Aging Baby Boomers like me seek to deny reality by claiming, “60 is the new 40.” Don’t believe it; “50 is the new 40.” 50 is the watershed, the time when middle-age begins, the point at which you shift from “growing up” to “growing old.” At age 50, things start going downhill even if you never made it to the top.
Kingsview Free Methodist Church celebrates 48 years of ministry on Sunday, November 20th. Age 48 is a good time to begin thinking about turning 50. This is a good time as a church to reflect on where we are and where we want to go, to ask the question, “What do we do now?”
“What do we do now?” is a good question to ask as Kingsview Church prepares to celebrate 50 years of ministry in just two short years. Here are my suggestions of how to answer that question.
It is always helpful to listen to the voices of wisdom – old and new. We live in a time and place that experiences continual rapid change, and the change is often different than we expected. So it is important to pay attention to any sources of information that can provide us with insight as to what is going on around us.
At the same time, there are sources of wisdom – such as God’s Word – that is timeless and always current.
Listening to each other, however, may be the place to start.
Actually, the best place to start is with listening to each other and listening together to God. As a church, we can answer the question, “What do we do now?” by being informed with external wisdom and engaging with each other and God in conversation.
Life does not have to end at 50, it can be a new beginning. The best years are yet ahead for Kingsview Church!