Welcome to Spirituality of Aging Small Group Study. Know you are one of many groups using this resource. You’ll find everything you to lead this Small Group Study on this page.
You have permanent access to this page for use within your group/congregation or pastoral charge. You are welcome to share the information with group participants who miss a session and want to catch up. For all other sharing, please ask permission.
- First on this page, you will find the Leader Guide.
- Then you will find the papers for each session and the participant take home sheets.
- Finally, you will find Session Resources referred to in the Leader Guide, including an icon of this series and a customizable poster you can use in promoting the study in posters and online.
The print files are available in PDF version. You can download and save these to your computer.Please, if you have any issues with downloading or opening files email me and I will do whatever I can to help or send you materials another way. Email Janice.
Leader’s Guide
Please note that all sessions are in one guide. The Guide also includes the Session papers and the Participant Take Home sheets. You’ll find them below as it might be easier to photocopy from separate files.
◊ Download and print the complete Leader’s Guide: Spirituality of Aging Leader Guide
Session Papers and Take Home Sheets
The five Session Papers written by Catherine Smith.
Spirituality of Aging #1 Invitation
Spirituality of Aging #2 Sounding Depth
Spirituality of Aging #3 Constrained & Freed
Spirituality of Aging #4 Attending Stories
Spirituality of Aging #5 Blessing
A file with the five Participant Take Home Sheets.
Spirituality of Aging Participant Take Home Sheets.
Session Resources
General Resources
- Download a Poster for this Small Group Study: POSTER: Fill in Your Date/Time Poster.
- Here is a jpeg image of the Study icon to use for your promotion of this study on social media: Spirituality of Aging Icon
- Email me if you would like me to email you the poster and icon.
- Here is a brief description for bulletins, newsletters or social media. Depending on how you use this resource, you can draw words from this general description. You might also want to review the longer description in the Prayer Bench Shop and learn more about the Prayer Bench Guest for this Study. See Spirituality of Aging.
A five week small group study where we talk about aging with courage, vulnerability and grace. This is not to ignore or deny the challenges of aging or the diminishments of our body and health, but through conversation, group spiritual practices and reflection we learn to grow through our aging and see how our lives become blessing in the world. This small group study is for all: the young, those in middle years, and for the elder. We are in every moment and circumstance choosing what to do with our “one wild and precious life.” (Mary Oliver.)
Audio Recording Introduction with the Rev. Dr. Catherine Smith. May be used for promotion on social media and websites. You might choose to use it instead during the first session to give an overview and meet Catherine. View it here: Introduction to Spirituality of Aging.
Session 1 Resources
Here is a Youtube video of sound of a heartbeat. Be sure to listen first and set where you need it to start.
Session 3 Resources
The Prayer of St. Anselm used in the Gathering, in case you want to print it for the group.
Here is the Denise Levertov short poem, Simeon’s Song.
More about the Christian Peacemakers. Article: The Peaceable Witness.
Session 4 Resources
An article and picture on the Kintsugi Bowls. What is Kintsugi?
Prayer Bench Spiritual Memoir Worship Series. First service is free to download.
Where to buy the Storymaking God song. Iona Books.
“Writing a Better Story” lyric video by Carrie Newcomer.
Session 5 Resources
The poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye.
Blessing Suggestions:
Taize song, Let Your Service Go in Peace. Or use the words, Let your servant/brother/sister, friend go in peace.
“May God’s Sheltering Wings,” #214 More Voices. Sing or use the words.
Scripture Blessings:
“Yet those who wait for God will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired,they will walk and not become weary.” – Isaiah 40:31
“The Lord bless you and keep you; may God make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; May God lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” — Number 6:24-26
Spoken Blessings – Invite participants to create a blessing to share with one another.
Feedback/ Evaluation
Here is a WORD document that you can use or adapt with your group. Evaluation-Spirituality Aging-Group (download WORD File.)
Here is an online Leader Evaluation you can use to offer feedback to the Prayer Bench. Your feedback is very important in shaping future studies. Take me to the online feedback form.
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