Support for Your Family

Breaking the Age Barrier



Karen and I met this week with a group of 50+ folks to discuss the best ways to show care and assistance to elderly relatives. The group was well educated, articulate, spiritually experienced and wise in the ways of the business world. However, most of us were novices on the topic at hand. Some of us had already faced getting care for elderly parents and grandparents but it still presents a brand new challenge.

How can we best provide the knowledge and wisdom people need?

Option #1. Get personal professional assistance from doctors, therapists, gerontologists, financial planners, insurance agents, nurses, home care specialists, pastoral care, etc. This route will require hundreds of hours and lots of money to plan, meet and our findings.

Option #2. "Intentional Communities of Wisdom" at church and community groups of lay and professional experts from law, medicine, gerontology, financial planning, insurance, counseling, etc. to provide education, mutual support, wisdom, past experiences and referrals. This approach is more efficient, effective and provides a much broader span of care, counsel and insight.

Only Option #2. will thrive. Professionals cannot meet the need except as those who teach us how to provide Peer Support.

By mobilizing wizened Seasoned Believers a church could develop a top flight Peer Support Group to provide all the services needed by the Sandwich Generations. And, the Peer team would receive many blessings by using their talents, gifts and abilities.

Any church that fails to develop such a program will be missing a sure way to bring enrichment and blessings to their people and will benefit in many ways as an organization.