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Aging Baby Boomers, Churches, and the Second Half of Life (Challenges for Boomers and Their Churches) Terry L

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Aging Baby Boomers, Churches, and the Second Half of Life (Challenges for Boomers and Their Churches) Terry L Digital Commons @ George Fox University Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations 2-11-2016 Aging Baby Boomers, Churches, and the Second Half of Life (Challenges for Boomers and Their Churches) Terry L. Nyhuis George Fox University, [email protected] This research is a product of the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program at George Fox University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Nyhuis, Terry L., "Aging Baby Boomers, Churches, and the Second Half of Life (Challenges for Boomers and Their hC urches)" (2016). Doctor of Ministry. Paper 136. http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/136 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY AGING BABY BOOMERS, CHURCHES, AND THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE (CHALLENGES FOR BOOMERS AND THEIR CHURCHES) A DISSERTATION IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY TERRY L. NYHUIS PORTLAND, OREGON FEBRUARY 2016 George Fox Evangelical Seminary George Fox University Portland, Oregon CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ________________________________ DMin Dissertation ________________________________ This is to certify that the DMin Dissertation of Terry L. Nyhuis has been approved by the Dissertation Committee on February 11, 2016 for the degree of Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation. Dissertation Committee: Primary Advisor: Elizabeth Boatwright, DMin Secondary Advisor: Dan Brunner, DPhil Expert Advisor: Donna Wallace, DMin Copyright © 2016 by Terry L. Nyhuis All rights reserved. ii CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ vi ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... vii SECTION ONE: A TYPOLOGY: A DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE BASED ON TWO HALVES OF LIFE .......................................................................................................................... 1 Section Introduction and Summary ............................................................................................. 1 Why Richard Rohr, James Hollis, John W. Fowler, and Ken Wilber? ........................................ 2 Perspectives by Richard Rohr, James Hollis, John W. Fowler, and Ken Wilber ........................ 3 Richard Rohr on the Two Halves of Life ................................................................................. 4 James Hollis on Two Halves of Life ........................................................................................ 7 James W. Fowler on Six Stages of Faith Development ......................................................... 11 Ken Wilber on Twelve Stages of Development in Three Phases .......................................... 19 Cautions, Corrections, and Supplements ................................................................................... 25 Regarding Richard Rohr ........................................................................................................ 25 Regarding James Hollis ......................................................................................................... 28 Regarding James Fowler ........................................................................................................ 29 Regarding Ken Wilber ........................................................................................................... 32 Synthesized Descriptions ........................................................................................................... 38 Synthesized Descriptions of the First Half of Life: ............................................................... 39 Synthesized Descriptions of the Transition from the First to the Second Half of Life: ........ 41 Synthesized Descriptions of the Second Half of Life: ........................................................... 43 SECTION TWO: A CONTEXT: BABY BOOMERS ARE TRANSITIONING INTO THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE ............................................................................................................. 48 Section Introduction and Summary ........................................................................................... 48 Baby Boomer Characteristics that Support Transition to the Second Half of Life .................... 49 Supporting Characteristic 1: Expectations of an Expanded Future ....................................... 49 iii Supporting Characteristic 2: Desire for a Fresh Approach to Aging ..................................... 51 Supporting Characteristic 3: A History of Cultural Transformation ..................................... 52 Supporting Characteristic 4: Tolerance for Complexity ........................................................ 53 Supporting Characteristic 5: Expectations of Continued Growth .......................................... 55 Supporting Characteristic 6: Openness to New Values, Perspectives, and Beliefs ............... 57 Supporting Characteristic 7: Emphasis on Self-Realization .................................................. 59 A Baby Boomer Stage of Life that Supports Transition to the Second Half of Life ................. 60 SECTION THREE: A CHALLENGE: BOOMERS ARE ENTERING THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE IN CHURCHES ORIENTED TO THE FIRST HALF OF LIFE .................................. 63 Section Introduction ................................................................................................................... 63 Reasons Baby Boomers are Leaving Churches ......................................................................... 65 Types of Leavers .................................................................................................................... 65 A First Half Church ............................................................................................................... 69 Resonance and Dissonance Between Baby Boomers and Churches ..................................... 72 Responses to Loss of Resonance ........................................................................................... 76 Conclusion: Churches Need Innovators ..................................................................................... 81 Needed: Innovative Scholars ................................................................................................. 85 Needed: Innovative Churches ................................................................................................ 85 Needed: Innovative Second Half Baby Boomers .................................................................. 86 SECTION FOUR: ARTIFACT INTRODUCTION .................................................................... 88 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 88 Chosen Communication Medium: Blog .................................................................................... 90 SECTION FIVE: ARTIFACT SPECIFICATION ....................................................................... 96 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 96 Markets ...................................................................................................................................... 96 Goals .......................................................................................................................................... 98 Promotion: Building Readership ................................................................................................ 98 iv Competing and Comparable Blogs ............................................................................................ 99 Artifact Elements ..................................................................................................................... 104 Resources Needed .................................................................................................................... 104 Title and Content Overview ..................................................................................................... 105 Schedule ................................................................................................................................... 106 SECTION SIX: POSTSCRIPT .................................................................................................. 107 APPENDIX: ARTIFACT .......................................................................................................... 109 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................ 172 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation became a decade-long project with several twists and turns as I shifted from serving as a full-time pastor to retirement and from conventional to post- conventional stages of faith development. Along the way, many have influenced my life, development, and conclusions as colleagues, collaborators, and readers. Though I will perhaps forget someone, I especially thank the following: • My wife, Anita, for her patience and constant encouragement. She gives me space to wonder, freedom to explore to the edges, and steadiness to keep at it. •
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