Spiritual Formation of Senior Adult Parishioners through the Holistic and Intergenerational Paradigm

Abstract

Spiritual formation in a Christian context is a con­ti­nu­ous life-long process for a Christian to grow and imitate Christ. This process does not merely occur cognitively and in­di­vi­dual­istically but holistically and communally, and it also ap­p­­lies to senior adults (65 years and above). However, due to historical influences, many chur­ches are still doing a fragmented and segregative spiritual formation. As a result, senior adult parishioners might not grow maximally and tend to be passive and isolated onlookers who merely become ministry targets of the younger ones. There needs to be a paradigm change for the senior adults to keep growing and functioning in the com­mu­­ni­ty as part of their spiritual formation. This article pro­po­ses the significance of spiritual formation for senior adults with a more holistic and intergenerational paradigm which uti­li­zes a qualitative method, including a literature review. According to this study, senior adult parishioners should be served by fol­low­ing God’s design on human nature and through the perspective of ministering-with-senior adults instead of minister­ing­-to-senior adults. This article thus aims to inspire chu­r­ches to apply and develop the spiritual formation of senior adult pa­ri­sh­ioners through the holistic and intergenerational paradigm, not frag­mented and segregative as it used to be.