Mission Statement
The mission of Community of Joy is to be a local church with a worldwide vision. In particular, the church will emphasize a return to “mellow worship” as opposed to the current trend toward loud rock and roll music styles to please and attract youth.
The content and worship style is uniquely focused on adults 40 years old and above. This demographic group is made up of approximately 78 million boomers and another 24 million WW II generation seniors who have been largely marginalized and ignored by the 21st century church. Our emphasis and responsiveness to this adult group results in the use of softer hymns and choruses, the elimination of hard pounding drums, and the absence of screeching, electric guitar solos.
In the church across America, for every 50 paid youth pastors, there is but one adult or senior’s pastor. The budget of the church is spent primarily on music styles that are less than pleasing to this group, and on the youth department. While there has always been an historic need to capture young people for Christ, this should not be to the elimination of attention and resource for those who are nearing their eternity much sooner than the youth of today.
The adult/senior population in America today is facing a plethora of issues that are pandemic. Here is a quick list of critical issues occurring in this needy population:
1. 70 MILLION BOOMERS ABOUT TO TURN 50 WITH NO RETIREMENT PLAN
2. EVERY 7-8 SECONDS SOMEONE TURNS 50 WITH LIMITED FINANCES
3. 11,000 PER DAY EVERY DAY FOR THE NEXT 11 YEARS, MANY FACING DEBILITATING DEPRESSION
4. HIGHEST SUICIDE RATE IN AMERICA IS WHITE AMERICAN MEN AGE 60+
5. DIVORCE RATE AMONG COUPLES 65+ IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH, NEARLY DOUBLED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS
6. THE DIVORCE RATE IN COUPLES WHERE ONE HAS A SERIOUS ILLNESS IS OVER 85%
7. BANKRUPTCY FILINGS AMONG THOSE 65+ IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH
8. 80% OF WOMEN WILL BE WIDOWS FOR AN AVERAGE OF 18 YEARS
9. ONE THIRD OF ALL ALCOHOLICS IN THE U.S. ARE 65 OR OLDER
10. EMPTY NESTERS ARE LEAVING THE CHURCH AT AN ALARMING RATE
11. EPISODES OF HIV IN THOSE 60+ ARE INCREASING ALARMINGLY.
12. INCREASED INCIDENTS OF GRANDPARENTS RAISING THEIR GRANDCHILDREN FULL TIME.
13. BOOMERS MAY CRASH AND BURN SPIRITUALLY IF THERE IS NO INTERVENTION BY THE CHUIRCH TO HELP THEM FINISH WELL.
14. THE ONLY REAL HOPE IS FOR BOOMERS TO STAY CONNECTED TO THE CHURCH, FORM CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS, AND TO BE CONSISTENTLY FED BY THE WORD IN BIBLE STUDY.
More than any other group of Americans, these people need to find a foundation of sustaining Joy in their life and they need to find a Community of believers that will be responsive to their needs.
Community of Joy will be a haven for these people to find safety, accountability, relationships, Spiritual nurturing, friendships, and inspiration to face life with Joy.
We will teach and preach on these subjects.
We will respect their musical appetite and serve them with music that will feed their heart and soul as they have experienced and loved in past years.
We will design programs for them to easily connect with a Community of believers where they are known and can know others more intimately.
We will be available to counsel and assist those with crushing difficulties, family conflicts, regrets over episodes in their life, depression, and health issues.
We will be a place of faith where there is an expectation of healing in emotions and bodies, a positive outlook toward financial success, an ease in style that affords older adults an environment where they feel comfortable sharing their needs and asking for help.
We will be a place permeated with positive messages, uplifting teaching, laughter, and inspiration to face the difficulties in our current culture and in individual lives.
The mission is to be responsive to a particular demographic of people age 40 and above and to do everything possible to help them finish well. We will not exclude youth and young families, but we will bring balance with an equal commitment of time, energy, and money to those over 40.