Old dogs can learn new tricks, according to Amy Hanson, who spoke during the luncheon for The Journey, the conference for senior adults, during the State Evangelism Conference, Jan. 28, at Oklahoma City, Southern Hills.
Of course, debunking the popular idiom actually refers to the discovery that older adults are able to be creative and learn how to do new things.
“It takes us longer, but it is possible,” said Hanson who is the author of Baby Boomers and Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talent and Passions of Adults over 50. “All kinds of retired people today are learning how to get on the internet, how to use Facebook and taking classes on different subjects.”
Hanson shared an example of “older adult creativity” with a story of an elderly couple visiting Washington, D.C. and deciding to tour the Smithsonian Institute. When the couple decided to leave, a heavy snow storm had hit.
“Getting back, their transportation was not going to be as easy as they had hoped,” she said. “So they are trying to navigate their way, and the older gentleman sees a Domino’s Pizza parlor across the street. He gets his wife on his arm and leads her across the snow-packed road. They go inside, and ask the man behind the counter, ‘We’d like to order a large pepperoni pizza. We want it delivered to this address, and we want you to take us with you.”
The Journey included breakout sessions that met Monday afternoon during the SEC. Along with Hanson, other session leaders included Dan Allen, chief development officer and senior vice president for donor services; David Gibson, senior adult minister at Oklahoma City, Southern Hills; Ed and Donna Edwards of Living Well, a marriage ministry; Larry Merideth, senior adult pastor at Tulsa First; and Jimmy May, missions and evangelism pastor at Ardmore, Trinity.
Senior adults also participated in a Festival Choir that sang during the Oklahoma Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists, that morning. More than 250 singers representing 15 different senior adult choirs filled Southern Hills to sing.
The churches in attendance were Durant, Calvary; Edmond, First; Enid, First; Lindsay, First; Midwest City, Country Estates; Mustang, Chisholm Heights; Nicoma Park, First; Oklahoma City, Quail Springs; Oklahoma City, Southern Hills; Oklahoma City, Trinity; Oklahoma City, Village; Oklahoma City, Wilmont Place; Sulphur, Crossway; and Tulsa, Memorial.
Baptist Village of Owasso also brought residents to attend the conference and participate in the choir.
Senior adults also are invited to participate in the upcoming Singing and Praising 2013, March 14, at Oklahoma City, Village. To register, go to www.bgco.org/sp2013.
