Why? Because younger leaders are more prone to frustration with the system and—due to inexperience—leave prematurely. Therefore the church, justifiably so, goes after the gray hairs. Older youth workers know the grass isn't greener elsewhere—plus they know that wherever they go, the grass has to be cut!

Stages of Development

Whether it's infancy, middle to late childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, life development stages are pertinent to emotional growth. Each stage contains biological, psychological, socioemotional and cognitive dimensions—and these dimensions are signposts for what individuals can expect during specific life periods.

Psychiatrist Roger Gould, in his seminal work on adult development, gives a description of seven stages. Stages four through seven are most relevant to youth workers:

Stage Age Development

• 29-34 Questioning self; role confusion; marriage and career vulnerable to dissatisfaction

• 35-43 Period of urgency to attain life goals; aware of time limitations; realignment of life goals

• 43-53 Settling down; acceptance of ones life

• 53-60 More tolerance; acceptance of past; less negativism; general mellowing

Many of you reading these words are middle adults—between the ages of 35 and 43 (and sometimes even into your 60s). According to researchers, you're generally concerned with making a difference in the world, maintaining your careers and rearing children.

Daniel Levinson views midlife as a "crisis," thus the term midlife crisis that gets thrown around so much. It's a time when adults are suspended between the past and the future—and for some, it's an intense struggle. It can be a time of stress, disillusionment and questioning. Levinson also likens midlife to adolescence (sound familiar?) when adults ask complex questions: Who am I? Where have I missed it? Is this what I want to do with the rest of my life?

Aging beyond midlife doesn't have to be traumatic. Gail Sheehy—in her best-selling 1995 book New Passages—sees the 50s as a time of hope, optimism, freedom and new adventures. The "Flaming Fifties," as she calls them, can be a decade of reminders, laughter, challenges and discovery. While you're reminded of your mortality, you also can experience positive self-reflection and feel young again. It's when many ship off the kids and enter an "empty nest"—often a joyous experience and a time for rekindling the marriage relationship.

Where do you fit into the developmental continuum? Again, it's important to understand the typical patterns of your stage so you know what to expect as you go through your life and ministry.

Youth Ministry and Aging

What are the negatives and positives of being an older youth worker? Here's what the men and women I interviewed had to say.

The Bad