La GRANGE, Ky. – Many churches have meaningful ways to show love and appreciation for their senior adults.
Many offer Sunday School classes tailored for them, organize day trips, and some even host Vacation Bible Schools specifically for seniors – who are often considered the backbone of the church.
At DeHaven Baptist Church in La Grange, Ky., that effort has expanded to include a Senior Revival, featuring Georgia preacher Gerald Harris during morning services. Harris said he has been leading senior revivals for about five years.
“I’m 85 years old myself,” he said. “I’m addressing my people group. It has been kind of interesting. The response has been wonderful. Senior adults have a tremendous amount of potential.”
Harris, a friend of the late Charles Stanley and Adrian Rogers, is a personable speaker who reflects often on how the Lord has directed his life. He served 16 years as editor of The Christian Index in Georgia and still contributes to the publication occasionally. “I love The Christian Index and meeting with other Baptist state editors from all over,” he said.
Services at DeHaven begin at 10:30 a.m. and include a free lunch afterward. Pastor Mark Somers, a Georgia native who was mentored by Harris, reached out to him about leading a Senior Revival.
“Dr. Harris has been such an influential leader in Georgia Baptist Convention life and being a pastor at Eastside Baptist when I met him,” Somers said. “When I was at Southeastern Theological Seminary, he always took the time to answer my questions. He was never too busy for me. That made me feel special.”
Somers and Harris have had a 20-year relationship, the pastor said. “He’s like my dad; I love him that much.”
Somers came to DeHaven four months ago, and the church has been growing, averaging around 180 on Sunday mornings. DeHaven had 208 on Easter Sunday, the biggest attendance it has had in four years.
The church had 55 for Monday morning’s Senior Revival and 15 decisions after the service. “Dr. Harris challenged them to finish strong, and that’s what they’ve chosen to do.”
Somers said it is important for churches to take advantage of the wisdom that senior adults can offer. “We cannot overlook them. They certainly feel valued and we’ve tried to emphasize their importance. It’s been a win-win for our church.”
They’ve also had some fun, giving prizes for “packing a pew with two people” and other special awards that have made everybody smile.
“This is my first big step of faith, and the church was so willing and eager,” Somers said. “It’s brought a sweet fellowship. They see we are community minded and people minded.”
Harris noted his Senior Revivals offer valuable encouragement and guidance for that stage of life, often centered around a few consistent themes.
One of those is church music. Harris, like many senior adults, prefers traditional hymns. Guest worship pastor Dave Stahl has led music that reflects those preferences.
“A lot of senior adults felt disenfranchised by the changes that have taken place (in music),” Harris said. “I try to encourage them, while it may not be our preference, you can’t dislike it because of what it does for your children and grandchildren. Support the pastor, support the decisions of the church and encourage young people.”
On Monday morning (April 27), Harris preached about Caleb, who was 85 when he claimed his inheritance and boldly fought – and defeated – giants.
Key lessons from Caleb’s story included trusting God when others doubt, following Him fully rather than partially, and waiting patiently for His promises. Even at 85, Caleb continued to face – and overcome – great challenges.
“The last part of my message was Caleb was conquering giants at 85,” Harris said. “There are some things we, as seniors, need to defeat. We do things as long as we can and when we can’t do them anymore, we become the greatest prayer warriors of the church and pray for the frontline of battle. I want them to know they can continue to do great things.
“Today the invitation was for those who want to finish well to make a commitment to the Lord and serve him with gladness.”
This article originally appeared in Kentucky Today.
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