Arts-Crafts-Hobbies

Many books of the Bible contain references to the existence of, and to the works of, craftsmen and artisans. Genesis 3:7, referring to Adam and Eve, says, "They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons," this being the first recorded example of man's use of his hands in creative craftsmanship.

 

Genesis records another story of creative craftsmanship:

 

In the beginning God created

the heavens and the earth;

the light -- divided from the darkness,

the sky above -- the water below gathered into oceans;

the dry land flourished with grass,

seed-bearing plants and

fruit trees;

bright lights in the sky -- the sun, moon, and stars

dividing the day and night,

marking the years and seasons;

the waters teeming with fish and other life

the sky filled with birds;

and every kind of animal inhabiting the earth;

And man and woman God made in His own image.

 

Reference is made in 1 Chronicles 4:14 (TLB) to "the inhabitants of Craftsman Valley (called that because many craftsmen lived there)."¹

 

Solomon's Temple and Palace Complex

 

The following construction and decorative specifications from Solomon's Temple and palace

complex give us insight into the role of the craftsman and artisan of that day:

 

The entire inside of the Temple, from floor to ceiling, was paneled with cedar, and the floors were made of cypress boards. Throughout the Temple the cedar paneling laid over the stone walls was carved with designs of rosebuds and open flowers.

 

The walls and ceiling of the inner sanctuary and of the Temple were overlaid with pure gold. A cedar wood altar was also made and overlaid with gold. Gold chains were fashioned to protect the entrance to the most holy place.

 

Within the inner sanctuary Solomon placed two statues of angels carved from olive wood, each fifteen feet high and measuring fifteen feet from wing tip to wing tip. The two angels were identical in size, and each was overlaid with pure gold. Figures of angels, palm trees, and open flowers were carved on all the walls of the Temple, and the floor was also overlaid with gold.

 

A man named Hiram, a skilled craftsman in bronze work, came from Tyre to work for King Solomon. He cast two hollow bronze pillars, each twenty-seven feet high and eighteen feet around, with four-inch-thick walls. On top of the pillars he placed two lily-shaped capitals of molten bronze. Each capital was decorated with seven sets of bronze, chain-designed lattices and four hundred pomegranates. Hiram set these pillars at the entrance of the Temple.

 

Hiram made many other functional and decorative palace items from burnished bronze, including large vats with moveable stands, oxen, pots, shovels, and basins.

 

All the utensils and furniture used in the Temple were made of solid gold, including the altar, the lampstands, the flowers, lamps, tongs, cups, snuffers, basins, spoons, firepans, the hinges of the doors to the most holy place, and the main entrance doors of the Temple.

 

Ruins of Ancient Caesarea

 

In the Spring of 1961, archaeologists uncovered beautiful mosaic art works in the ruins of ancient Caesarea, the port city built by Herod the Great ten years before the birth of Christ. Mosaics were widely known and used during early Christian times. The craft was no doubt known to Jesus.

 

Man's Desire and Ability to Create

 

Since the beginning of time, the ability to create has been a major factor in the progress of man. Created in the likeness of God, man has also the desire and the ability to create. From his very beginning he has expressed his personality and his dreams by using his creative skills. From these skills he has created better ways of living and ministering to the needs of himself and of his fellow­man.

 

Arts-Crafts-Hobby Defined

 

Arts, crafts, and hobbies may be defined as the involvement of an individual in the use of his hands to create, to form an expression of the culture of the moment. In so doing he expresses something of his own personality and experiences self-satisfaction and enjoyment and creates enjoyment for others who see that creation.²

 

Values in Arts-Crafts-Hobby Activities

 

There are many values to be derived by the individual who participates in arts-crafts-hobby activities. It has been found that working with the hands can bring healing to mental, emotional, and physical illnesses. It relieves tension, soothes, and restores. Creating an original design or producing a well-done craft object brings satisfaction in accomplishment. Planning a project and bringing it to satisfactory completion develops in the individual initiative, self-reliance, and orderly thinking. It gives to one a feeling of personal worth and respect, extremely valuable in the process of personality development.

 

Work in arts and crafts programs has brought purposeful activity to leisure moments otherwise empty or wasted in worthless activities. It has developed hobbies that have brought satisfaction to the worker or additional money to his pocket. It may have even provided him a means of making a living. Everyone, regardless of age or condition, can be directed to a more useful, enjoyable life by participating in some handcraft.

 

Creativity is Stressed in a Good Craft Program

 

"In the best recreative use of crafts, creativity is stressed. Creative does not necessarily mean 'pretty.' But it has to do with an individual creating/designing/making something that has meaning for him. The meaning could be the expression of an idea or an insight into himself or the experience gained through working with the materials."³

 

Not everyone is willing to take the initiative to be creative and do his own thing, nor is he or she interested in following directions of a step-by-step premanufactured craft. Some people have to be coaxed through an organized crafts program. It can be stated that most "people enjoy making things with their hands, but this urge to create will not flourish and develop until positive, promotional steps have been taken to organize and provide opportunities.⁴

 

Educators today stress some of the following educative values of arts and crafts:

 

"A government study shows that expression in the various art media can contribute to the education of children and young people by teaching them to solve problems in an original and imaginative way.

 

"The desired traits of originality, fluency, and flexibility are to a large part dependent upon opportunity to develop them. Creative art and crafts give needed experience in these areas.

 

"Madsen⁵ writes that to be resourceful and to be able to solve problems and create new ideas one must be able to think in abstract terms. She states that a creative mind can be developed by art activities that require problem solving, such as the practical, aesthetic, and constructive use of materials.

 

"A number of researchers have found that the act of creative thinking and action which are found in art experiences can enable a person to grasp the meaning of his own significance.

 

"The act of creating an object with one's own mind and hands is vital and stimulating. It is rewarding for the child, youth, or adult.

 

"Creating through arts and crafts helps one become aware of the world. Learning to 'see' the beauty of God's earth, rather than just 'looking' at it, can be a deeply spiritual experience."⁶

 

A Craft Program Can Be Offered by Any Size Organization

 

No matter what size a church membership is, an arts, craft, and hobbies program is possible and needed. There are people waiting to attend.

 

Craft activities offer a positive force for the membership of a church. It is not just an activity. It is a means of satisfying the urge to create, for "there is within every individual the basic drive of creativity." From this comes the basis for art, craft, and hobby activities. When a church provides programs which capitalize upon and give expression to this creativity, it is reasonable to expect that both the individual participant and the total church program will profit."⁷

 

Craft activities sponsored by a church will also prove to be a positive force in that church's outreach and ministry in the community. Dean Kaufman states: "Begin where a person is! Many people are lonely, bewildered, searching, and seeking something for fulfillment in their lives. Being sensitive to the above facts a church can provide a ministry through crafts that will not only relate the participants to being creative, but more than that, relate them to the Creator. Jesus had a unique way of beginning where a person was and turning the person's attention to his ministry of reconciliation."⁸

 

A Craft Program Provides Opportunity to Unwind and Adjust Emotionally

 

In addition, a church "has the responsibility of providing proper and adequate emotional adjustment and readjustment or 'unwinding' activities for its members and residents of the community. Christians have the responsibility of searching out those activities in the church which fulfill their emotional needs and give the gratification and satisfaction necessary for living life in a genuine Christian faith. A person who does not have proper 'unwinding' activities is on the brink of emotional disaster."⁹

 

Arts, crafts, and hobbies can be the type of activity to fulfill the need for "unwinding."

 

Following are some of the values to be realized by the participants of a church arts, crafts, and hobbies program.

 

It will bring joy to the individual as he develops his creative expression. It will serve as an outlet for self-expression, for relaxation, and for the relief of tension.

 

A Craft Program Provides a Place and Time for Fellowship

 

A crafts program will provide a place for Christian fellowship among kindred spirits involved in a common endeavor. It will provide opportunity for the constructive use of one's leisure. It will develop within the individual an understanding of and an appreciation for his craftsmanship skills.

 

A crafts program will help develop in the participant initiative, self-reliance, patience, perseverance, discipline - good habit traits.

 

An arts and crafts program is flexible in that it can achieve all of these benefits with one person at a time or with many persons at the same time in the context of a craft class or group craft project.

 

Objectives of Arts, Crafts, and Hobbies Program

 

Some objectives of an arts, crafts, and hobbies program in a church include an opportunity to teach the various craftsmanship skills, to guide persons in the achievement of greater fulfillment through creative leisure activities; to strengthen fellowship within the Christian community; to help participants become more aware of the Creator and his purposes for them; through the use of crafts in outreach and ministry to reach more people for Christ; and to provide yet another channel of interest through which the total ministry of a church may be extended to persons of every age and every need.

 

An arts, crafts, and hobbies program in a church will not only provide constructive and wholesome activities for members and prospective members of every age group, but will also offer them an additional place for ministry and service.

 

The use of arts, crafts, and hobbies can be of great benefit to the ongoing programs of a church.

 

Following are only a few of the possibilities:

 

With the Sunday School consider the use of arts and crafts activities in Vacation Bible School, Backyard Bible Clubs, day camps, for banquet decorations, and even in. the Bible teaching situation. In Church Training arts and crafts can make a significant contribution to retreats, celebrations, spectaculars, drama, and illustrations of the training activities themselves. In the Music Ministry arts and crafts can be a valuable aid in making ceramic statuettes or other objects for awards, posters for announcements, and musical instruments (drums and rhythm sticks). In support of the Mission Organizations, camp crafts and arts and crafts classes may be provided for the underprivileged.

 

For in-depth guidance in organizing and implementing craft activities in a church, read Using Craft Activities in the Church by Bob Sessoms (to be in Youthrec Library). Assistance in taking a crafts-interest survey and in enlisting and training leadership, together with specific guidance in the making of over one hundred crafts, is provided in this book. Chapters contain content on ceramics, candle making, macrame, decoupage, acrylics, stitchery, glass craft, seasonal crafts, recycled crafts, with a special section of craft ideas for day camp and Vacation Bible School.

 

Physical Fitness

 

Should a church provide positive leadership and programming to help its individual members develop and maintain good physical fitness? YES!

 

An encouraging trend on the part of the professional, business, and industrial communities is their interest in and emphasis on the fitness of their employees. They attest that company sponsored fitness programs help to reduce absenteeism, accidents, and sick pay and that employees in good physical condition are more alert and more productive, and their morale is higher.

 

It is Important for Christians to Maintain Good Health and Fitness

 

If these groups feel that in terms of employee productivity it is important to maintain good health and fitness, how much more important is it for the individual Christian to care for his physical body, which is the earthly resident of the Holy Spirit.

 

We read in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (TLB):"Don't you realize that all of you together are the house of God, and that the Spirit of God lives among you in His house? If anyone defiles and spoils God's home, God will destroy him. For God's home is holy and clean, and you are that home."¹¹

 

Yes, a church should encourage its members to take care of their physical bodies, but more than encourage them, it should provide guidance and program suggestions to help them achieve and maintain good health and fitness.

 

Physical fitness can be described as having good health.

 

We know that good health and fitness do not come automatically but must be developed and maintained by the individual on a regular, ongoing basis. Physical fitness is a program of conditioning the mind and body to function healthfully.¹²

 

Technically, physical fitness is a measure of the body's strength, stamina, and flexibility. It is the ability to perform daily work effectively without undue fatigue, to survive unexpected physical emergencies, and to have sufficient energy remaining to enjoy the recreational pursuits of leisure. In the psychological sense, physical fitness relates to how one looks and feels - mentally, emotionally, and physically.

 

Physical fitness must be studied and practiced from many angles. Basic to the development and maintenance of physical fitness by an individual are "proper nutrition, adequate rest, and relaxation, good health practices, good medical and dental care, combined with one other essential element: physical activity - exercise for a body that needs it."¹³

 

The late President John F.- Kennedy stated: "Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. The relationship between the soundness of the body and the activities of the mind is subtle and complex. Much is not yet understood. But we do know what the Greeks knew: that intelligence and skill can only function at the peak of their capacity when the body is healthy and strong; that hardy spirits and tough minds usually inhabit sound bodies.

 

"In this sense, physical fitness is the basis of all the activities of our society."¹⁴

 

The Ministry of Recreation in the Local Church Should Encourage Church Members to be Concerned About Their Physical Condition.

 

"The average American constitutes a horrible example of fitness. Physically, he (or she) is run down and a little on the pudgy side. He nibbles erratically on a grossly unbalanced diet, pollutes his body ventilating system with noxious gases, guzzles poisonous beverages by the gallons, and each day sits languidly before his television set some ten to fifteen times longer than he spends exercising his body."¹⁵

 

If the individual Christian and the community of Christians (the church) is to successfully accept the responsibility for making the gospel relevant to all persons in the human situation, we must be physically fit. "A program of fitness for all church members should be emphasized. It will help bring about an abundance of vitality, improved posture, bright and alert eyes, good muscle tone, a hearty appetite, and freedom from "that tired feeling," which so often plagues the inactive."^l6 It will help to assure the abundant life.

 

"The good life is freely available to all who will by faith accept the rich and satisfying and abundant life that is to be found only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Through obedience to the physical and spiritual and moral laws of God, you may experience for yourself the ultimate in total fitness."¹⁷

 

The brevity required in this discussion because of space limitations will not permit the presentation in detail of suggested approaches for use by a church or individuals in developing physical fitness. Following, however, are four steps that should be a part of any program:

 

A medical checkup by a physician prior to beginning any physical fitness program is mandatory and is the first step. Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., MPH, states: "No matter what your particular exercise aim may be, the most important thing is to achieve it safely. After all, you want to gain your health, not lose it. That's why a thorough physical examination should be the very first step on your road to fitness."¹⁸

 

The Diet

 

The fitness program chosen should major on at least the two following areas: exercise and diet. So this brings up the second step, the diet.

 

Diet fads won't do it. One must find a diet that he can live with from now on. Here are a few tips.

1.    Stay away from fats and sweets. Stick with lean meats, fish, fresh fruit and fresh (or frozen) vegetables.

2.    If there is a cholesterol problem, avoid whole milk or anything heavier, like cream. Drink skimmed milk or buttermilk.

3.    In cooking , use polyunsaturated oils or margarine rather than butter.¹⁹

 

Exercise

 

"The only exercise that does you any good is the exercise you get today."²⁰ This statement by E. Eugene Greer introduces step 3 of a suggested program of physical fitness - exercise.

 

The needs of the human body have not changed. Muscles are meant to be used. When they are not used, or not used enough, they deteriorate. If one is habitually inactive - if he succumbs to the philosophy of easy living - he must then pay the price in decreased efficiency.

 

Supporting the need for vigorous exercise in a physical fitness program is this observation by a former president of the American Medical Association: "It begins to appear that exercise is the master conditioner for the healthy and the major therapy for the ill."²¹

 

There are several types of fitness programs to be considered in the selection of an approach to exercise.

 

Aerobics

 

"Aerobics (ptonounced:  a-er-o biks) refers to a variety of exercises that stimulate heart and lung activity for a time period sufficiently long to produce beneficial changes in the body. Running, swimming, cycling, and jogging - these are typical aerobic exercises.

 

"The main objective of an aerobic exercise program is to increase the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can process within a given time. This is called your aerobic capacity. It is dependent upon the ability to (1) rapidly breathe large amounts of air, (2) forcefully deliver large volumes of blood, and (3) effectively deliver oxygen to all parts of the body. In short, it depends upon efficient lungs, a powerful heart, and a good vascular system. Because it reflects the conditions of these vital organs, the aerobic capacity is the best index of overall physical fitness."²²

 

But what is aerobics? The following acrostic contains key clues:

 

A         er-o-bic (a er-o bik) Living or .active only in presence of oxygen.

 

E         xercise which places demands for copious supplies of oxygen upon the body over an extended (15 minutes or more) period of time.

 

R         egular schedule of physical activity involving most of the body's major muscle teams of at least I5-minute duration on 5 or 6 days a week.

 

O         xygen, the energy-producing fuel delivered abundantly throughout the body during extended "total body" exertion as fast as it is required.

 

B         lood supplies, enlarged and provided more adequately to the body by a stronger heart, more efficient lungs and an improved system of blood vessels due to the "training effect" which exercise produces.

 

I           ndividually adjusted patterns of walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, handball, etc., to fit a person's schedule, liking, capabilities, and limitations.

 

C         onditioning of the body's cardiovascular system (heart, lungs, and blood vessels), enabling it to withstand long-term exhaustive fatigue.

 

S         tamina, developed throughout the body, providing strength, vitality and resilience for living bountifully.

 

"All of the above is described and documented in Aerobics, written by Dr. Cooper. It carries an essential message needed for those who seek the abundant life physically as well as spiritually. In fact, I have put it this way to many persons:

 

            Before a person lives and dies facing eternity without Jesus Christ as Savior, he owes it to himself to read John, chapter 3;

 

and

 

Before a person lives out his life in physical debility and weakness, he owes it to himself to read Aerobics, chapter 7.

 

"For, you see, in each case there is an alternative, a monumental alternative. Faith in Christ is the main, basic alternative, and zestful physical health is the other."²³

 

Jogging

 

Jogging has special advantages for adults. First, it's simple, requires no extensive skills, is convenient, and involves a minimum of time each week.

 

" ... it is an excellent exercise from a physiological point of view because it places the moderate stress on the cardiovascular system and respiratory system so important to general health.

 

" ••• and the reason jogging is different - is that it alternates running and walking. This makes it possible to control the degree of exertion by controlling the distance, speed of running, and amount of walking.

 

"To summarize: jogging is a graduated program of moderate exercise which can be adapted to men and women of varying ages and levels of fitness."²⁴

 

Calisthenics

 

Calisthenics. - "Performed daily, these exercises will develop strength and muscle tone, but they do little to develop endurance. Therefore, they should be followed by strenuous continuous exercise ­running, bicycling, or stepping up and down from a bench or chair."²⁵

 

Calisthenics are useful in building muscle tone with exercises such as situps, pushups, and straddle hops. They are essential exercises for warm-up or cooling off after strenuous activities like jogging, tennis, handball, and other vigorous sports.

 

Weight lifting

 

Weight lifting can be identified with two forms of muscle development - isometrics and isotonics.

 

Isometrics.

 

Isometrics. - "Isometric exercises contract muscles without producing movement or demanding appreciable amounts of oxygen.....

 

"Isometric exercises are capable of increasing the size and strength of individual skeletal muscles, but they have no significant effect on overall health, especially on the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. There is no increase in oxygen consumption and, consequently, minimal if any training effect."²⁶

 

Istonics.

 

Istonics. - "Isotonics exercises contract muscles and produce movement. Popular examples are calisthenics and weight lifting, and some of the mild participant sports like shuffleboard, archery, and horseshoes."²⁷

 

One concludes, then, that although both isometrics and isotonics (weight lifting) help to build the muscles of the body, they have very little effect of the heart or lungs.

 

Now, there is one other step to consider in our "four step program for physical fitness": things one must avoid if he is to develop a healthy body and maintain good physical fitness. To be physically fit, one must avoid alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, and sexual promiscuity.

 

The church definitely has a responsibility to guide its members in their approach to good health and physical fitness. As it organizes to provide an overall approach to church recreation, it should give attention to this vital human need.

 

THERAPEUTIC RECREATION

 

Many churches today are providing ministries to persons of special need: the blind, deaf, retarded, emotionally maladjusted, crippled, and otherwise handicapped. Recreation can make an essential contribution to these ministries.

 

"Recreation, as a therapeutic force in helping the ill and disabled to recover and as a rehabilitative measure in different kinds of institutions and programs, is gaining prestige rapidly. Such services are found in hospitals, particularly neurophychiatric and children's hospitals, in camps for handicapped children, in homes or institutions for the aging, and the like. These recreational efforts are integrated with those of the medical profession and involve knowledge of illnesses and disabilities as well as recreation techniques and skills. What is offered is geared to the interest, medical need, and competency of the patient or member. Every attempt is made to approach the normalcy of living conditions to which the recipient of the recreation should eventually return.

 

A Wide Range of Recreation Opportunities can be Offered

 

"Depending upon the nature of the illness or disability, a wide range of recreation opportunities is offered in social activities, games, crafts, hobbies, music, drama, motion pictures, entertainment and sports. Program offerings are, of course, adapted to fit the need just as adaptation are made in facilities and equipment and in instructional or leadership techniques. In some cases specific forms of recreation are prescribed. In others, patients are cleared medically for participation. Freedom of choice (within medical limitations) of recreation by the patient or member is of paramount importance.

 

Recreation Has Several Roles To Play in Therapeutic Recreation

 

"In this kind of setting, recreation has several roles to play. Among them are helping the individual to get well, helping him find recreational outlets which are personally satisfying and which he can continue throughout life, and helping him to live a useful and normal life in society. In the case of children who find themselves in camps for the handicapped (blind, deaf, orthopedic, diabetic, cardiac cases, and the like) recreation also becomes a medium of education and learning as well as a means of enriched living and social adjustment."²⁸

 

Larry Jackson, a professor of Church Recreation, and a former Minister of Church Recreation, says: "Church recreation can be an inexpensive therapist. Today hospitals are finding that play and recreational activities can be used as a tool in the rehabilitation of emotionally disturbed persons. The church can see recreation used therapeutically also.

 

"In the use of play as a therapeutic tool there have been several discoveries. First, games and other recreational activities provide an avenue for involvement - people-to-people involvement. Second, through the use and development of recreational skills, one communicates with others, thus developing relationships. A person's need for physical exercise, for relief of emotion, for testing one's self-image, and for channeling natural competitive urges are met. Third, games and other recreational activities can be used as tools for sharpening the decision-making process. Within specific games many decisions have to be made quickly; hopefully, persons learn from their mistakes. Fourth, play activities provide a setting for people to help other people. Softball players help younger players to develop skills. One person who has learned the game of chess helps another person understand the game. Simply put, people are helping people.

 

"Many psychiatrists believe that recreation on the participation level has a great contribution to make, not only in helping people get well after disintegrating emotional breakdowns, but also in helping people keep well. In other words recreation can be therapeutic but it can also be preventive"²⁹

 

Dorothy Jackson, a Christian social worker, suggests that the church can, through recreation, make a significant contribution to the rehabilitation of our mentally retarded millions:

 

"The recreation director and staff of the local church can seek out the leadership for a recreation program for retardates, or they can lead the program themselves.

 

"The church may not contain within itself a sufficient number of pupils and adults to warrant such a program. In this case, the group may have to be community-oriented with the church as the 'hub' or focal point.

 

"The first task would be to enlist workers whose principal talents would have to be patience and endurance. The church may have professional members such as doctors, psychologists, social workers, and teachers who could guide and assist in the program.

 

"Once it is known that a program of recreation for the retarded has been established, there will be no problem in finding participants. They will pop up from everywhere. Notify day care centers for the retarded, special education classes at school, and local agencies dealing with retardates. An ad placed in the neighborhood newspaper should bring results.

 

What do you do after you have the participants?

 

The next step is to group the participants as much as possible according to mental age, chronological age, and physical and social skills. Once this is done, there is a wide variety of things to do. Games and toys designed for definite chronological age groups can be used with the same mental age group. This explains how the chronological forty-­two-year-old Mary can enjoy rocking her doll. Once we realize that Mary's mental age is six or seven years, we understand why she enjoys some of the activities of a six-or seven-year-old 'normal' child.

 

"A retardate with a higher mental age will enjoy games requiring more skills, such as checkers, card games, and puzzles. Some would be skilled even in the mathematical games such as Chutes and Ladders or dominoes. The list is endless. Hikes, picnics, and field trips to the fire station, the church, a bottling plant, a bakery, or a department store are especially good for retardates who live in institutions. Any exposure to community living is preparation for lives of their own 'outside' the confines of their sheltered environments.

 

Provide Physical Exercise if Possible

 

"A program of physical gymnastic exercise would be good if facilities are available. There .are wonderful opportunities in the area of camping, fishing, and boating. Music, singing, and rhythm groups are excellent for group participation. Retardates are often too self-centered for a team sport such as basketball or volleyball, but they can be encouraged. Track events, however, are very good physical outlets for the retardate,

 

"An institutionalized retardate would consider a day in a private home almost as play. Sweeping, dusting, washing dishes, and setting the table can be fun. Learning to use the phone, recognizing street warnings, operating the vacuum cleaner or washing machine, or cooking an egg could be as delightful an experience as a day at the circus.

 

"Recreation can take place anywhere, anytime, with one person or one hundred. If the retardate can't come to the program at the church, then the church can take the program to the retardate. Institutions welcome a helping hand especially in the area of recreation."³⁰

 

Jesus provided an example for us in His ministry to people in need of physical, mental, or emotional mending. He gave the blind man vision; for the lame man He restored his ability to walk, and for the demon-possessed He provided new emotional and mental stability.

 

The church has a unique opportunity to minister to persons of special need through recreation therapy, and in so doing it ministers to the totality of that person.

 

LEISURE FOR SENIOR ADULTS

 

Someone once said, "You do not quit playing because you grow old. You grow old because you quit playing."

 

Today, in the United States there are approximately 60,000,000 people sixty years of age and over. This is one senior adult for every seven persons of the total population.

 

Conservatively, 43,000,000 of these persons sixty and over, or about 8 percent of all senior adults, are Southern Baptists. Matching the number of senior adults to the total church membership figures, one finds that more than 18 percent of all Southern Baptists are senior adults.

 

To the church, then, an important factor represented in the growth of our senior adult population is the number of discretionary hours that each person has upon retirement. These senior adults will naturally look to their church for assistance and services in applying this discretionary time to their many different leisure-oriented interests.

 

Recreation is one of the most effective tools today to help older people live and enjoy more meaningful and productive lives. "The aging individual who has an absorbing interest in some phase of recreation possesses a rich asset in his declining years which can help sustain life and make it richer for himself and those about him."³¹

 

Dr. Carol Lucas writes: "..... recreational activities must be meaningful to the retired person, for if he feels an artificiality in his endeavor he will become more keenly aware of his uselessness and the experience will increase his rate of deterioration. rather than restoring his zest for living.

 

"Channeled with imagination and under­standing, the older adult's need for recreational activity can provide the stimulation that is essential to the preservation of mental, physical, emotional and social vigor."³²

 

Many churches today are giving attention to the special considerations and techniques necessary in organizing, planning, and conducting recreation activities for senior adults. Excellent progress has been made in the programming of these activities. Following are several examples of this type effort quoted from "How to ..... Senior Adult Recreation. "³³

 

Retreats or Camps

 

Senior adults love to go to camps and retreats!  Why not schedule a camp or retreat with your group? Many Baptist State Conventions and Associations have camps and retreats scheduled each summer just for senior adults. Some state and federal programs have excellent camps scheduled each summer for them. Maybe your adults would like to plan their own camp just for themselves. Another possibility would be to combine senior adult groups from several churches and plan a camp or retreat.

 

Bus Tours

 

All parts of the United States and Canada provide a good area for bus tours for senior adults in the summer. Such a project takes a great deal of planning and involves a larger expense than the other activities mentioned, but it can be very meaningful. Contact a commercial bus line, and secure their help in planning such a trip.

 

Camp-outs

 

More and more senior adults are purchasing camping trailers and tents. They are taking to the highways to see places they have never seen before. Why not schedule a camp-out for senior adults? Select a site, and plan a schedule which will bring the campers together for activities during the camp-out. The group could share meals, recreational activities, devotional times, and Bible study. The length of time for a scheduled camp-out should be determined by mobility of the group's equipment. If more than a week is scheduled, the group may want to include more than one campsite.

 

Dramas and Musicals

 

Many senior adults have talent that can be used in dramatical or musical productions. A challenge to them here can uncover a great time of fellowship and a feeling of accomplishment. Some groups may want to do a serious drama, while another group may want to do comedy. One group may want to use an existing drama, while another group may want to write their own. With your own group you can produce an adaptation of existing works to the delight of the audience as well as to the performers. The musical has been used by senior adults with great success. The field to draw from is vast: Broadway musicals, television productions, movies, plays, and even fairy tales are excellent sources. Enlist from senior adults not only actors and singers, but musicians, technicians, costume personnel, ushers, ticket sellers, publicity personnel, and set design personnel.

 

The productions might be taken outdoors to a park, and amphitheater, or a vacation campsite.

 

A Bike Hike

 

This activity is not for every senior adult, but for those who may want to participate, it can be a meaningful experience. Select a scenic area for your group, and schedule lots of time and a slow pace.

 

Flower Show

 

"What better time of the year to have a flower show than in the summer? Announce the categories for awards several months in advance of your show date and then encourage your senior adults to work with their flowers and to enter them in the show. Your group may want to invite other senior adult groups in the community to join them in the show. The date of the show can be at a regular senior adult meeting time or at an all-church fellowship."³⁴

 

Senior Adult-Youth Mission Tours

 

On the surface, this activity might look as if it would be headed for real conflict, but those who have tried it have discovered that these two age groups work well together. The maturity of the senior adults and the zeal of the youth blend together to make an effective team. Senior adults may serve as Bible teachers, craft directors, cooks, sponsors, or teachers. In the development of this plan, be sure that both groups feel equal in importance. Nothing is more heartwarming than to see the development of a Christian bond between youth and senior adults on such a trip.

 

Mission Day Camps and VBS

 

Several senior adult groups have been very effective in their leadership of mission day camps and Vacation Bible Schools. Included in most senior adult groups in Baptist churches are good, experienced Bible teachers, storytellers, handwork leaders, and administrators. Why not use this talent in a mission area? Secure a place of service,  challenge and enlist your senior adults, do some training and planning, get your church to pray for them, and then get busy with a very meaningful and happy day camp or VBS conducted by senior adults.

 

Mission Work Projects

 

Almost every senior adult has been actively involved in a vocation throughout his adult life. For many senior adults, their recent years have meant retirement from their vocations. Other senior adults have had hobbies through the years through which they have become skilled craftsmen. Why not organize these skills and crafts of senior adults and use them in a mission work project?

 

"The men can build buildings, drill wells, repair missionaries' houses, plant grass, landscape church sites, pour concrete, make church furniture, and repair church buses. They can also teach the men on the mission site their skills, enabling the local people to continue the project.

 

"The women can clean buildings, help with landscaping, repair choir robes, make hospital robes, make curtains, help with painting, prepare meals for the workmen, teach literacy classes, tutor, and teach sewing classes.

 

"The potential of this group is limited only by the number of senior adults who can be motivated to participate. Many needs can be fulfilled by a skilled senior adult. Mission work projects can be short-term or on a year-round continuing program."³⁵

 

Following is a listing of other program activities of interest to and for use with senior adults:

 

Special Features

 

Trips to "Yesterday" - reminiscing, sharing pictures

Amateur shows

Secret pals

"Do-it-yourself"

Old-fashioned spelling bees

Remodeling day (showing off made-over clothing)

Adopted grandparents

Community sings

My favorite poem or prose

Historical afternoon (tales of childhood)

Baby show (displaying baby pictures)

"What's your hobby?"

Movies of the local group activities

International emphasis

Circus day

Keepsake day

Recording party (to send their children on Mother's Day)

Candlelight super

Hobby show

Puppet show

Seasonal parties

Fashion show (dressing in clothes worn thirty-five years ago)

Making candy, popcorn, muffins

Travelogues

 

Hobbies and Handcrafts

 

Quilting

Photography

Whittling

Sculpture

Weaving

Needlepoint

Knitting

Model construction

Poetry and story writing

Crocheting

Pets

Sewing

Metal enameling

Ceramics

Leather craft

Woodworking

Basketry

Rug-making

Metal tooling

China painting

Jewelry making

Millinery

Flower arranging

 

Cultural Activities

 

Adult education classes

Concerts

Visits to art gallery, museum

Lectures

Painting

Library

Bird walks and nature study

Storytelling

Bible study

Reading aloud

Records

Book reviews

Debates

Music lessons

Choral practice

Band practice (using regular instruments or kazoos or recorders or flutes)

Forums

Language study

 

Indoor Activities

 

Singing - group
Special mental games

Slides and movies

Quiet games

Skittles

Active games

Chess, checkers, etc.

Dramatics

Table shuffleboard

Bowling

Other table games

Putting out a newsletter

 

Outdoor Activities

Trips - industries, parks, shopping

Picnics

Croquet

Horseshoes

Swimming

Hiking

Softball or baseball

Quoits

Camping

Retreats

Holiday outings

Rides - auto or boat

Fishing and fly casting

 

Service Projects

 

Home nursing

Collecting, assorting, and repairing clothing for needy people

Making scrapbooks for shut-ins and sick children

Keeping current athletic uniforms in repair

Helping in clinics during health drives

Visiting the sick in nursing homes

Friendly visits to shut-ins

Repairing toys

Preparing bandages

Helping educate retarded children

Playing "Santa" for shut-ins

Christmas shopping and gift wrapping for hospital patients

Raising plants for invalids at Easter

Providing information staff for a booth in local park during tourist season

Giving a party for a group who did something for them

Arranging flowers for the church

Mending choir robes and athletic uniforms

Folding church bulletins

Preparing mailings of various kinds for the church

Helping with costumes and properties for church drama

Directing handcrafts for younger age groups

Mailing church bulletins and personal notes to servicemen

Mailing news of the church to college students

Assembling data for church history

Telephoning church members in special contact efforts

Visiting newcomers to community, inviting them to church

Assisting in physical therapy for accident, stroke, and cerebral palsy victims

 

Footnotes

¹"The Bible verses marked "TLB" or The Living Bible are taken from The Living Bible, Paraphrased (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971), and are used by permission.

²Sessoms, Bob. Adapted from the "Arts and Crafts Base Design." The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1976. p. 1

³Howell, Sarah Smith. From "Crafts for Creativity," Church Recreation Magazine, April/May/June, 1971. © Copyright 1971. The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

⁴The Recreation Program (Chicago: The Athletic Institute, 1954), p. 17.

⁵Madsen, Edna. "How Creative Potential Is Developed," Arts and Activities LVIII, (September, 1965),  

6Howell, Sarah Smith. Ibid.

⁷Boyd, Bob. Recreation for Churches (Nashville: Convention Press, 1967), p. 87.

⁸Kaufman, Dean. "Reaching People Through Crafts," Reaching People Through Recreation (Nashville: Convention Press, 1973), p. 83.

⁹Boyd, Bob, Ibid., p. 84.

¹⁰ Sessoms. The following discussion on the values, objectives, and benefits of a crafts program has been adapted from the" Arts and Crafts Base Design." Ibid.

¹¹The Living Bible. lbid.

¹²Sessoms, Bob. Adapted from the "Physical Fitness Base Design." The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1976. p. 1.

¹³Adapted from Adult Physical Fitness, prepared by the President's Council on Physical Fitness (Washington, D.C. Ll.S. Government Printing Office, 1973), p. 5.

¹⁴Walsh, john. The First Book of Physical Fitness (New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1961), p. v.

¹⁵Hunton, Richard E., M.D. Formula for Fitness (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1966), p. 7.

¹⁶Walsh. Ibid., p. 7.

¹⁷Hunton. Ibid., p. 160

¹⁸Cooper, Kenneth H. The New Aerobics (New York: M. Evans and Company, Inc., 1970), p. 21.

¹⁹Cooper, Kenneth. Aerobics (New York: M. Evans and Company, Inc., 1968), pp. 136-140.

²⁰Creer, E. Eugene. Toward Physical Excellence for the Glory of God (Fort Worth: Harvest Press Incorporated, 1976), p. 135.

²¹Adult Physical Fitness. lbid., p. 6.

²²Cooper. The New Aerobics. Ibid. pp. 15-16.

²³Greer, E. Eugene. "Aerobics: What Is It?" Church Recreation Magazine, April/May/June, 1974. © Copyright 1976. The Baptist Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

²⁴Bowerman, William J. and Harris, W.E. Jogging (New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1967), p. 5.

²⁵Hunton, p. 50.

²⁶Cooper. Aerobics. Ibid., pp. 16-17.

²⁷Ibid., p. 19.

²⁸Meyer, Harold D. and Brightbill, Charles K. Recreation Administration (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1956), p. 18.

²⁹Jackson, J. Larry. "Play Is Therapy," Church Recreation Magazine, April/May/June, 1967 © Copyright 1976. The Baptist Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

^3OJackson, Dorothy. Adapted from "Recreation Program for the Retarded," Church Recreation Magazine, July/ August/September, 1975. © Copyright 1975. The Baptist Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

³¹Meyer and Brightbill. Ibid.. p. 19.

³²Lucas, Carol. Recreation in Gerontology (Springfield, Ill., Charles C. Thomas, Publisher, 1964), p. 12.

³³Carlson, Adelle. "How to ... Senior Adult Recreation" Pamphlet. © Copyright 1970, The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

³⁴Beaty, Dewayne. "Senior Adult Recreation in the Summer," Church Recreation Magazine, July/August/September, 1974. © Copyright 1974. The Baptist Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. All rights reserved, Used by permission.

³⁵Beaty, Dwayne. "Senior Adults - On Tours for Mission and Outreach," Church Recreation Magazine, January/February/March, 1976. © Copyright 1976. The Baptist Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

³⁶Carison, op. cit, 

Organization, Working with Committees in the Church Recreation Program

Complete Guide To Church Recreation  an eighty page booklet on church recreation that gives direction and information on planning for parties, banquets, fellowships, puppets, drama, camping, day camping, trips, senior adult activities, therapeutic recreation and much more.