Older adults celebrated throughout May
Congregations across the country honor ministry of older adults
While younger generations and their parents are swept up with graduations, field days and other end-of-school activities, the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network (POAMN) is honoring the sacred time of older adulthood for the entire month of May.
Beginning with the official special emphasis Sunday on the first Sabbath day of the month, churches and ministries around the country are celebrating the unique contributions of older adults in creative and enlightening ways. As this special emphasis day always falls sometime in Eastertide, what better way to bear witness to the power of resurrection than to celebrate those who have been faithful disciples decade after decade, following God’s will for their lives with resilience and through reinvention.
In a recent newsletter, POAMN shared photos and links of congregations throughout the PC(USA) honoring older adults in their community through special activities and liturgies found in the 2025 Older Adult Ministry Resource Guide.
On April 24, the Older Adult Ministry of the Presbytery of the James in Virginia debuted a “self-paced virtual conference featuring local subject matter experts” with three presentations to help congregations celebrate older adults.
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Tiburon, California, held an event on April 27 to dispel the myths of growing older. The event featured local aging experts and included an information fair.
Opequon Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Virginia, held its Older Adult Sunday worship on May 4 with singing by the “Young at Heart” choir. Celebrations continued with the monthly Happy Days gathering of its older adult group and a special luncheon at the end of the month to announce the Older Adult of the Year.
The Older Adult Sunday worship at First Presbyterian Church in San Luis Obispo, California, featured older adults sharing stories of when God called them.
On May 4, Seven Mile United Presbyterian Church in Ohio honored six older adults, calling them “mighty prayer warriors [who are] committed to their faith and the work of the church.”
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Tucker, Georgia, also celebrated older adults on May 4. The church recently started monthly discussion and support sessions for older adults and caregivers to facilitate conversations about the challenges of an aging body, brain and lifestyle.
Just as Eastertide is not the only time of year that Christians celebrate the power of resurrection, honoring older adults is not confined to worship or timebound events. To mark the occasion of their first Older Adult Sunday, Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado, featured a printed collection of Montview memories shared by members who are 75 and older. The document recognized the remarkable history of the church and the important contributions that older adults made to the church community.
Every year, POAMN publishes updated resource guides on its website with suggestions on how to honor older adults in your congregations and nourish their spiritual lives and gifts.
POAMN is a partner of the Interim Unified Agency through the Office of Christian Formation.
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