“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers
in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
1 Timothy 4:12
In my last post I wrote about how the senior citizens can minister to youth. So, in the mode of “turn about is fair play”, here are some basic ideas for your church’s teenagers to put into practice in trying to minister to the “senior saints”.
1. Pray for them.
It starts here. Motivate your group to pray for your church’s older adults – by name! You can probably obtain a list from the church office or from the senior citizens Sunday School teacher. You’ll probably need to remember that some of the key seniors may be “shut-ins” and unable to attend church very often. Don’t forget these people should be the “heroes” in your church. They’ve earned your respect for their many, many years of living for the Lord. So, pray for them specifically and let them know that the teenagers are praying for them.
2. Honor them.
I’ve talked to several senior citizens recently and they feel somewhat “left out to pasture” or marginalized by the church. This ought not to be. They deserve honor – and it will be highly appreciated if your church’s teenagers demonstrate their respect for these older adults. I know several youth groups that host dinners or other times of fellowship for seniors – and that is a great place to start. Let them know they are loved and respected by the emerging generations!
3. Ask them.
This is a simple idea, but it can be powerfully important. Give them a voice in the church. Your teenagers need to hear from them and need to hear their advice and counsel. There’s one especially potent way that you can pull this off. Ask some of your church’s Godly senior citizens to share their story or their testimony with the youth. A few years ago, I asked one of the oldest men in our church (a World War II vet) to share his story with our youth group. He was a decorated war hero and yet he was scared to death by our teenagers. But, when he started telling his testimony, the kids were spellbound. You literally could have heard a pin drop in the room. This simple testimony helped our group connect with he and his wife and strong relationships developed out of this brief time together. It only makes sense to ask some of your church’s Godly and respected senior citizens to share their story with your youth group.
4. Use them.
I am convinced that you could recruit some of these senior citizens to be youth leaders. Of course, they will all say, “I’m too old.” No, the fact is – people get too old to play tackle football, but they never get too old to minister to young people. I understand that in many cases it might not work for them to be full-fledged youth workers, but they can and should be involved. Ideas abound from helping with mailings and paperwork, to organizing them into an intentional prayer-warrior team. The point is that these committed older saints can and should be involved. Plus, it will help them feel useful and needed. (Another key idea: recruit them for work projects alongside teenagers. The mentoring effect will be incredible.)
5. Help them.
Here one last way to minister to the senior citizens in your church. Offer to help them. Your group can help rake leaves, shovel snow, drive them to errands, pick up groceries for them, offer valet parking for them at church, and on-and-on. You will be amazed at how the seniors look positively at teenagers who are servants and who are helpful to them. This can help your group get their eyes off of themselves on onto the bigger picture of the body of Christ.
The Apostle Paul told Timothy that he could be an example to the believers (see 1 Timothy 4:12). I highly encourage all youth workers to implement these simple ideas to help motivate your teenagers minister to the older adults in your church. Blessings!
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