One in six people in Australia is over the age of 65. In the next 30 years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics predicts this demographic will comprise more than 20 per cent of the population.
With this growing sector in mind the Rev Ying Yee, who heads up the Prime Time Ministry committee, has been considering how this army could be mobilised for the good of the gospel in retirement.
“I find with prime timers, those in their 50s and up, two things can happen,” says Mr Yee, English pastor of the Chinese Christian Church at Milsons Point. “If prime timers are not inspired, they can become demoralised because they don’t know what to do. Or they become comfortable and complacent, not helpful for Christian growth.
“But generally speaking, [for] those in their fifties and above, the opportunity to influence others goes through the roof.”
Out of this desire to see this group gear up instead of slow down, the Prime Time Expo was born. Held at Christ Church, St Ives over the June long weekend, the expo gathered hundreds of over 50s to consider ways they might use their stage of life to serve God.
It featured stalls from more than XX Christian ministry organisations and Bible colleges, and the team behind the event were keen to see conversations start and convictions grow.
“We wanted the expo to help people discover who they are, what they can do, and see the opportunities,” Mr Yee says. He hopes conversations begun at the expo will continue to develop between organisations, colleges and those considering how they can further serve.
Mr Yee’s passion for mobilising this generation came when he was in his early fifties, striking him while he was out for a walk.
“Most of my ministry career, I had focused on youth and young adults. I started to think to myself, am I hitting a wall in ministry? Everyone tells you when you get to a certain age, you start to wind down. I didn’t want to do that. It dawned on me – this is not the end, but the beginning of a new season.”
He started to hear multiple people speaking about the need to activate those reaching the end of their careers, and decided to start something to address this.
“The statistics show that this is a growing cohort,” he says. “If we don’t do something, we’re missing a big segment of the Christian church that is lying dormant for gospel ministry.
“I want prime timers to see that this season of life isn’t one to continue to make more money for their companies, but to think about how they can serve the work of the gospel with their gifts and talents.
“Australia is an ageing nation. There are opportunities for prime timers to serve. We want to make sure we get these guys mobilised for gospel ministry, grounded firmly in faith, loving and living like Jesus and passing on their legacy to the next generation as well as to those around them and above them.”
See https://primetimeministry.org for more information about the ministry.
Pray
- for pastors to see mission opportunities to mobilise this demographic
- for prime timers to see this season of life as a season of service
- for colleges and organisations to look for ways to encourage older Christians to serve the Lord in different ways, both in their churches and beyond
