May 6, 2002
5,000 senior adults celebrate 'Joy in the Journey'
___By Terri Lackey
___LifeWay Christian Resources
___FORT WORTH (BP)--More than 5,000 Southern Baptist senior adults celebrated their life journeys and the joys they've found through faith, prayer, laughter and relationships at the fourth national Senior Adult Convention held in Fort Worth April 15-17.
___"Joy in the Journey" was the theme of the convention sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. The first national senior adult convention also was held in Fort Worth in 1987, followed by similar conventions in Atlanta in 1992 and Nashville, Tenn., in 1997.
___Keynote addresses included women's leader and motivational speaker Esther Burroughs, "Prayer of Jabez" author Bruce Wilkinson, Christian humorist Dennis Swanberg and "Mind of Christ" author T.W. Hunt. Participants were entertained each day by several gospel groups and a 750-member senior adult choir. During the final session, "Joy for the Journey," a musical drama for seniors to perform in their churches, was premiered.
JUNE GOURLY (above, left) and Dorie Wright, both of River Oaks Baptist Church in Fort Worth, talk with Shirley Harrop of Mill Valley, Calif., during the Joy in the Journey senior adult convention.
___In the opening session, Burroughs reminded participants of biblical senior adults like Noah, Abraham, Sarah and Moses who faithfully served Christ and "passed the baton" to the next generation.
___"You have the wisdom, resources, time and life experiences to share your faith with the next generation," she said. "They are coming up behind you, and they need to know what you know about God."
___One of the greatest needs in churches is among single adult mothers "who are trying to do it all by themselves," she said. "What about adopting a single mom in your church and passing the baton of faith?"
___Christian seniors are "commanded by God to pass the baton of faith to another generation," Burroughs said.
___She suggested starting traditions with grandchildren that might include studying the Bible, praying or learning more about the work of missionaries. She said she prays with her grandchildren for specific missionaries and studies the countries in which they live.
BEVERLY GEORGE and Joyce Grisham, both from the Holly Brook Baptist Church of Holly Lake Ranch, look over books by some of the women's conference speakers. (Jim Veneman/BP)
___Burroughs said her parents taught her and her siblings how to pray, and she is passing the gift on to her grandchildren.
___Seniors also can pass on the baton of wisdom and instruction, she added, noting, "There are young women and young men that need your wisdom. I challenge you to get into a Bible study with them."
___Younger generations also could use a little hope, she said. "You have it or you wouldn't be here. And our world needs it desperately."
___In a separate session, Wilkinson discussed the message in his follow-up book, "Secrets of the Vine," which is based on John 15 and Jesus' instructions to his disciples to bear fruit.
___Wilkinson said he grew up thinking bearing fruit meant leading people to Christ."And it does mean that, but it means so much more. Bearing fruit can be interchangeable with good works. It's anything you do that God says, 'Good.'"
A COUPLE stroll outside the conference site.
___Jesus told the disciples they were created for good works, Wilkinson said, adding not many Christians today do good deeds for others.
___"When I went to Bible college, they told me God was not interested in quantity, but quality. If that's so, why does God tell us to bear much fruit?" he asked. "Remember, then, if you bake someone something, that's a good work. And if you go to the closet and pray, that's a good work. Good works are supposed to happen all day long."
___In Jesus' parable, grapevine branches that didn't produce were taken away, he said. But the Greek word for "take away" is "airo," and that word means "lift up."
___In talking to a man who worked in a vineyard, Wilkinson said he learned branches that aren't producing grapes aren't cut off. Usually, they have just fallen down, he said, so they are lifted up, washed off and retied so they can produce fruit.
___"Of course, God doesn't cut us off and throw us away, because every one of us in this room hasn't born fruit at some time. God bends down and picks us up, washes us off and reties us so we can produce fruit."
___Like grapevines, Christians sometimes need pruning, Wilkinson continued. "What does God do to me when I'm doing some things right? He smiles and says, 'Good, but you need outside help from me. I'm going to prune you so you may bear more fruit.'
___"Pruning redirects your energy to fruit. Your focus gets narrower and narrower and you think, 'How can I serve God today? I'm retired. I have some time.' You can focus more and more on what makes a difference in heaven."
___Seniors from 38 states attended the national convention, reported Larry Mizell, event coordinator.
___Bill Morrison of First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla., drove to Fort Worth with a busload of 39 senior adult choir members from his church to sing in the convention choir.
___"This is the first one I've been to, but I think I'll keep going," he said. "It's been a great time of enrichment and renewal."
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