Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us to assume that spiritual growth slows down with age? I have often wondered about this, because from my earliest days of ministry, God has placed me in congregations where seniors formed the majority. At Trinity Baptist in Port Elizabeth, nearly 80% of the congregation were over 65. Their faith and perseverance left a deep impression on me. Later, as pastor of Cambridge Baptist, I discovered the same pattern. Seniors are everywhere, but too often the church unintentionally overlooks their deepest needs.
Every stage of life carries its own temptations and unique struggles.
I remember a dear friend introducing me to Paul Tripp’s Age of Opportunity. Though the book is about parenting teenagers, the opening idea struck me: every stage of life carries its own temptations and unique struggles. If that is true for teenagers, why wouldn’t it be true for seniors? Sin doesn’t retire. It simply changes shape. In later years, it may look like complacency; cultural excuses (“you deserve some rest”); or quiet spiritual drift. If that’s the reality, then seniors in the church don’t need less discipleship—they need more careful shepherding.
What Are We Doing for Seniors in the Church?
Our churches face a crucial question: when it comes to our seniors, will we give them entertainment, or will we give them eternal hope?
Will we give our seniors entertainment or eternal hope?
It is tempting to settle for what makes people feel good in the moment—games, social events, and outings that may keep them busy but leave their souls starved. But when we do that, have we not replaced scripture with pragmatism? God does not say, ‘Make them feel better.’ He says, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).
If Christ alone is the hope of every believer, then what could be more urgent than reminding our seniors—again and again—that he is their righteousness, their comfort, their strength in weakness, and their hope in death?
So the question presses on me. Are we discipling our seniors with the hope of the gospel, or are we quietly entertaining them through their final years?
The Quiet Neglect Behind the Smiles
Think about the way most churches approach their senior members. We celebrate their long years of faith. We plan programs and outings for them. We thank God for their presence. But beneath all the smiles, could it be that we sometimes neglect them?
Do we assume they no longer need exhortation?
Is it possible that we assume they no longer need exhortation, as though they have already “arrived”? Scripture doesn’t speak this way. Paul, near the end of his own life, said, “I press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:13). If Paul was still pressing forward in Christ at the finish line, then surely our seniors need encouragement to do the same.
When Fellowship Replaces Formation
Don’t misunderstand me—social events, bus trips, seniors’ teas, Pick a Box, endless card games and seasonal events like Spring Sales are good gifts from God. They can brighten the heart and strengthen fellowship. But here’s the danger: what happens when those things become the main diet, replacing discipleship?
What happens when events replace discipleship?
Are we subtly telling seniors: “You’ve done enough; now just relax”? When fellowship replaces formation, we unintentionally invite them to coast through their last years rather than pressing on in holiness. Is that truly loving them?
The Silent Struggles We Overlook
If we slow down to ask, seniors in the church will often share struggles that run deeper than what we see on the surface. These include the:
- Reality of physical pain and frailty
- Loneliness that follows the loss of friends or a spouse
- Fear of financial insecurity and the uncertainty of the future
- Approaching the shadow of death itself
- Temptations of grumpiness, self-righteousness, entitlement, and self-pity.
Are these struggles met by another tea or another outing? Or do they cry out for something more solid—the comfort of Christ, the promises of scripture, and the companionship of a church family that speaks truth in love?
Called to Bear Fruit in Old Age
The Bible gives us a very different picture of old age than the one our culture often paints. It tells us:
- “They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green” (Psalm 92:14)
- “Even to your old age I am he, and to grey hairs I will carry you” (Isaiah 46:4)
- Seniors are called to pass on to the young the greatness of God—so the next generation may praise him too (Psalm 145:4-7)
- Older men and women are called to godliness and to teach the younger (Titus 2:2-3).
If this is what God says, then shouldn’t we see seniors as still very much in the race (Hebrews 12:1)? Shouldn’t we keep urging them to fix their eyes on Christ; persevere in holiness; and rest their hope on the resurrection?
Christ Alone Until the End
The gospel is not a message for the young only. It is the one hope that carries every Christian to their last breath. Seniors need to hear this, not once, but over and over: Christ alone is enough.
So let me ask: Have we been discipling our seniors in this truth? Or have we, perhaps without meaning to, entertained them into quiet spiritual neglect?
A Pastoral Charge
If we recognise this pattern, the first step is repentance. What would repentance look like in this regard?
- Preaching a sermon series that honestly addresses the challenges of old age
- Offering intentional visitation and pastoral care
- Encouraging intergenerational mentoring and prayer partnerships.
Seniors in the church don’t need less discipleship; they need discipleship until glory. Let us walk with them, pray with them, and entrust them to Christ alone—their hope in life, in suffering, and in death.
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