A reporter for the local newspaper was doing a story on our church's building plans. Offhandedly he asked if we were doing anything to connect with the enormous new retirement center being built in our community. It hit me.

"You've asked exactly the question I should've asked a long time ago," I said, feeling rather foolish, "but it never occurred to me."

A few weeks later, I was visiting with a seminary student in our church about what kind of ministry he might be seeking. "I know it sounds kind of strange," he said, "but I'd either like to work with youth or senior adults."

I mentioned that conversation to one of our elders, an executive working with retirement communities. "Senior adults are the forgotten ministry," he said, with enormous passion. "It's a big lie that everyone comes to Christ before they're 18. We've seen 30 or 40 senior adults converted in the last year in our facilities."

As pastor, I began to realize something was afoot, and almost blurted out "coincidence" before I ...