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<p>About Leadership Network vii</p> <p>Acknowledgments ix</p> <p>Introduction: Reinventing Ministry with Older Adults xi</p> <p><b>Part One: Ready for More: The New Old 1</b></p> <p>1. A Wake-Up Call for the Church: A Reality We Can’t Ignore 3</p> <p>2. Not What You Thought: New Ways to Think About Aging 19</p> <p><b>Part Two: The Boomer-and-Beyond World 35</b></p> <p>3. Aging Well 37</p> <p>4. Relationships and Responsibilities 51</p> <p>5. Retirement: What It Is and What It Is Becoming 73</p> <p><b>Part Three: Harnessing the Potential: Implications for the Church 97</b></p> <p>6. Letting Go of the “One Size Fits All” Mentality 99</p> <p>7. Serving: The Linchpin of a Successful Ministry 123</p> <p>8. Matters of Faith: Spiritual Growth for the Boomer 145</p> <p>9. Melding the Generations 167</p> <p>Conclusion: An Uncharted Opportunity 187</p> <p>Notes 191</p> <p>About the Author 199</p>

<p><b>THE AUTHOR</b></p> <p><b> Amy Hanson,</b> Ph.D., is a speaker, teacher, writer, and consultant who is passionate about motivating church leaders to engage older adults in significant Kingdom work. By the age of twenty-three, she led the active adult (fifty plus) ministries at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. Today she unites her doctorate in gerontology and her ministry experience to educate and equip pastors, denominational leaders, students, health care professionals, and older adults on the unique opportunities of an aging America. <p>To learn more visit amyhanson.org.

<p>Baby boomers—arguably the largest segment of the population—are entering their retirement years at an unprecedented rate. With more discretionary time and increased longevity, this group is searching for a way to make a meaningful impact with their lives.</p> <p><i>Baby Boomers and Beyond</i> explores the opportunities and challenges that the older adult population presents for the Christian community. Author Amy Hanson dares church leaders to let go of stereotypes about aging and embrace a new paradigm, that older adults are for the most part active, healthy, and capable of making significant contributions for the Kingdom of God. <p> Hanson offers a realistic view of the boomers and reveals what matters most to this age group: staying young, juggling multiple relationships, and redefining retirement. By tapping into their needs, pastors can engage this burgeoning group and unleash the power of the boomer generation to enhance and strengthen the mission of the church. <p> The book digs into the questions that arise when working with this growing population. How do we let go of “one-size-fits-all” ministry? What spiritual growth can we encourage? How do we meld multiple generations? And, most important, how do we harness the potential of this new generation? These are important considerations for those who want to be serious about ministering with aging boomers. <p><i>Baby Boomers and Beyond </i> contains numerous illustrative examples from churches and baby boomers across the country and offers church leaders best practices to put in motion.

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