Developing A Boomer and Pioneer Ministry PT 3

5. Build your adult ministry on adult motivators.

Marketing researchers have identified reasons older adults buy or don’t buy certain products. Their discoveries are valuable to church leaders who seek to reach this same generation and encourage them to adopt a new lifestyle in the Christian faith and community. According to these studies, older adults are motivated by one of five values which form the foundation of their meaningful activity:1

• Autonomy. They desire to be or remain self-sufficient.

• Social and spiritual connectedness. They respond to people more than programs.

• Altruism. They desire to give something back to the world.

• Personal growth. They desire to continue developing as human beings.

• Revitalization. They respond to activities that bring fresh and new experiences.


Effective older adult ministries of the 21st century will be those that integrate these values and motivators into a creative variety of activities and experiences.

The age wave is swelling. The 60-plus age group is growing three times more rapidly than the population at large. For the first time in American history, there are now more citizens over 65 than under 18.

The age wave is rapidly approaching. Churches that are not prepared will be swamped by the sheer numbers, diversity, and impact of these older adults. If churches are prepared, they will get out their surfboards and catch the ride of a lifetime.
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1. For a more comprehensive discussion of these values, see the following article, David Wolfe, “Targeting the Mature Mind,” American Demographics, March 1994, 32–36


The Boomer Blogger