Third Third Resources to Help Pastors and Their Churches

Earlier this week I led a workshop for a national gathering of pastors. My subject, as you might guess, was church ministry with people in the third third of life. My workshop was entitled, “Unlocking the Third Third Potential of Your Church: How to get started helping those age 55 and over live fruitful lives as disciples of Jesus.” I was pleasantly surprised to have a standing-room-only crowd, which suggested to me, “This stuff really matters to pastors and churches.” 

Before I started speaking, I asked those who had gathered what they most wanted to get out of the workshop. Some wanted biblical and theological insights. Others were looking for new ways to think about ministry with older adults. But the majority of pastors were eager to get practical guidance. They wanted tools to help them get going in service to their third third folk. They were looking for hands-on ways for their church to grow in this crucial ministry.

In my workshop, I did provide biblical/theological framing for this work as well as new ways to think about third third ministry. But then I spent a good bit of time offering practical guidance and highlighting some particularly valuable resources. In this article for The Pastor’s Workshop, I want to share with you some resources I believe will be especially helpful to you as a pastor and also to the folks in your church. (I sure wish these had been available when I was a parish pastor. They would have helped me immensely.)

Second Half of Life Study

Brain Rules for Aging Well: 10 Principles for Staying Vital, Happy, and Sharp, by John Medina. This book, written by a brain scientist, is a popular and delightful presentation of ways that contemporary neuroscience helps us to be healthier and happier as we get older. There is so much to learn here! This is not a “Christian book” in the obvious sense, though the content is certainly compatible with Christian faith. John Medina in addition to being a leading scientist is also an articulate Christian.

De Pree Center Resources for Third Third Flourishing

Before I sign off, I’d like to share with you some of the De Pree Center’s resources, most of which are suitable both for pastors and for third third folks.

Free, online resources. The majority of our resources are available without cost on our website. These include: Third Third Life (monthly e-newsletter), Third Third articles (81 and counting), webinars, both new and recorded (10 and counting), and curated resources (made by others and recommended). You can find all of these resources here.

Flourishing in the Third Third of Life Course. A great way for your church to inform and inspire your third third members as well as folks from your community. This is a six-session, video-based course that’s perfect for adult classes and small groups as well as individual learning. Each session includes: a 30-minute lecture on a key topic and, in the extensive workbook, small group questions, a detailed lecture summary, a personal study guide, devotions, and recommended resources. A church can license the course for unlimited use for $125 (offer many times to as many people as you wish). Each course participant pays $10.99 for the digital workbook. Scholarships are available if needed. Learn more here.

Third Third Flourishing Cohorts. Here’s a chance for third third folk to go deeper in their understanding and practice of third third flourishing. Based on the material from the course, the flourishing cohort offers a setting for personal reflection, group interaction, and practical application. Cohorts consist of six, Zoom-based, two-hour meetings led by a trained, experienced guide.

An in-depth workbook supports the gatherings and suggests lots of experiences for personal growth outside of the meetings. The basic cost for the cohort is $500 per person, with scholarship funding available. Partnerships with churches can facilitate a lower-cost option. Note: The cohort and the course are thematically related but can be taken independently or in any order. By the way, our next round of cohorts begins in March. Check out our website to learn more.

As I mentioned above, most of what we produce at the De Pree Center is available for free. We charge for certain things, like courses and cohorts, in a way that is similar to how a school charges for classes and other experiences. The De Pree Center is a non-profit entity, part of Fuller Seminary. We are funded by donors, grants, and income from our for-sale resources. All of our income funds our programs and personnel.

Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders, and the founder of the De Pree Center’s Flourishing in the Third Third of Life Initiative.

Previously, Mark was the Executive Director of the De Pree Center, the lead pastor of a church in Southern California, and the Senior Director of Laity Lodge in Texas. He has written eight books, dozens of articles, and over 2,500 devotions that help people discover the difference God makes in their daily life and leadership.

With a Ph.D. in New Testament from Harvard, Mark teaches at Fuller Seminary, most recently in his D.Min. cohort on “Faith, Work, Economics, and Vocation.” Mark is married to Linda, a marriage and family counselor, spiritual director, and executive coach. Their two grown children are educators on the high school and college level.

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