Older Adult Ministry

Addictions Across the Lifespan: A Wellness 66 Series!

Life has its seasons and as we grow older we see that maturity is the harvesting of a lifetime of experiences.  The mature person deals with life's realities, both good and bad, with increased perspective and wisdom.  Successful aging is more than growing old.  It is also a great blessing to know those who demonstrate such maturity and to learn from them.  It is an even greater blessing to serve their needs and view the aging process in a way that focuses on worth and fulfillment.

This requires concern for the "whole person" and integrates all aspects of life-physical, intellectual, spiritual, social and emotional.  The spiritual is critical to the wellness of the whole person.  The National Interfaith Coalition on Aging defines spiritual as "affirming life in relationship with God, self, community and environment in a way that nurtures and celebrates wholeness."  The physical relates to our bodies' physiological and functional response to physical activity, nutrition and disease.  The intellectual encourages creative thinking and promotes lifelong learning.  The social relates to the ability to communicate and live in harmony with others.  The emotional explores feelings we have toward self, situations and others.  A uniquely Christian view of aging must address all of these and older adult ministries are designed to do so.

The Center for Aging Services will draw from professional expertise in the field of aging and will be a resource center for the entire community.

Vision for Older Adult Ministries

Our goal is for Harpeth Hills to value all of life…from birth to death… and to provide for those in every stage of that spectrum a unique place within our fellowship.  Aging occurs throughout our life-span as does the maturing of our faith.  And so, the loving church creates an environment in which older adults see themselves fitting into their world and understanding the role they play in a way that gives a reason to live with purpose and meaning.

In order to achieve this we assist by meeting the needs of those who are older.  As described the book, Aging: God’s Challenge to Church & Synagogue, those needs include:  finding worth in one’s being, not through having or doing; accepting one’s life journey and faith story; confronting losses and acknowledging our gains; experiencing new or renewed relationship with God; and by serving the needs of others.

Such a ministry with older adults is based on spirituality, provides enrichment opportunities, stresses the needs of the whole person (mind, body, spirit), is intergenerational, includes outreach concerns, encourages social interaction and engages the individual in service to God and one’s fellowman.

Expanding this ministry beyond our own church family has led to the creation of the Harpeth Hills Resource Center on Aging whose mission is: “to provide collaborative, faith-based services that meet the health and wellness needs of the whole person”.