Age With A Mission

Background

Age With A Mission (AWAM) was founded during the Covid pandemic by a group of older Christians in Bognor Regis. We aim to support those who often feel overlooked due to age, health, or circumstance. The core team grew with the addition of friends from across the country, at times being 15 strong. Rooted in prayer, AWAM affirms that God is not “ageist” and that later years can be a season of renewed purpose, wisdom, and contribution to His Kingdom.

All of our team members, past and present, are of an age that signifies they are in later life. They are also full of a missional energy and passion that is not limited by years.

AWAM’s mission is to encourage, equip, and engage with older and other Christians - particularly those who may feel marginalised, isolated, or set aside—to re-discover their calling and remain active in God’s work. Like its tree logo, which grows ‘out of the box’, AWAM symbolises fresh, Holy Spirit-led growth, breaking out of restrictive traditions.

Practically, we nurture prayerful communities through in-person and online connections, offer encouragement and accountability, and partner with churches and individuals in need of renewed hope and resilience.

Its model is one of collaboration, aiming to multiply small groups that can support churches, ministries, and individuals across the UK and beyond.

Buckland Road Parish Church (BRBC)

By way of an example, AWAM partnered with Buckland Road Baptist Church in Poole, offering prayer, encouragement, and hands-on support. This helped to rebuild foundations, restore confidence, and renew hope, enabling the church to grow and flourish in God’s grace.

BRBC is the church into which Jonathan (an AWAM member) and his wife Sue walked when he began to retire from stipendiary ministry. It was like the majority of Baptist Union churches, small. But underneath the surface in spite of all the hard work going on, there were many challenges. Not least amongst these was moving from a sense of lack of direction and hope, to becoming a confident church. The membership needed to become fully trusting in our sovereign God, seeing something profound about His way forward.

AWAM became mission accompanier to BRBC over three years. By invitation, we slipped into BRBC’s life. From last year it started to slip away after having significantly helped by rebuilding some core foundations that enabled BRBC to grow again by God's grace.

How did this happen? By personal engagement, by consistent prayer and by listening, and advising, when asked.

This also included:

• walking around the community

• telling mission stories to us from across the world

• challenging us to become more open and hospitable

• advising us on building resilient systems, which are team led, instead of dependent on one person, rather than the One

• joining in, and on occasions leading, worship

• eating and drinking in local hostelries and the church

• consistent encouragement and love

• being non-judgmental.

We became part of the BRBC family, cousins who were welcomed in, shared BRBC’s table, and will be joyfully welcomed whenever they return. For instance, a number of AWAMers received BRBC’s entertaining weekly prayer letter and update, providing a continuing basis for AWAM folk to pray into BRBC life.

You might say that BRBC had been suffering from subsidence, and was in danger of slipping away. Now the foundations have been re-laid, and there is a new sense of hope, with the church being open three full days a week. Glory be to God.

To find out more

In summary, AWAM seeks to champion the value of older believers, cultivating prayer, mission, and mutual support so that no follower of Christ is left “on the shelf.”

The AWAM model is simple, and straightforward to build and operate. If you want to find out more, please contact David Henderson of Age With A Mission at david_k_henderson@yahoo.com.