Resources for Reading and Study
Books:
Aging and Ministry in the 21st Century by Richard H. Gentzler, Jr. (Discipleship Resources, Nashville, TN, 2008). An inquiry approach to individual or small-group study concerning aging issues and their impact on ministry.
An Age of Opportunity: Intentional Older Adult Ministry by Richard H. Gentzler, Jr. (Discipleship Resources, Nashville, TN 2018). An informative resource with a wealth of material to enable congregations to become intentional in ministry by, with, and for older adults.
Boomer Spirituality: Seven Values for the Second Half of Life by Craig Kennet Miller (Discipleship Resources, Nashville, TN 2017). A valuable resource for clearly understanding the unique spirituality of the baby boom generation.
The Church Responds to Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Older Adults by Joy Thornburg Melton (Discipleship Resources, Nashville, TN 2012). A thorough understanding of Elder Abuse and a helpful guide for church ministry.
Don’t Write My Obituary Just Yet by Missy Buchanan (Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN, 2011). Using inspiring faith stories by older adults, the author invites the reader to learn and grow in faith.
Falling Upward: Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, 2011). The author contemplates how our failings can be the foundation for our ongoing spiritual growth.
Retire to a Better You by Ed Zinkiewicz (Retirement-U, Inc., 2013). The author, through a series of helpful “retire to” books, this being one of them, provides encouragement, hope, and meaning for people in the retirement years.
Seasons of Caring: Meditations for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers edited by Dr. Daniel C. Potts, Lynda Everman, Rabbi Steven M. Glazer, Dr. Richard L. Morgan, and Max Wallack (ClergyAgainstAlzheimer’s Network, 2014). A resource for spiritual support and meditations for caregivers.
Talking with God in Old Age by Missy Buchanan (Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN 2010). Through meditations and the use of Psalms, the author sensitively addresses the worries, fears, and frustrations of older adults.
Third Calling: What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? by Richard and Leona Bergstrom (Church Health, Edmonds, Washington, 2016). The authors provide readers an excellent resource that can lead to a “third calling” in life filled with clarity, hope, faith, and meaning.
Web/Internet:
www.acl.gov – Resources from Administration for Community Living
www.agingcare.com – Resource information for caregivers
www.umcdiscipleship.org – Resources for adult and older-adult ministries
www.encoretnumc.org – Resources for church leaders for older adult ministries
www.nia.nih.gov – Research and resources on aging issues from the National Institute on Aging
www.re-ignite.net – A division of ChurchHealth provides resources for church leaders for older-adult ministries