Abstract the Stewardship of Older Adults in the Church
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ABSTRACT THE STEWARDSHIP OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE CHURCH AND WITHIN THE BROADER COMMUNITY by Yeonhyung Timothy Cho All Christians are called to follow Christ who gives himself and his life. Living is giving. The aim of this study is to develop stewardship of older adults in their late lives. Christians call to live as stewards regardless of their age and condition. Older adults do not need to stop living as givers although they become old. God gives them strength and power to give themselves to others. This study produced a stewardship model of older adults through the Older Adult Stewardship Class (OASC) composed of six sessions on God’s calling, older adult studying, biblical concept of older adults, discipleship, spiritual formation and Christian nurture, and spiritual gifts and stewardship. OASC encouraged older adults to love others more, to give theirs more, and to follow Christ more sincerely. DISSERTATION APPROVAL This is to certify that the dissertation entitled THE STEWARDSHIP OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE CHURCH AND WITHIN THE BROADER COMMUNITY presented by Yeonhyung Timothy Cho has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for the DOCTOR OF MINISTRY degree at Asbury Theological Seminary ____________________________________ April 13, 2005___________ Mentor Date ____________________________________ April 13, 2005___________ Internal Reader Date ____________________________________ April 13, 2005___________ Vice President of Educational Development Date THE STEWARDSHIP OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE CHURCH AND WITHIN THE BROADER COMMUNITY A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Yeonhyung Timothy Cho May 2005 © 2005 Yeonhyung Timothy Cho ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Tables ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- viii List of Figures -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ix Acknowledgements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- x Dedication ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ xii Chapter 1. Overview of the Study --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Background ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Understanding the Problem --------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Theological Foundation ------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Context of the Study ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Description of the Project ---------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Purpose ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Research Questions ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Research Question 1 ------------------------------------------------------------ 11 Research Question 2 ------------------------------------------------------------ 11 Research Question 3 ------------------------------------------------------------ 11 Definition of the Terms ------------------------------------------------------------------ 12 Aging ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12 Enhance --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Older Adults --------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Older Adult Stewardship ------------------------------------------------------- 12 Older Adult Stewardship Class ------------------------------------------------ 13 iii Methodology ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 Population and Participants ---------------------------------------------------- 13 Samples --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Variables -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Instruments ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Data Collection ------------------------------------------------------------------ 15 Delimitations and Generalizability -------------------------------------------- 15 Overview of the Dissertation ----------------------------------------------------------- 15 2. Precedents in the Literature -------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Biological Precedents of Older Adults ------------------------------------------------- 17 Aging of Cells ------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Physical Losses ------------------------------------------------------------------ 19 Health ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Morality Rates ------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Major Causes of Death --------------------------------------------------------- 20 Biological Precedents of Older Adults: Conclusion ---------------------------------- 21 Psychological Precedents of Older Adults --------------------------------------------- 22 The Task of Psychology -------------------------------------------------------- 22 Definition ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 Theories of Later Life Development ------------------------------------------ 23 Theories of Aging --------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Types of Age --------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Aging in Human Society ------------------------------------------------------- 26 Psychological Precedents of Older Adults: Conclusion ----------------------------- 27 iv Social and Cultural Precedents of Older Adults -------------------------------------- 28 Social Losses --------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 Loss of Identity ------------------------------------------------------------------ 28 Loss by Death -------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 Loss of Social Role ------------------------------------------------------------- 29 Loss of Work and Meaningful Activity -------------------------------------- 29 Physical Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------ 30 Loss of Independence ----------------------------------------------------------- 30 Economics of Aging ------------------------------------------------------------ 30 Dynamic of Social Class ------------------------------------------------------- 31 Ethnicity, Region, and Religion ----------------------------------------------- 31 Social and Cultural Precedents of Older Adults: Conclusion ----------------------- 32 Biblical and Theological Precedents of Older Adults -------------------------------- 32 Aging and Older Adults in the Older Testament ---------------------------- 33 Aging and Older Adults in the New Testament ----------------------------- 39 Biblical and Theological Precedents of Older Adults: Conclusion ----------------- 53 Biblical Precedents of Stewardship ----------------------------------------------------- 54 Old Testament Concepts of Stewardship ------------------------------------- 54 Stewardship in the New Testament ------------------------------------------- 55 Major Motivations of Stewardship -------------------------------------------- 59 Stewards in the Church and the Community -------------------------------- 61 Mission and Stewardship ------------------------------------------------------- 62 The Applicable Areas of Older Adults Stewardship in the Church and within the Broader Community ---------------- 63 v Biblical Precedents of Stewardship: Conclusion ------------------------------------- 66 Older Adults Stewardship Class Precedents ------------------------------------------- 67 Older Adults Stewardship Class Precedents: Conclusion --------------------------- 69 Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 70 3. Design of the Study ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 72 Summary of the Problem ----------------------------------------------------------------- 72 Summary of the Purpose ----------------------------------------------------------------- 73 Research Questions ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 73 Research Question 1 ------------------------------------------------------------ 73 Research Question 2 ------------------------------------------------------------ 73 Research Question 3 ------------------------------------------------------------ 73 Methodology ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 73 Population and Participants ---------------------------------------------------- 74 Sample ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 74 Variables -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 74 Instrumentation ------------------------------------------------------------------ 75 Data Collection ------------------------------------------------------------------ 75 Data Analysis -------------------------------------------------------------------- 76 4. Findings of the Study --------------------------------------------------------------------- 77 Profile of Participants --------------------------------------------------------------------