Mike writes: The older we get the more we have to let go of the things or the people we treasure most. Yet it is often in this context that the emotional and spiritual needs of older people are overlooked. Today over 18% of the UK population are aged 65 and over – that’s 10.7 million people. This rapidly growing group in the UK needs support, and opportunities to find faith. 

Order a new resource "Mission-shaped Church for Older People?" containing training material for churches to raise awareness of work with older people, resource material for ministry with older people and ideas for evangelism among both the elderly frail and the younger-old. Published jointly by Church Army and The Levenson Centre. To order your copy online from the The Leveson Centre, website using your credit card as they are processing the orders.

Finding Out

I network with older people agencies both Christian and others, visiting individuals and projects. This information gathering provides support and ideas for Church Army evangelists working in this pioneering field or hoping to do so. My research aims to encourage the church to move on from maintenance mode towards older people to enlisting their skills in mission especially among the young old or saga generation, those who have experience and energy to evangelise their peers, most of whom have not been church goers.

I produce a series called ‘Discovering Faith in Later Life’ and a regular information bulletin ‘Focus on Older People’ for more information email: m.collyer@churcharmy.org.uk

What does the Sheffield Centre actually do?

We research

 

• always looking for what we don't yet know
• visiting places where we hear God's mission in Christ is moving forward in fresh ways
• reading what others are learning and comparing notes
• listening to increase our understanding of how these ventures work
• exploring the dynamics behind the activity or adventure
• connecting across stories to search out commonalities and patterns
• shaping theories to make sense of what we see and hear
• testing these ideas against further examples that emerge
• adding to theological understanding of the Church and Mission today

We provide consultancy

• giving advice when asked on starting fresh expressions of Church
• responding with comment on how fresh expressions mature
• putting people in touch with each other who are doing similar work
• journeying with a few particular young churches to offer an outside view
• advising churches and dioceses on overall patterns that are emerging

We assist networking

• wanting to keep learning by comparing notes and understanding
• meeting others in our specialist fields to encourage each other and see connections

·         providing small conferences at Sheffield Centre for specific kinds of fresh expression

We offer training

• inspiring others around the UK and internationally, speaking from what we are learning
• helping prepare Church Army's evangelists in training
• teaching people who want to learn to engage with spiritual seekers
• teaching at Theological colleges, out of our research and consultancy

We publish

• producing regular booklets on what other people have started, disseminating the constructively subversive views of loyal radicals
• writing books with others to make training in today's mission more widely available
• contributing to journals that explore how current theological understanding of Church and Mission is changing
• fertilising the imagination of the Church to continue in creative response to the missionary initiatives of the Spirit

We support each other

• meeting weekly to pray
• going way annually to reflect and seek spiritual renewal
• choosing to be accountable to each other for healthy balance in our lives
• deciding together which invitations to take up
• nurturing our calling/charism to observe question and comment