Have you heard of the Silver Chalice Ministry? The Silver Chalice Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) launched a pilot program in 2023. On May 29, 2024, the first eight congregations to pilot the Silver Chalice process were recognized as “Silver Chalice Congregations,” marking one year since the program’s inception.

 

Silver Chalice: Older Adult Ministries is a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This program is supported in part by Disciples Mission Fund giving.

 

Silver Chalice Ministry is a program within the Disciples of Christ denomination focused on supporting older adults (65+) within congregations. Its aim is to celebrate the wisdom and gifts of aging members and provide resources and programming for the spiritual and communal growth of these members all the while having FUN! This ministry encourages churches to create a supportive environment for older adults as well as foster intergenerational programs.

 

After attending a General Assembly session that provided information on becoming a Silver Chalice Ministry, I decided to seek out members of Pittsboro Christian to see if this ministry would be of interest to our congregation. After our first team meeting at the beginning of September, the four person team decided that Pittsboro Christian is already a Silver Chalice Ministry and wanted to make it official. As a result, the team is taking the necessary steps to become a certified Silver Chalice Ministry.

 

As we are well aware, many of our older adults have much to contribute to the life of the Church. Not only do many of our members hold the historical knowledge and experience of being the Church, but they may have many talents and gifts that may be mistakenly overlooked or minimized due to their age. In the coming months, you will hear more about programming and services that focus on adding meaning and value to the lives of older adults as well as the life of the larger Church.

 

The team will be looking for ways to identify and utilize the gifts of the older members of our congregation. As a result, we hope to identify unmet needs of our congregants and offer resources to help meet those needs - within the church walls and in the community at large.

 

Instead of lamenting how the church is dying (physically and spiritually), we plan to seek ways to better engage the older adults in our faith community all the while assisting them to grow in their faith.

 

Please let me know if you have any ideas for programs or services that you’d like to see become a part of this new ministry.

 

Let’s continue to do ministry together!

 

You are loved!

Pastor Karen