Looking into our blindspots

Jamie Hill, the new Chief Executive of our sister charity Faith in Later Life, shares why building the church calls for a greater awareness of and appreciation for its oldest members

My new role with Faith in Later Life is no different, it’s just working to help the church reach, disciple and integrate older people fully into the life of the church. I have a new context to learn but the same powerful gospel and the same church to serve.

As I have started to understand Faith in Later Life, I have been impressed as to how much has been achieved by such a young charity. The work of my predecessor Carl Knightly and that of the trustees, the ambassadors and the wider team has been incredible. I am thrilled to take it through to the next stage of all that God has for it. For me the next stage feels like growing the charity through to young adulthood. Part of that journey means being really clear on who we want to grow up to be, becoming self-sustaining and building the strategic focuses needed to see that happen. There’s so much to do and I’m excited to find more people to partner with and create more opportunities for some real Kingdom work in reaching this growing demographic in our churches and communities.

I think my starting point in 2022 is to ask a simple question – do we have a blindspot around older people in the church? We certainly have in our communities. These older people are becoming the least heard voices and the invisible. Jesus calls us to be a voice for the voiceless and champion the cause of the vulnerable. He calls us to see. You have to look before you can see.

My mum is one of the most wonderful humans I know. She’s prayed for me every day and been there when I’ve succeeded and when I’ve crashed. She’s worked in the church in her time and served in many ministry areas. For many years now we have argued as she has resigned herself to not having much to offer, aside from praying and giving. I think that’s a similar story in many churches. It’s not intentional, or motivated by any active intention to sideline older people. It is the outcome of a blindspot. This means more and more that our older people feel slowly out of the loop and that there is not much left for them to do or grow in. I pray I can equip the church to see.

This picture of Jerusalem recently challenged me of how it is a picture we are to pursue in the church; a great place to grow old in as well as a great place to grow up in. I hope and pray that through my work with Faith in Later Life we can help churches see their blindspots and start to reach out to them so that they can live life in all its fullness in the full family of God.