Older People

Exploring the spiritual needs of older people

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. 

Conference coming soon

Together with the Leveson Centre we are hosting a second Mission-shaped Church for Older People conference, this time the venue is in London at St Michael's Chester Square, 29th October 2009. 

The first, last November, was held in Sheffield. It sold out and seemed to really hit the mark with many who attended. Because of this, and the requests to have another event held in the South, we have booked this date in London. Many thanks to St Michael's Chester Square, our hosts. We look forwards to sharing the event with them.

For more information please contact Claire Dalpra by e-mail on c.dalpra@sheffieldcentre.org.uk. 

Resources:

1. Discovering Faith in Later Life- a series of publications from Mike's research. Free to download, just click on the link. 
2. Information Bulletins- released every 2-3 months, the focus on older people information bulletin gives you all you need to know about new releases, conferences and currrent news about older people. To sign up for Mike's free e-mail distribution list, follow the link.
3. Conference info- from the A Mission-shaped Church for Older People? day in November '08. We are repeating this conference in October 09 (see above). This page contains word/powerpoint of speakers' presentations and issues raised in group work. 

Grandparenting Forums
Together with Peter Brierley we are putting together a chance to network with other grandparents, share ideas for nurturing the spiritual lives of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Click here for further details: Grandparenting Forums

Order the resource "A 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 please contact The Leveson Centre, 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.

Links

Here are some key agencies I have regular contact with. Please click on the images to visit their websites.

	Age Concern have been working with Older People since the beginning of time...
	The Christian Council on Aging
	Keychange charity
	The Leveson Centre
	Mission Care
	The Outlook Trust
	Regenerate RISE
	VOX - Valuing Older eXperience

Working in the Sheffield Centre
I joined the Sheffield Centre in the summer of 2005. It has given me greater access to the rest fo the research team, Church Army college library and staff, and to evangelists-in-training. We hope this will dispel the myth that the Sheffield Centre is only concerned with younger church planting initiatives. As part of the team I shall continue to publish the outcomes of my findings, through a series of papers entitled. The periodical I also produce, provides details of Church Army’s resource material in relation to Evangelism and Older People and other information resources and useful contacts.

For more information on Michael Collyer’s work on exploring the spiritual needs of older people, visit the to download a range of materials by Michael Collyer or contact us at the Sheffield Centre on 0114 272 7451 or via email: ask@sheffieldcentre.org.uk