Following World War II our nation was prospering after nearly three decades of war and extreme financial turmoil. For the next eighteen years (1946-1964) our country was blessed with the births of some eighty million children… the Baby Boomers. Our culture reacted and so did the church. Programs for children and teens spread like a wild fire. Bus ministries became the norm. Youth pastors were hired in record numbers. Numerous youth organizations, such as Campus Crusade and Youth for Christ, were either birthed or flourished during this time.

Nearly seventy years have past since the end of WWII, and we are in the midst of another age wave. This time it is an aging Tsunami. The Baby Boomers are entering their senior years at the rate of 10,000 per day. At the same time the generation preceding the Boomers are living longer than previous generations.

In the next twenty years the senior population will double and will out number youth for the first time in history. The church, which was at the forefront of the youth movement, is largely silent to a group that is far more numerous. The field is whitening! Let us not stay silent! Be the one to effect change in a senior near you. Listen and learn from them. Help them. Pray with them and for them. Be the match… let the wild fire begin again!

Stan Means
President
Elder Source Senior Ministries