New year, new start?

“Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it?” Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

 

Welcome to this month’s Faith in Later Life newsletter, and may I take this opportunity to wish you a belated very happy new year. As we start 2019, we continue to thank God for His goodness and guidance. It is encouraging receiving increased correspondence from our supporters, and we continue to try and ensure this monthly update is as relevant and interesting as it can be. As ever, if there is any content you would like to see in our newsletters that is currently missing, do get in touch.

New year, new start

We have recently had contact from a Faith in Later Life ‘Church Champion’, telling us that their church is now planning to set up a group for older people, so that within their parish there is an opportunity for company and friendships to develop, which they hope will particularly encourage those who may be lonely or isolated. If you are considering setting up a group in your church and need advice, do have a look our website for helpful guidance. Click on the link for more. https://faithinlaterlife.org/inspire/

If you would like information about becoming a Church Champion, and the support you receive, do visit https://faithinlaterlife.org/get-involved/church-champions/

Community at Christmas?

Christmas feels like a distant memory for many of us now, but following our partnering with Premier radio on their #ChristmasAlone campaign, we are really interested in hearing any stories or reports of activities or events that your church held over Christmas which older people were welcomed at. Please do share these with us at https://faithinlaterlife.org/feedback

Mind the gap

Earlier this month I was interviewed by 14 different regional BBC radio stations in response to a recent Think Tank (United for All Ages) report on how Britain is becoming more segregated by age. The report sets out their desire to create a better future for children and young people and highlights issues such as poverty, crime and family breakdown. And critically the report suggests that a key solution is increased intergenerational activity. The report has a number of recommendations, ranging from nurseries and toddler groups forging links with care homes, to every community exploring opportunities to develop places where older and younger people can mix. Has your church considered “adopting” a local care home? We will be developing a pack of resources to support such an idea, so do get in touch if this is of interest.

We know that church is intergenerational by design and that the tens of thousands of churches across the UK are therefore ideally placed to reach into their communities. If you are thinking about how your church can be more intentionally intergenerational, our website resource hub contains a number of useful books. Click here for more.

Get away with Granny

The government Minister for loneliness, Mims Davies, recently suggested that grandparents should be taken on family holidays to help tackle loneliness. Faith in Later Life was asked to comment on this and I spoke on a number of Christian radio stations in response. We were encouraged by the principle, and suggested that it could be extended to thinking about those older members of our churches who live alone and who may appreciate an invitation to a church holiday or conference. You can find a link to my interview on Premier radio, and accompanying article, by visiting our website. https://faithinlaterlife.org/families-heading-to-christian-conferences-urged-to-invite-an-older-person

Prayerful progress

Reflecting on a first full calendar year of Faith in Later Life, and looking forward to the next year, we are so thankful for all that the Lord has done, and the way He has provided for us and led us- and we are excited at what is to come. As we seek to inspire and equip Christians and churches in their ministries with older people and highlight the importance of reaching older people in communities everywhere, we would love you to support us in prayer, as we continue on what we believe is our God led mission.

 

Yours in Christ,

Carl Knightly
Director, Faith in Later Life