"Unlike in other churches, the elderly believers here are not the ones who need to be taken care of; rather, they are the very backbone of most of our ministries!" commented a young pastor who is responsible for the elderly ministry, praising the invaluable contribution of the elderly believers.
During Easter, I had the opportunity to communicate with leaders of the senior fellowship of Fuhua Church in Fuqing, Fujian.
This church boasts a congregation of 3,000 to 4,000 churchgoers, with elderly believers making up almost half of the total. These elderly members participate actively in the shepherding of believers, group pastoral care, visitation, reception, and social services. According to a pre-COVID-19 statistical report, 90% of those who participated in the church service were elderly members. "With the exception of those who are bedridden, nearly all of our elderly members actively take part in the church's ministries," the pastor in charge informed me.
In the 1980s, under the leadership of the first generation of pastors of the church, the "Welfare Association for the Elderly" was established with a membership structure to shepherd the elderly. In 2003, on the basis of the Welfare Association for the Elderly, a senior fellowship called Hu Ai Hui (transliteration, "mutual aid") was founded with a more robust system structure. Today, it has 108 groups and nearly 2,000 members.
Lin, the chairman of the third and fourth senior fellowships, who is over 70 years old, said, "Truly living fellowship must be rooted in truth, and it should also correspond to the specific situation of the elderly. Combined with the practical experience of Hu Ai Hui, I think the course should be based on 'Christ' and 'salvation'. "
Regarding specific training courses, the fellowship has united the church to set up a weekly Bible study class and a prayer training class. Furthermore, youth pastors also conduct courses on spiritual growth for elderly believers. Through the aid of scripture cards, they help the elderly understand and follow the mission and vision of the church by studying the life of Christ and the salvation of the cross. They also often teach them from the perspective of sin, leading them to live like Christ with a more reverent heart. "'Each person is cared for, and each person can also pastor others.' This is our greatest mission vision," stated Chairman Lin.
To ensure the Bible study is carried out successfully, the pastor leads directors of different apartments, who train team leaders, and team leaders discipline their team members. Moreover, directors report the progress and results of each group’s follow-up study; “this will ensure that each of our more than 1,800 Christians is fed by the Word,” revealed L (pseudonym), the vice chairman.
The fellowship also encourages every elderly member to share what they have learned with their family members, and then to extend it to their neighbors, relatives, and friends. In pursuit of this goal, the fellowship collaborates with ministry groups within the church to provide relevant courses and training to elderly believers.
"For instance, elderly staff members serving in the visiting group can obtain specialized training from the visitation ministry, which focuses on nurturing skills such as caring for, comforting, and conversing with sick members. Similarly, those serving in the evangelization group are provided with tailored training conducted by the Ministry of Evangelism, which teaches them how to preach the core principles of the gospel, how to clearly explain the gospel to non-believers, and how to retain seekers," Chairman Lin explained.
Ever since its inception, 26 directors of the fellowship for the elderly have been cooperating with groups of believers to carry out weekly visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and families of believers, respectively. Moreover, more than one hundred groups conduct regular, full-coverage visits to senior members on weekdays.
"We have recorded the birthdays of all senior members, and organize a collective birthday party each quarter for the corresponding believers." Chairman Lin introduced, "The birthday parties have been held for more than ten years, with at least two or three hundred aged members attending each party.”
In addition, as L, the vice chairman, added, the fellowship regularly plans spring and autumn outings each year in addition to the wedding anniversary celebrations held every five years during the autumn. Furthermore, Chairman Lin stated that during every group activity, younger members of the senior fellowship offer assistance and care to the older members. Besides, in the same age group, members with better physical conditions serve other believers with inferior health.
In recent years, the fellowship has been self-sufficient and does not require the help of young volunteers for any event, irrespective of its magnitude or complexity.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
“在其他教会，老年信徒可能是需要受照顾的一方。但是在我们这里，老年信徒是我们大多数事工的坚固担当者！”一位负责乐龄事工的年轻传道对老年信徒侍奉赞扬道。
复活节期间，笔者与闽东F教堂“老人互爱会”的负责人进行交流。
在这座日常三四千人聚会的教会之中，占据总数近半的老年信徒群体参与到信徒栽培、小组牧养、探访接待以及社会服务一线。据疫情前教会的一次统计，在F教堂，老年信徒参与侍奉的占比达到了9成。“除了躺在床上不能动的，我们其余所有老年肢体基本都参加了教会的侍奉。”负责牧者向笔者介绍道。
上世纪八十年代，在教会第一代牧者的带领支持下，建立起了以会员制为架构，专项负责老年牧养的“老人福利会”。2003年，在老人福利会的基础上，体系架构更加健全的老人互爱会成立。如今的老人互爱会已经壮大成为拥有108个小组，近2000位会员的庞大团契。
身为第三、第四届老人互爱会的理事长，年过七旬的林弟兄说，“真正有生命的老年团契，一定要扎根在扎实的真理教导之上”，“不过真理教导也需要有结合老年人的具体处境。以我们老人互爱会的实践经验而言，我认为应该落在‘基督’与‘救恩’之上。”
而在具体栽培课程设置方面，老人互爱会联合教会，为老年信徒设立了周间固定的查经班与祷告培训班。不仅如此，还建成了由青年牧者专职带领的生命栽培课程。借助经文卡片，帮助老人们从基督生平与十架救恩的要道开始，逐步带领其明白并跟随教会的使命异象。也常常会从罪的层面进行教导，帮助信徒带着更加敬畏的心去活出基督的样式。“‘人人被牧养，人人会牧养。’这就是我们最大的使命异象。”林理事长介绍。
为了践行这一使命异象，以“牧者带理事，理事带组长，组长带组员”的方式，以拉网过筛的方式开展圣经课程学习。另外，各位负责理事还会报告各个小组跟进学习的进度与果效，“这样能够确保我们1800多位弟兄姊妹一个不差的接受话语的喂养。”副理事长L弟兄对笔者表示。
老人会还鼓励每位老年肢体向家人传讲所学习的话语内容，进而向邻舍，向亲友传扬福音。
为此，老人会与教会各个事工组联合，将老年肢体纳入相对应的栽培课程的培训中。
“打个比方说，在探访组服侍的老年同工会接受教会探访部的专项培训，主要学习对患病肢体的关怀安慰以及相谈等技能；而福传组服侍的老年同工则会接受福传部的专项培训，专题学习如何更有效率的传讲福音精要、如何向未信者讲明福音、如何留住慕道友等内容。”林理事长解释说。
自成立以来，每个星期，老人会的26位理事都会与各个信徒小组配搭，分别前往医院、老人院以及信徒家庭开展探访活动。而在平日里，上百个信徒小组则会对老年会员开展不定期、全覆盖的探访。
“我们把每一位老年会员的生日都进行了登记上册，在每季度末月的第一周主日下午会为对应的信徒举行集体生日会。”林理事长介绍，“我们的生日会已经举行了快十多年了，现在每次参加生日会的弟兄姊妹最少都在两三百人。”
除了每隔5年举行的金秋婚姻纪念庆典，老人会每年定期组织春游和秋游，副理事长L弟兄补充说。
林理事长说，在每次老人会的集体活动中，年纪稍轻的肢体会主动担负起侍奉年长肢体的工作。而同年龄段之间，身体状况稍好的肢体也会主动侍奉其他相对弱势的肢体。
近年来，老人互爱会不论举办大小活动，基本上不需要青年义工来协助服侍。
【专访】在真理、异象与爱中建造有生命的老年团契
"Unlike in other churches, the elderly believers here are not the ones who need to be taken care of; rather, they are the very backbone of most of our ministries!" commented a young pastor who is responsible for the elderly ministry, praising the invaluable contribution of the elderly believers.
During Easter, I had the opportunity to communicate with leaders of the senior fellowship of Fuhua Church in Fuqing, Fujian.
This church boasts a congregation of 3,000 to 4,000 churchgoers, with elderly believers making up almost half of the total. These elderly members participate actively in the shepherding of believers, group pastoral care, visitation, reception, and social services. According to a pre-COVID-19 statistical report, 90% of those who participated in the church service were elderly members. "With the exception of those who are bedridden, nearly all of our elderly members actively take part in the church's ministries," the pastor in charge informed me.
In the 1980s, under the leadership of the first generation of pastors of the church, the "Welfare Association for the Elderly" was established with a membership structure to shepherd the elderly. In 2003, on the basis of the Welfare Association for the Elderly, a senior fellowship called Hu Ai Hui (transliteration, "mutual aid") was founded with a more robust system structure. Today, it has 108 groups and nearly 2,000 members.
Lin, the chairman of the third and fourth senior fellowships, who is over 70 years old, said, "Truly living fellowship must be rooted in truth, and it should also correspond to the specific situation of the elderly. Combined with the practical experience of Hu Ai Hui, I think the course should be based on 'Christ' and 'salvation'. "
Regarding specific training courses, the fellowship has united the church to set up a weekly Bible study class and a prayer training class. Furthermore, youth pastors also conduct courses on spiritual growth for elderly believers. Through the aid of scripture cards, they help the elderly understand and follow the mission and vision of the church by studying the life of Christ and the salvation of the cross. They also often teach them from the perspective of sin, leading them to live like Christ with a more reverent heart. "'Each person is cared for, and each person can also pastor others.' This is our greatest mission vision," stated Chairman Lin.
To ensure the Bible study is carried out successfully, the pastor leads directors of different apartments, who train team leaders, and team leaders discipline their team members. Moreover, directors report the progress and results of each group’s follow-up study; “this will ensure that each of our more than 1,800 Christians is fed by the Word,” revealed L (pseudonym), the vice chairman.
The fellowship also encourages every elderly member to share what they have learned with their family members, and then to extend it to their neighbors, relatives, and friends. In pursuit of this goal, the fellowship collaborates with ministry groups within the church to provide relevant courses and training to elderly believers.
"For instance, elderly staff members serving in the visiting group can obtain specialized training from the visitation ministry, which focuses on nurturing skills such as caring for, comforting, and conversing with sick members. Similarly, those serving in the evangelization group are provided with tailored training conducted by the Ministry of Evangelism, which teaches them how to preach the core principles of the gospel, how to clearly explain the gospel to non-believers, and how to retain seekers," Chairman Lin explained.
Ever since its inception, 26 directors of the fellowship for the elderly have been cooperating with groups of believers to carry out weekly visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and families of believers, respectively. Moreover, more than one hundred groups conduct regular, full-coverage visits to senior members on weekdays.
"We have recorded the birthdays of all senior members, and organize a collective birthday party each quarter for the corresponding believers." Chairman Lin introduced, "The birthday parties have been held for more than ten years, with at least two or three hundred aged members attending each party.”
In addition, as L, the vice chairman, added, the fellowship regularly plans spring and autumn outings each year in addition to the wedding anniversary celebrations held every five years during the autumn. Furthermore, Chairman Lin stated that during every group activity, younger members of the senior fellowship offer assistance and care to the older members. Besides, in the same age group, members with better physical conditions serve other believers with inferior health.
In recent years, the fellowship has been self-sufficient and does not require the help of young volunteers for any event, irrespective of its magnitude or complexity.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
[Interview] Fujian Senior Fellowship Envisions to Each Being Pastored and Being Pastor
