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By Narayan Mitra
WHEN Jenny Gould died recently at 90, she was likely given a heroine’s welcome into her Lord’s presence. She was also sent off by a church whose life she had touched on all
levels.
Except for the last few months, the long-time member of the Kamloops Evangelical
Free Church (KEFC) was a fixture around the building.
She will be especially missed by a group of dedicated seniors at KEFC.
As in the general community, the seniors’ ministries in Kamloops churches are seeing a resurgence.
Blessed with longer lives and diversified resources, these people are able to
offer help which is greatly appreciated in public life.
Whether carpet bowling or in shopping malls, they display their presence with
surprising agility and buying power. No wonder the churches have looked upon
them for a host of ministries which their juniors either shelve or avoid for a
variety of reasons.
From larger seniors groups of 50-plus – such as the ones at Summit Drive Baptist or First Baptist – to KEFC’s 25, most groups meet at least monthly, hear lectures on issues affecting their
mature lives, enjoy devotionals reinforcing their faith journey – and, of course, eat good food!
For example, the Summit group enjoy musical entertainment and a catered lunch
every other week. The rest of the weeks are given to a mix of outdoor
activities, Bible studies and coffee times.
“They are intelligent and excitedly involved in whatever they do,” said Harry Bicknell, the senior pastor at Summit – as well as the back-up leader of the church’s seniors group.
Seniors from like-minded churches criss-cross each other’s meetings.
At First Baptist, they have been blessed with a dedicated minister of seniors in
Allen Hern. Demographically, the downtown church is located in a ‘senior-infested’ section of the city which swells the bi-weekly gatherings by close to 50 every
time.
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“The stats show that the senior population in Kamloops is growing – but so is the complexion of our church,” said Hern.
“Once a seniors’ haven, we now see younger families coming in. One of the complexities we
struggle with is how to reach the downtown seniors in the surrounding apartment
buildings. It’s an upfront future vision for our phone-in committee.”
Public investments keep growing in the area of enhancing quality of life for
seniors. Seniors ministers are more concerned about eternal investments in
their lives.
To reclaim some of these precious people from the hands of the enemy of their
souls is of urgent importance to these pastors, as time is no longer on their
side.
In the shopping malls or at the casinos, the daily pre-occupation of some
seniors to make the jackpot – gambling for hours without end – is a constant reminder of their special needs. The seniors’ ministries continue to struggle as to the best way to help them meet the ‘Big One.’ Thankfully, many of the elderly are at least talking about it.
June 2009
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