Retirement can be an exciting life stage. Many believers find more time in retirement to focus on their relationships with God, with their spouse, and
their community as a whole. Being in the right church during your retirement years can help you make the most of this special time. Galesburg, IL churches come in many varieties. If you’re retired or nearing retirement, what should you be looking for in a church? Read on to discover some helpful guidelines.
A Biblical Perspective on Age and Aging
The Bible has much to say about the proper attitude towards older people and the role older members should play in a church. Proverbs 20:29, among many other verses, explains that age is worthy of respect. Our culture doesn’t associate the words “glory” or “splendor” with getting older, but the Bible does this repeatedly! As you visit churches, look for a congregation that views older people in a biblical way. The right way to treat older people is not to marginalize them or leave them on the sidelines. A biblical church will celebrate the wisdom and experience of its elder members and make them feel like they belong.
In 1 Peter 5:5, younger believers are instructed to submit to older believers. Then, all believers are told to stay humble when interacting with one another. This doesn’t mean that older people should constantly tell younger people what to do. However, it does mean that older people in the church should be treated with reverence. Their advice and guidance should be seen as relevant and carry real weight when it comes to decision making.
1 Timothy 5:1-2 tells us that it can be appropriate for a younger believer to confront an older one. However, this should still be done reverently and humbly. This passage explains that older believers should be treated like mothers and fathers within the church family.
Furthermore, a church family should be a source of support for its older church members. Throughout the New Testament, it’s emphasized that the church is responsible to care for older people who lack resources (such as widows). When you’re experiencing a need or struggle, God’s plan is for you to be in a church where younger people seek to help where they can.
Opportunities To Serve
Our culture doesn’t tend to associate retirement age with service. Often, retirees are encouraged to focus on relaxing at the beach, pursuing hobbies and enjoying grandchildren. These activities can be all sources of joy for a retired believer. However, God doesn’t want us to stop serving Him at any age! Along with relaxation, service can be a key part of your retirement years. In fact, service can help you stay active and connected to those around you, and it can bring you true joy.
How can a retired person or couple serve in church? A biblical church will partner with you to help create opportunities. Teaching or caring for children or younger people is a wonderful way to serve, and you may even be able to teach a class or lead a study for believers who are your own age. Organizing social events for others in retirement age can also do real good. Filling care packages and helping to stock food pantries, providing music or sound services, helping to plan events, and maintaining the church property are just a few of the ways you might be able to get involved. Look for a local church that values the contributions of older people.
Keep in mind that retirement can be the perfect time to learn something new! Learning a new instrument, run a new piece of equipment, or teach new concepts can be rewarding, and you may have more opportunities to sharpen new skills than someone who works full-time. You may have a unique skill that can be used to support ministry. Whether you know how to fix cars, play the violin or cook delicious dinners, look for younger believers who’d like to learn that skill from you. Many of these skills aren’t taught in school, and you might be the only way a younger believer in your church family can learn them. Mentoring is a beautiful way for you to share your talents with the world.
Community and Growth
Retirement can be a time of growth when you’re in a supportive community. Choose a church where other believers regularly challenge you, and you’re likely to keep growing. Challenge can come in a variety of forms. You might be challenged by hearing something from the pulpit or in a small group study that sparks new perspectives and new ways of thinking. Interacting with other believers whose life stories are very different from yours can also challenge you in a healthy way. Encountering different perspectives can help us refine our own perspective. Finally, as we’ve mentioned, 1 Timothy 5 suggests that sometimes it’s appropriate for other believers to directly challenge older church members. This can lead to growth for all parties involved, if it’s handled with mutual respect.
When you’re seeking to build community in church, seek to make connections beyond just others in your own age group (although they’re certainly important). Galatian 3:28-29 reminds us that even though people fall into earthly categories (like age, occupation and race), we are all one the family of Christ. Within a godly church family, you can form beautiful friendships with people of all ages. Families with young children, young single people, teenagers, and busy working professionals–people in all of these groups can benefit from friendships with older people, and they can all have something special to offer you too.
Why Harmony Baptist Church?
We would love to welcome you here at Harmony Baptist Church. We recognize that each believer has an important role to play in the church body. In 1 Corinthians 12, we’re reminded of how a body works. Feet and hands don’t play the same role, but they both need each other in order for the body to function properly. Likewise, a healthy church needs all kinds of believers to thrive. We welcome older believers in our congregation, and we view them as a vital part of our family. Visit our Contact page and plan your visit today!
