WV Gift of Years: Resurrection Eyes Bookmarks

As a region, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia and western Maryland, named and affirmed to intentionally focus on the needs of older adults. Regional Minister and President, The Reverend Thaddaeus Allen, comments that “the Region has named ministry with Seniors as a priority. We are gifted to live in a region in which we are surrounded by seniors, sages and saints. By all accounts this trend will continue in our regional church and in the places we live. This is a gift to be received and an opportunity for effectiveness in ministry to be seized. The “Gift of Years Project” is indeed a gift to the world and to Christ’s body. The “Gift of Years” represents contextual ministry at its core and we are excited for this time and ministry with NBA.”

Resources for Ministry

The bookmark series is designed to pro-voke, or in Latin, pro (forth) vocare (to call). The bookmarks are poetic in character, rather than didactic. They raise questions, rather than provide answers. There is plenty of room for your voice to be heard, your life to be shared. We hope these bookmarks will call forth significant and exciting discussion about life as it might be lived from decade to decade if we look at it through Resurrection Eyes.

About the Gift of Years Project

The West Virginia region seeks to encourage and empower local congregations in West Virginia as they do context specific ministries for, by and with the “gifted.”  To that end, NBA and the West Virginia Region will:

• Develop theological curriculum for understanding the gifts and challenges of aging.
• Develop practical materials that can be used within and by local congregations to attend to the concerns and opportunities of growing older.
• Collect empowering and inspiring stories from seniors to be shared within congregations and throughout the region.
• Provide a variety of forums for exchanging information and ideas about ministries. The Gift of Years Project encourages congregations to be exploratory of the specific needs, opportunities and challenges in a given local area and to be creative in thinking of and embarking on ministries which engender life and wholeness, support and encouragement among seniors.
• Provide congregational grants ($500 per congregation) to assist in local, context-specific ministry for, by, and with senior, “gifted” adults.

Visit The Gift of Years Project or email the Rev. Thaddaeus B. Allen, Regional Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia.