Abundant Living: Active Seniors On a Mission

David Lawyer, 76, is determined not to make the same mistake he noticed other retirees making.

“I got noticing (in the obituaries) the number of people who had died within two years of retirement,” said Lawyer. “I was able to talk with a few of the wives, and I concluded from what they said that they (their husbands) didn’t have anything to do and just quit. They had no purpose in life, and they died. It’s sad.”

David Lawyer

Lawyer, along with his wife Genny, were among more than 260 Christian senior adults who participated recently in the annual Abundant Living Retreat in Branson, Missouri. Ranging in age from 55 to 95, the participants share a belief, rooted in their faith, that while it may be OK to retire from one’s job, you can never retire from serving God and helping others.

A Christian perspective on the senior years

Teresa Castleman, newly named director of Abundant Living, said Christians have a unique perspective about the retirement years.

Teresa Castleman

“The world says ‘you’ve done your part, you’ve paid your debt to society, and now you can just kick back and play golf,'” said Castleman. “Not that there’s anything wrong with golf, but we live in an upside down kingdom, and our kingdom says ‘no, we’re going to push right through to the end, this is not a coasting time of life.'”

A ministry sponsored by Harding University, Abundant Living aims to encourage, inspire, equip and challenge older Christians to make service to God, church and community their top priority after they retire from their jobs. 

“As opposed to the trajectory that the world would say ‘Oh, you’re going downhill,’ we want to encourage people to go uphill,” Castleman said. “You’re freer when you’re retired. You don’t have the 40 or 50 hour a week obligation anymore, your kids are off, and a lot of people have a lot more resources. We don’t want to say that life is downhill but that it is uphill, all the way to the finish line.”

Retired volunteers at Life Resources International

Lawyer is typical of those who attended the retreat in terms of keeping active. He manages a nonprofit called Life Resources International, which is affiliated with the College Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, where Lawyer also serves as an elder. The organization collects and ships clothing, furniture, and medical supplies or equipment to needy people around the world. Lawyer said about 15 volunteers, all of them retired, regularly work at the nonprofit’s warehouse, shipping 25 to 30 containers a year of supplies overseas. They have responded to urgent needs in recent years in Ukraine and Haiti, among other places.

Not your typical reunion

One thing that stood out about the Abundant Living Retreat, especially given the advanced age of its participants, was that the focus wasn’t on reminiscing about the past but on looking for new opportunities to serve in the years ahead. Unlike a school or family reunion, the talk here wasn’t about the good old days or events that happened 40, 50 or more years ago, but about the future, and how to continue serving. Guest speakers talked about new opportunities in both domestic and foreign ministries. Other guest speakers talked about practical problems faced by seniors, such as how to stay healthy late in life.

“I don’t see myself sitting on the porch and watching the world go by.”

                                                                                                                                        – Leon Sanderson

The group also loved to sing, focusing primarily on traditional church hymns. The singing during periods of worship was led by Leon Sanderson, now 85, who just retired from full-time work on June 30, at age 84. He was associate minister for the White Station Church of Christ in Memphis, Tennessee. Sanderson said he’s already looking for new ways to volunteer his time and stay active.

Leon and Marilyn Sanderson

“I don’t ever want to be useless; I want to find ways to engage and be useful,” Sanderson said. “I don’t see myself sitting on the porch and watching the world go by.”

Sanderson’s wife, Marilyn, who retired in 2010 from a 43-year career in education, shares her husband’s enthusiasm.

“We try to emphasize to our seniors (at church) in Memphis that they can serve up until very late in life,” said Marilyn Sanderson. “Even if it’s a card ministry from home (writing cards to those who need cheering up), there is always something they can do.”

Kay Gowan

Much of the credit for launching and growing Abundant Living goes to Kay Gowen, who served for 14 years as director, since the organization was first launched. She retired in June at age 73 but plans to remain active, including continuing to teach a multi-generational women’s Bible study that has met weekly in her home for 20 years.

“The best thing I’ve learned is how incredible these older people are,” Gowen said.

She has also witnessed Abundant Living’s growth. This year’s retreat is the largest ever, with nearly double the partipants of the first retreat 13 years ago. Participants came from 20 states and one foreign country.

Over the years, Gowen said she has had to educate churches about how to effectively integrate senior adults into their programs, as well as encourage younger seniors that it’s OK to admit their age and join a group like Abundant Living.

“These programs (Abundant Living) aren’t just for people who are about to step into the grave,” Gowen said. “They are for those who are planning their last years of life, the last trimester or quarter of their lives.”

Churches sometimes struggle with balancing the needs of younger families and senior adults, Gowen noted.

“Especially in churches, it seems people (seniors) have felt sidelined. The youth culture has made them feel inadequate, like they’ve been put on a shelf, that nobody cares if they know anything or what they know.”

Given the longer lifespans today, Gowen said it’s not uncommon for churches to have up to six generations, compared with just three in past generations.

Future plans

As the new director of Abundant Living, Castleman said she is looking forward to continuing traditions like the annual retreat in Branson while also launching new initiatives. One program she is developing is called “Retirement 101,” which will target teaching younger retirees what they need to know and motivate them toward greater service. Abundant Living also does mini-retreats at churches and workshops for widows, grandparents and other target groups.

Next year’s Abundant Living Retreat is scheduled for October 6-9 in Branson.