities Lay Council meeting.

AAHSA - American Association of Homes and Services for Aging - 866-783-2242 www.aahsa.org .The group objective is to provide healthy, affordable, ethical aging services for America. Covering a wide spectrum of the housing market and related topics, links to other sites are available at www.aahsa.org/about_aahsa .

Other church programs - (example) Silver Foxes of St. John Neumann Roman Catholic

Church offer outings and other programs for a group of 200 people. They often have extra room or are under subscribed for an outing and would be happy to include participants from other churches.

Kane County Senior Resources - a professional organization of members offering services to seniors - web site www.kanecountyseniorresources.com .

Elderday Center - an organization providing quality day services and promoting independence for older adults, located in Bethany Lutheran Church, Batavia, web site www.elderdaycenter.org .

Events:

Lutheran Home and Services – Sat October 28th program for Seniors Rich Bimler Cliff Peterson www.lutheranhome.com

Luther Institute – 2 major synods of Lutheran Church – Is doing a workshop on the Implications of aging. Lee Mills has information.

Sept 16th Saturday 9-3pm Dr. Paul Meyer all day seminar Jesus legend or Lord. St Marks

Senior Lifestyle Expo - sponsored by the NE Illinois Area Agency on Aging. This is being held on Sept. 6/7 at the Drury Lane in Oak Brook. Information can be obtained by calling 800-528-2000.

Ideas discussed regarding, “What are some other Ideas for Lay Council Topics?”:

• Volunteer Recruitment
• Young Family Programs
• How do we “market” to “pew sitters”
• Young unmarried programs

Ideas Discussed regarding, “What do we do with this information?”

• Promote Senior Activities with other congregations. i.e. Churches working together on opportunities that would not be practical to do in a single congregation.
• Develop and Event Calendar and information source for events put on by various churches.
• Conversations promote conversations and collaboration between Churches on their existing ministries.
• Develop a Repository of resources and information
• Notifications to participating Churches of opportunities developed by the Tri-City Lay Council and among area Churches.
• Video of what the churches are doing re: Senior Ministry
• Bob Snodgrass and net2Community is preparing a website which can potential fill some of these needs. The next meeting should develop a list of features/functions that might be added to the site.

The next meeting:

July 29th was discussed as the next meeting date to keep the group on a regular schedule. This date will be confirmed by the Tri-City Lay Council Steering Committee

What would work for Promotion of the meeting?
Continue newspaper coverage -
Personal invitations are best

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Meeting Notes April 29, 2006

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