1. GOD’S MISSION PARTNERS FOR TODAY A presentation by Norman Critchell, Director of Outlook Trust

2. Founded in 1992 by Rhena Taylor Mission and Evangelism among the over 55’s 800 Members and Supporters a and 100Churches and Groups The majority are of the Older Generations, but are actively involved in sharing the Good News of Christ with the Older Generations in Word and Action. Founded in 1992 by Rhena Taylor Mission and Evangelism among the over 55’s 800 Members and Supporters a and 100Churches and Groups The majority are of the Older Generations, but are actively involved in sharing the Good News of Christ with the Older Generations in Word and Action.

3. NORMAN’S VISION FOR THE CHURCH The gifts and experience of older Christians married to the gifts and energy of younger Christians and integrated in to the life and ministry of the Church, local and wider. Older Christians seen as God’s new missionary force for this time. The average age of Anglicans in this Nation is 61—May the Church see that its future existence lies more with older Christians than with younger, whose number like in the general population, is shrinking.

4. I believe that Scripture teaches us that—people do not lessen in worth, ability or holiness just because of age. AND I believe the Church should also be saying—It is important to ensure that older people do not lessen in worth, ability or holiness in the eyes of the Church and its Leaders.

5. Older Christians are a Proven and Potential Resource PROVEN because of many accumulated years of experience, knowledge, wisdom and stories. POTENTIAL because these gifts can be used in all manner of ways.

6. HAROLD THOMPSON AGED 97

7. MARION KEALY AGED 70 PLUS

8. HOLIDAY AT HOME

9. JULIE KENT—’JEWELS ART’

10. SHOULD THE ACCEPTED PATTERN OF MINISTRY BE RETHOUGHT? Instead of ministry to older people, MINISTRY OF AND BY OLDER CHRISTIANS—an opportunity for older Christians to feel loved AND valued AND retain a sense of belonging and able to contribute. Instead of older Christians always being seen as recipients, now seen as PARTNERS IN SHARED PROJECTS Opportunities can be provided for any with some physical limitations, like praying and supporting the Mission Team. They too would be PARTNERS IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

11. CHRISTIANITY IS RELATIONAL with God and each other and for a person to be able to continually grow spiritually they need the support and nurture of the Church Community. The Body of Christ is weaker for the exclusion of any part of it, each has an integral part to play, and all are invited to be participants in the Christian Community. The gifts of older Church members must be valued and used in order for a faith Community to be fully the Body of Christ and for them to develop their faith and to nurture their relationship with God.

12. FROM CHURCH INTO THE COMMUNITY Thomas Moore wrote; ’Growing old is one of the ways the soul nudges itself into attention to the spiritual aspect of life. The body’s changes teach us about fate, time, nature, mortality and character. Ageing forces us to decide what is important in life.’ Some practitioners are even predicting that this Group has the potential to provide the ‘single largest un-churched evangelism opportunity’.

13. IMPORTANCE OF THE CHURCH MAKING CONTACT It provides older people within the Church with an opportunity to engage in ministry. They are I believe, more effective than younger people in this ministry because generally, non-Church older people are more likely to respond to someone in their own age demographic. By providing this opportunity, both the Church and the older people reached have the potential to benefit.. To those providing the ministry, it can nurture their self-esteem and sense of worth by remaining actively involved and feeling they belong. The benefit to the Church by older Christians providing ministry to other older persons is they can make a significant contribution to the life of the Church. They will be seen and they will thrive.