The Old Testament writer reports on how generations of old responded to God or failed to respond. Paul points out that we are many and we experience Christ in different ways. We are given these experiences of grace so we can contribute our perspectives to help one another and to up build the church.
In Christ we are made one. We are united into one body. Unity involves diversity. Unity is not uniformity. Because of our unique life histories we have different graces that the Spirit gives us. Jesus teaches that our unity is manifested in our willingness to serve and to let others serve us.
None of us is sufficient in and of our self. God has made us so as to need each other.
The inclusive church welcomes the insights, perspectives, gifts and graces of each generation and each generation type. Membership in the church is intergenerational. It is the covenantal response of generations that unites us as one family through the Spirit.
The Spirit makes the church, the family of God, an inclusive body – a celebration of diversity.
Today in the name of religion many don’t trust diversity. We want everyone to think and behave as we do. Those who are different or who don’t conform to our expectations we tend to demonize.
This addiction to uniformity is a worldwide phenomenon. We see it played out in many Islamic countries and we see it played out in our churches and denominations. Our mainline denominations are being torn apart because there are leaders who tolerate and encourage diversity. The church whose motto is “reformed and always reforming” is in danger of becoming the church conformed and always conforming.
God brings many parts together so the whole will be greater that its parts. Togetherness brings about synergy; it’s creating a work that is greater than anything we could expect from individuals working separately. It’s a transforming power that can remake each of us and transform the whole world -- generation to generation -- into one holy orchestra where many parts join together to honor and praise our God who makes us one.
"Thy Kingdom come, O Lord;
Thy will be done on earth,
Even as it is done in heaven."
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Silent Sandwich Generation
For the last 30 years, the emphasis has been on the “seeker sensitive” approach to reaching the “boomer generation”.
The Boomer generation was heralded as the cure-all, both financially and numerically, for the church. Paradigms were changed dramatically in the hopes that they would recognize and appreciate the changes that were made on their behalf.
Based on the 2006 U. S. Census estimates there are some 78 million boomers born between 1946 and 1964. In the 9 counties in the Cincinnati metro area, there are approximately 577,000 Boomers who will be in their “bonus round” by 2012.
Dr. Thom Rainer, in an article entitled The Church In 2011: Catching The Age Wave, estimates that two thirds of the Boomers remain unchurched.
A second people group that has been highlighted, and rightly so, is the generation referred to as the “Greatest Generation” (WWII or the GI generation). This generation has provided the leadership and stability for the church for many years.
However, sandwiched between these two generations is a generation that has been largely forgotten. They have been called the Silent Generation. This generation has stood silently by while the hymns they grew up singing have been scuttled. Many have patiently endured many “seeker sensitive” watered down feel good sermons. Many have faithfully given their tithes. They have remained faithful while “contemporary” has been redefined in ways that are foreign to them.
Consider this: In these same 9 counties, according to the US Census estimates(2006), there are approximately 647,743 members of the “Silent Generation”. Many of these folks are still able to take an active part in the life of the Body. In many churches, they are recognized once a month when an announcement in the bulletin alerts them to the monthly potluck luncheon and a monthly or quarterly bus trip to either Gatlinburg or Branson.
In this era where we are constantly encouraged to recycle and conserve energy etc, I am concerned that we are wasting some of the most significant resources God has given us.
The Boomer Blogger
The Boomer generation was heralded as the cure-all, both financially and numerically, for the church. Paradigms were changed dramatically in the hopes that they would recognize and appreciate the changes that were made on their behalf.
Based on the 2006 U. S. Census estimates there are some 78 million boomers born between 1946 and 1964. In the 9 counties in the Cincinnati metro area, there are approximately 577,000 Boomers who will be in their “bonus round” by 2012.
Dr. Thom Rainer, in an article entitled The Church In 2011: Catching The Age Wave, estimates that two thirds of the Boomers remain unchurched.
A second people group that has been highlighted, and rightly so, is the generation referred to as the “Greatest Generation” (WWII or the GI generation). This generation has provided the leadership and stability for the church for many years.
However, sandwiched between these two generations is a generation that has been largely forgotten. They have been called the Silent Generation. This generation has stood silently by while the hymns they grew up singing have been scuttled. Many have patiently endured many “seeker sensitive” watered down feel good sermons. Many have faithfully given their tithes. They have remained faithful while “contemporary” has been redefined in ways that are foreign to them.
Consider this: In these same 9 counties, according to the US Census estimates(2006), there are approximately 647,743 members of the “Silent Generation”. Many of these folks are still able to take an active part in the life of the Body. In many churches, they are recognized once a month when an announcement in the bulletin alerts them to the monthly potluck luncheon and a monthly or quarterly bus trip to either Gatlinburg or Branson.
In this era where we are constantly encouraged to recycle and conserve energy etc, I am concerned that we are wasting some of the most significant resources God has given us.
The Boomer Blogger
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Church: Is She Ready For The Boomers??
From the beginning, I have suggested that not only has society failed to prepare for the (Current Builder) and oncoming Boomer Wave but neither is the church ready or getting ready to welcome and integrate the most important resource of Seasoned Believers in history.
As I was thinking about this developing crisis earlier today, I decided to do some research to validate or challenge my impressions.
My research process was simple. I decided to see if the churches of my own denominational background were getting ready to minister to the large number of adults in society. It seemed that one way to do that was by reviewing current job openings listed on the web sites of nine different Christian groups. They were seven Bible Colleges, CrossLink (which connects people and ministries) and a weekly national church publication.
The data seems to validate my intuitive hunch. Here is what I found:
There were a total of 547 ministry positions excluding pulpit ministries listed on the five web sites. Out of the 547 jobs listed 383 (70%) were for people who were trained to minister to children or youth. There were no ministry openings for Adult or Senior’s-Seasoned Believers.
An additional area of research included a web site of a week long national church convention. The daily program listed only one event for “Seasoned Believers”. It was a social event, a “Senior’s Luncheon”.
One large denomination’s website also had a number of open jobs. The listing included 46 for ministers of children and youth. There were no jobs listed for Ministers to Seasoned Believers.
In a very happy discovery, I found one Pentecostal denomination that was recognizing the issue that faces us. The Assemblies of God recently appointed a part time National Director of Senior Adult Ministries.
Out of a total of 443 job openings, I found 0 Ministry Positions for Adult Ministries in churches and 1 for Adult and Seasoned Believers at the denominational level.
If you know of a congregation or denomination that has recognized the need for a Ministry to Adults or Seasoned Believers, please send the church name, address and contact number to me.
The Boomer Blogger
As I was thinking about this developing crisis earlier today, I decided to do some research to validate or challenge my impressions.
My research process was simple. I decided to see if the churches of my own denominational background were getting ready to minister to the large number of adults in society. It seemed that one way to do that was by reviewing current job openings listed on the web sites of nine different Christian groups. They were seven Bible Colleges, CrossLink (which connects people and ministries) and a weekly national church publication.
The data seems to validate my intuitive hunch. Here is what I found:
There were a total of 547 ministry positions excluding pulpit ministries listed on the five web sites. Out of the 547 jobs listed 383 (70%) were for people who were trained to minister to children or youth. There were no ministry openings for Adult or Senior’s-Seasoned Believers.
An additional area of research included a web site of a week long national church convention. The daily program listed only one event for “Seasoned Believers”. It was a social event, a “Senior’s Luncheon”.
One large denomination’s website also had a number of open jobs. The listing included 46 for ministers of children and youth. There were no jobs listed for Ministers to Seasoned Believers.
In a very happy discovery, I found one Pentecostal denomination that was recognizing the issue that faces us. The Assemblies of God recently appointed a part time National Director of Senior Adult Ministries.
Out of a total of 443 job openings, I found 0 Ministry Positions for Adult Ministries in churches and 1 for Adult and Seasoned Believers at the denominational level.
If you know of a congregation or denomination that has recognized the need for a Ministry to Adults or Seasoned Believers, please send the church name, address and contact number to me.
The Boomer Blogger
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Read "No Country for Old People" in Key Links
After 4 months of digging for information to emphasize that society in general and the church specifically are going to be flooded by 76 million Boomers who, by 2012, will be finishing their first careers.
Neither the government, the media nor the banks have made any provision for the oncoming Boomer Wave.
Marc Freedman, chief executive of Civic Ventures, a think tank focused on the aging society, is the author of "Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life." In the latter part of January 2008, he wrote an article "No Country for Old People" in the Washington Post. I have a link to that article in the Key Links list to the left. I encourage you to read it. Very well done and focuses with clarity on this neglected element of our society.
We are going to have a second round of meetings in April at the River Hills Christian Church in Loveland, Ohio. We will encourage Seasoned Believers (Christian Boomers) to share their dreams and their experiences in a collaborative way to create new businesses (both for profit and non profit) in order allow them to fulfill their desire to continue to contribute in a significant way to the community.
In the greater Cincinnati Metro Area (9 counties), there will be, according to the U S Census Bureau, some 577, 000 Boomers who will be in their “bonus round” by 2012.
An article quoted in a book I read about boomers called The Boomer Century 1946-2046: How America's Most Influential Generation Changed Everything by Richard Croker caught my attention. The article (page 237)is entitled The Church In 2011: Catching The Age Wave by Thom Rainer. Dr Rainer makes some observations (listed below) based on his research of the topic that reflect how I have been feeling too.
Dr. Rainer says, “Most cutting-edge ministries in the church for the past 40 years have been aimed at reaching the younger generations. Indeed, churches should continue to reach young people with the gospel. But few churches have given much thought or resources to reaching older generations. And if something does not change in our churches, this age wave will pass by with millions never connecting with the church, and with millions never responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
He continues, “Most leaders admit that they have not even thought about the issue, much less strategically planned to reach this older generation.”
A few more observations by Dr. Rainer:
"About two-thirds of the 76 million boomers are unchurched, which means they attend church no more than twice a year.
The senior boomers will have the largest accumulated wealth of any group in America’s history.
This age wave will include tens of millions of men and women who want to make a difference in their older years. They have pursued many paths to happiness, and the unchurched boomers tell us that none have proved satisfactory.
These older adults will respond poorly to most forms of senior adult ministries in churches today. They will walk away from churches that focus on travel and entertainment as the primary “ministries” to senior adults. They want to invest themselves in something that is meaningful and longer-term.
These new senior adults will not perceive themselves to be older adults, and any organization that communicates to them that they are old will quickly lose the allegiance of this generation.
THE BOOMER BLOOGER
Neither the government, the media nor the banks have made any provision for the oncoming Boomer Wave.
Marc Freedman, chief executive of Civic Ventures, a think tank focused on the aging society, is the author of "Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life." In the latter part of January 2008, he wrote an article "No Country for Old People" in the Washington Post. I have a link to that article in the Key Links list to the left. I encourage you to read it. Very well done and focuses with clarity on this neglected element of our society.
We are going to have a second round of meetings in April at the River Hills Christian Church in Loveland, Ohio. We will encourage Seasoned Believers (Christian Boomers) to share their dreams and their experiences in a collaborative way to create new businesses (both for profit and non profit) in order allow them to fulfill their desire to continue to contribute in a significant way to the community.
In the greater Cincinnati Metro Area (9 counties), there will be, according to the U S Census Bureau, some 577, 000 Boomers who will be in their “bonus round” by 2012.
An article quoted in a book I read about boomers called The Boomer Century 1946-2046: How America's Most Influential Generation Changed Everything by Richard Croker caught my attention. The article (page 237)is entitled The Church In 2011: Catching The Age Wave by Thom Rainer. Dr Rainer makes some observations (listed below) based on his research of the topic that reflect how I have been feeling too.
Dr. Rainer says, “Most cutting-edge ministries in the church for the past 40 years have been aimed at reaching the younger generations. Indeed, churches should continue to reach young people with the gospel. But few churches have given much thought or resources to reaching older generations. And if something does not change in our churches, this age wave will pass by with millions never connecting with the church, and with millions never responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
He continues, “Most leaders admit that they have not even thought about the issue, much less strategically planned to reach this older generation.”
A few more observations by Dr. Rainer:
"About two-thirds of the 76 million boomers are unchurched, which means they attend church no more than twice a year.
The senior boomers will have the largest accumulated wealth of any group in America’s history.
This age wave will include tens of millions of men and women who want to make a difference in their older years. They have pursued many paths to happiness, and the unchurched boomers tell us that none have proved satisfactory.
These older adults will respond poorly to most forms of senior adult ministries in churches today. They will walk away from churches that focus on travel and entertainment as the primary “ministries” to senior adults. They want to invest themselves in something that is meaningful and longer-term.
These new senior adults will not perceive themselves to be older adults, and any organization that communicates to them that they are old will quickly lose the allegiance of this generation.
THE BOOMER BLOOGER
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Boomer Entrepreneurs Part II
When George Bush (#41) accepted the nomination, he told us that in the previous eight years - the Reagan Years – that there had been 17 million jobs created. What he did not say was that during the exact same period, the Fortune 500 lost 3.5 million jobs.
If it hadn’t been for entrepreneurs and the 20 million net new jobs that they created, where do you think we would be today?
In the years from 1994 to 1999, 1/3 of the Fortune 500 companies failed. It took the previous 25 years for that many to disappear. By 2010, if the same pattern prevails, my guess is that another third will have bit the dust.
Guess who is going to replace them? The entrepreneurs who dared to step out. It will not be the media, the banks and certainly not the government.
How is it possible for humongous companies, with all their resources, to be clobbered by a bunch of upstarts? For the last 20 years, entrepreneurs all over the country have been creating havoc by replaying the David and Goliath story by smiting giants.
Why are so many companies failing?? My guess would be that most large companies are dinosaurs waiting for their food to run out. They will be replaced by other dinosaurs whose fate will be the same.
The Boomer Blogger
If it hadn’t been for entrepreneurs and the 20 million net new jobs that they created, where do you think we would be today?
In the years from 1994 to 1999, 1/3 of the Fortune 500 companies failed. It took the previous 25 years for that many to disappear. By 2010, if the same pattern prevails, my guess is that another third will have bit the dust.
Guess who is going to replace them? The entrepreneurs who dared to step out. It will not be the media, the banks and certainly not the government.
How is it possible for humongous companies, with all their resources, to be clobbered by a bunch of upstarts? For the last 20 years, entrepreneurs all over the country have been creating havoc by replaying the David and Goliath story by smiting giants.
Why are so many companies failing?? My guess would be that most large companies are dinosaurs waiting for their food to run out. They will be replaced by other dinosaurs whose fate will be the same.
The Boomer Blogger
Boomer Entrepreneurs
I have made several remarks, in previous blog entries, as to the value of collaboration and the creation of new businesses (both for profit and not for profit) for those Boomers who do not want to retire but to RE-FIRE.
Having been involved in the creation of 501{c}3 ventures (non-profits organized for religious purposes) for the last 25 years, I recognize that many may be a little hesitant to enter this arena for any one of many “reasons”.
But Ron, “We are entering into a recession !!!!”
To quote Gabriel Heatter, a well known newsman, who, during WWII, began each radio broadcast with “There is good news tonight."
Now, I am not an advocate for recessions but, if you think about it, a recession, real or imagined, is the best time for entrepreneurial creativity.
What do companies do when there is a recession?
They retrench, cut back on advertising and services, fire people, close divisions, withdraw products, and so on.
What does this add up to?
They abandon “niches”. And those “niches” are fertile seedbeds for entrepreneurs, who listen carefully to the sad and mournful stories of the Fortune 500 companies. Maybe even shed a tear or two and then engage their creative entrepreneurial skills and get up and clobber them.
Just remember, for the last 20 years, entrepreneurs have been the subset of the economy that has prevented our country from sinking into another depression like infamous one in the 30’s
The Boomer Blogger
Having been involved in the creation of 501{c}3 ventures (non-profits organized for religious purposes) for the last 25 years, I recognize that many may be a little hesitant to enter this arena for any one of many “reasons”.
But Ron, “We are entering into a recession !!!!”
To quote Gabriel Heatter, a well known newsman, who, during WWII, began each radio broadcast with “There is good news tonight."
Now, I am not an advocate for recessions but, if you think about it, a recession, real or imagined, is the best time for entrepreneurial creativity.
What do companies do when there is a recession?
They retrench, cut back on advertising and services, fire people, close divisions, withdraw products, and so on.
What does this add up to?
They abandon “niches”. And those “niches” are fertile seedbeds for entrepreneurs, who listen carefully to the sad and mournful stories of the Fortune 500 companies. Maybe even shed a tear or two and then engage their creative entrepreneurial skills and get up and clobber them.
Just remember, for the last 20 years, entrepreneurs have been the subset of the economy that has prevented our country from sinking into another depression like infamous one in the 30’s
The Boomer Blogger
Retirement To Re-Fire-Ment Part I
Existing community-service organizations have not always been very creative in designing volunteer opportunities. They have tended to think in terms of simple tasks that can be done without much planning or supervision, rather than in terms of the mission they are trying to accomplish and how to use volunteers to achieve it.
There are many accounts of underutilizing volunteers, such as the case of a retired physician who volunteered her efforts at a local community hospital, only to be offered a job refilling patients’ water pitchers.
If volunteers are to become genuinely committed, they must feel that they are a valued and integral part of the organization, not a group apart. It is exactly these more complex and sustained opportunities that will promote both personal growth and social growth. Creating such roles, however, will not be easy.
The case for collaboration and creation of new faith based non profit non profit ventures is even more important.
In my next blog entry, I will give more reasons for this approach to fulfilling the need for Boomers to continue to contribute to the community in a significant way.
The Boomer Blogger
There are many accounts of underutilizing volunteers, such as the case of a retired physician who volunteered her efforts at a local community hospital, only to be offered a job refilling patients’ water pitchers.
If volunteers are to become genuinely committed, they must feel that they are a valued and integral part of the organization, not a group apart. It is exactly these more complex and sustained opportunities that will promote both personal growth and social growth. Creating such roles, however, will not be easy.
The case for collaboration and creation of new faith based non profit non profit ventures is even more important.
In my next blog entry, I will give more reasons for this approach to fulfilling the need for Boomers to continue to contribute to the community in a significant way.
The Boomer Blogger
Retirement To Re-Fire-Ment Part II
Faith-based organizations, which have traditionally served as the most extensive home base for voluntary community service in the United States, will most likely remain a critical component of any new infrastructure.
Compared to many secular organizations, organizations of faith appeal to a broader spectrum of the population, including racial and ethnic minorities, immigrant populations, and people at varied income and educational levels. They are well positioned, therefore, to help provide the social connections that can link disparate members of the community together.
Consider, for example, Habitat for Humanity, a faith-based organization whose wide appeal extends across the lines of age, religion, political orientation, gender, income level, ethnicity, and geography. Moreover, older individuals often turn to organizations of faith when they are searching for meaning in their lives.
What is key for this new vision of the future, however, is that faith-based organizations direct a significant component of their attention outward to the larger community, as well as inward to their individual constituents.
This potentially puts them in a position to support the Boomers who have completed their first careers and are transitioning to their second careers and are exploring new areas and new possibilities as they leave behind some of the demands of full-time work and family.
The Boomer Blogger
Compared to many secular organizations, organizations of faith appeal to a broader spectrum of the population, including racial and ethnic minorities, immigrant populations, and people at varied income and educational levels. They are well positioned, therefore, to help provide the social connections that can link disparate members of the community together.
Consider, for example, Habitat for Humanity, a faith-based organization whose wide appeal extends across the lines of age, religion, political orientation, gender, income level, ethnicity, and geography. Moreover, older individuals often turn to organizations of faith when they are searching for meaning in their lives.
What is key for this new vision of the future, however, is that faith-based organizations direct a significant component of their attention outward to the larger community, as well as inward to their individual constituents.
This potentially puts them in a position to support the Boomers who have completed their first careers and are transitioning to their second careers and are exploring new areas and new possibilities as they leave behind some of the demands of full-time work and family.
The Boomer Blogger
Monday, March 10, 2008
Retirement To Re-Fire-Ment Part III
The capacity to address the varied needs of aging boomers has yet to be developed. Communities have not yet developed plans to take advantage of the potential resource of retired boomers.
Changes in infrastructure and policies will be needed across all sectors of society—public and private, for-profit and voluntary, faith-based and secular. The process by which such changes occur may be slow, halting, and even contentious.
Yet, boomers will not—and need not—simply wait for others to create such structures. Out of necessity, they will likely make something new and different of this new life phase, as they have done with earlier phases of life. The question is, what will they make of it? And what can be done in the meantime to reach across the social spectrum and help them envision a life that achieves meaning by connecting in new ways to the community around them?
Faith-based institutions can foster the social networks that encourage members to connect not only to each other, but to the larger community as well.
As boomers enter later life with many relatively healthy, productive years ahead, they have the potential to become a social resource of unprecedented proportions, and create a new vision of what it means to grow older in America.
This possibility offers a way to reframe public discussion about the implications of the aging baby boom, shifting the focus away from the expectation of frail and dependent aging to one of activity and productivity.
Three conclusions will help realize this vision:
(1) large-scale efforts will be needed to mobilize boomers to contribute their time, skills, and experience to address community problems at the local level;
(2) many organizations that utilize volunteers will require substantial retooling if they are to attract and retain boomer volunteers; and
(3) the news media and the advertising industry can play key roles in helping society rethink the meaning, purpose, and status of the older years.
The Boomer Blogger
Changes in infrastructure and policies will be needed across all sectors of society—public and private, for-profit and voluntary, faith-based and secular. The process by which such changes occur may be slow, halting, and even contentious.
Yet, boomers will not—and need not—simply wait for others to create such structures. Out of necessity, they will likely make something new and different of this new life phase, as they have done with earlier phases of life. The question is, what will they make of it? And what can be done in the meantime to reach across the social spectrum and help them envision a life that achieves meaning by connecting in new ways to the community around them?
Faith-based institutions can foster the social networks that encourage members to connect not only to each other, but to the larger community as well.
As boomers enter later life with many relatively healthy, productive years ahead, they have the potential to become a social resource of unprecedented proportions, and create a new vision of what it means to grow older in America.
This possibility offers a way to reframe public discussion about the implications of the aging baby boom, shifting the focus away from the expectation of frail and dependent aging to one of activity and productivity.
Three conclusions will help realize this vision:
(1) large-scale efforts will be needed to mobilize boomers to contribute their time, skills, and experience to address community problems at the local level;
(2) many organizations that utilize volunteers will require substantial retooling if they are to attract and retain boomer volunteers; and
(3) the news media and the advertising industry can play key roles in helping society rethink the meaning, purpose, and status of the older years.
The Boomer Blogger
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Five States Lead the Way in Recognizing the Upside of Aging Baby Boomers
With a new understanding of the upside of the aging baby boom generation, leaders of several state governments are taking the initiative to develop policies and programs that make the best use of boomer experience.
In a new policy paper, Building an Experience Dividend: State Governments Lead Call to Engage Boomers, released today by Civic Ventures and funded by The UPS Foundation, Arizona, California, Maryland, New York and Massachusetts stand out for their efforts to engage adults over 50 in meaningful work and community service.
"The most interesting and innovative policy work on the aging of America is taking place at the state level," said John Gomperts, president of Civic Ventures. "From Sacramento to Annapolis, state legislatures are shifting the focus from the same old doom and gloom scenario to a much more complex and hopeful picture."
In Arizona, where more than 25 percent of the population of several counties is over the age of 60, a diverse group of stakeholders has joined together through the Mature Workforce Initiative to develop policy recommendations and launch new programs, such as a certification program given to businesses deemed "mature-worker friendly."
California is focusing on matching boomers’ desire to serve with specific labor shortages, such as the demand for math and science teachers and qualified managers in the public sector. California’s eServices office has created a database for retired job seekers to input their skills and interest, and for employers to search for employees.
And in Maryland, the Baby Boomer Initiative Act spurred the creation of the Boomer Initiative Council, which is tasked with developing a strategy to keep boomers engaged in their communities through work and volunteer opportunities.
The Boomer Blogger
In a new policy paper, Building an Experience Dividend: State Governments Lead Call to Engage Boomers, released today by Civic Ventures and funded by The UPS Foundation, Arizona, California, Maryland, New York and Massachusetts stand out for their efforts to engage adults over 50 in meaningful work and community service.
"The most interesting and innovative policy work on the aging of America is taking place at the state level," said John Gomperts, president of Civic Ventures. "From Sacramento to Annapolis, state legislatures are shifting the focus from the same old doom and gloom scenario to a much more complex and hopeful picture."
In Arizona, where more than 25 percent of the population of several counties is over the age of 60, a diverse group of stakeholders has joined together through the Mature Workforce Initiative to develop policy recommendations and launch new programs, such as a certification program given to businesses deemed "mature-worker friendly."
California is focusing on matching boomers’ desire to serve with specific labor shortages, such as the demand for math and science teachers and qualified managers in the public sector. California’s eServices office has created a database for retired job seekers to input their skills and interest, and for employers to search for employees.
And in Maryland, the Baby Boomer Initiative Act spurred the creation of the Boomer Initiative Council, which is tasked with developing a strategy to keep boomers engaged in their communities through work and volunteer opportunities.
The Boomer Blogger
Friday, March 7, 2008
Baby Boomers Retiring - How Will It Affect The U.S. Economy
In an investigation conducted to discover how baby boomers expect retirement, here are some of the key findings:
For baby boomers, retirement is an occasion to dedicate themselves to the family and to enjoy their leisure time by pursuing their interests and hobbies. Anyway, they view retirement as a chance to improve their skills and find other career opportunities for their age.
Baby boomers quest for both personal and career fulfillment has becomes a driving force for them when preparing and planning for retirement. They secure social security by accessing health and life plans.
Baby boomers are an optimistic generation with conservative financial hopefulness.
So compared with their parents, baby boomers are far more likely to be continuously working while enjoying their leisure and comparatively the boomers made more money than their parents.
Tracing back to the annals of American history, the US economy has predominantly prospered since the baby boomers matured to enter the labor force. Historically, they are considered to be the prime source of the work force. But now that there is the expected demographic decline of baby boomers, the Unites States Bureau of Labor Statistics expect labor shortages that must be resolved quickly. Otherwise, it will inflict dire consequences to the economy.
However, there are some solutions to address the foreseen labor shortage by targeting the other variables that affect the demographic landscape. Organizations and firms can consider retaining the older workers, correcting the gender imbalance in work designations, outsourcing and hiring immigrants.
Since the baby boomers entered the labor force, the US economy has grown faster than its overall population. And the impending decline in the participation of baby boomers to service, will mean a slower rate of labor force growth as well as impact the economy.
To make up for the threatening flux of baby boomers’ contribution to work force, they should be encouraged to remain in service for a longer span. To encourage the aging baby boomers to stay in the labor force, enterprises and organizations should consider the following:
In the years to come, the minimum age of retirement of the recipients of Social Security pension shall eventually be raised to 70, affecting the baby boomer generation. With this incentive, baby boomers will likely to continue working over the age of 69-70.
Since baby boomers enthusiastically prepare for their retirement, these offers will boost their will to stay in the labor force. The aforementioned suggestions will offer mutual benefits for both the corporations and the baby boomers.
As the company understands the effect of the baby boomers’ retirement, they can thoughtfully prepare the upcoming adversities to the labor rate. These corporations and organizations involving the baby boomers need to start their investigation on how to customize their system to accommodate the aging employees. And they must find alternatives to ride the crest of the demographic wave caused by retiring baby boomers.
And learning the distinctive characteristics and views of the baby boomers towards retirement is a good strategy to learn how to deal with the situation.
Hello Boomers Magazine
The Boomer Blogger
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