Meeting the Spiritual Needs of Older Adults: A Successful Presbyterian Model

This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the motivations for and benefits of church attendance in the aged population. A survey of the active older members of a particular church was conducted in conjunction with a review of previous research on related subjects. These methods revealed that the primary and secondary motivations for church attendance were to worship and to fellowship, respectively. It was also found that church attendance plays a major role in the adjustment of the aged. However, attendance and participation are sometimes inadvertently discouraged by youth-oriented clergy. Churches can greatly contribute to the satisfaction of both the spiritual and social needs of their older members