by Soo-Inn Tan | Jul 12, 2024 | 2024, Aging, Meaning & Purpose, Third Agers
Any reflection on work with Third Agers (those 60 and older) must begin by remembering their humanity. Third Agers are not aliens or cyborgs. They are human beings and so share the needs of all human beings. The Need for Community It is not good for...
by Soo-Inn Tan | Jul 5, 2024 | 2024, Intergenerational, Spiritual Friendship, Third Agers, Work & Vocation
I had breakfast with a dear friend a few days ago. He is about 10 years my junior. He said he struggled with fatigue because of the many duties he had and that he took longer to recover from the things he had to do. I said that sounded exactly like me. We both...
by Soo-Inn Tan | Jun 7, 2024 | 2024, Aging, Community, Meaning & Purpose, Third Agers
You know you may be speaking at a seniors’ fellowship meeting when: They ask if you need to go to the washroom before you start. You start your talk with a reference to your recent colonoscopy. In a discussion as to what we will be doing just before we go...
by Soo-Inn Tan | Mar 29, 2024 | 2024, Articles, Authors, Loving Others, Soo-Inn Tan, Spiritual Friendship, Young Adult Ministry
In recent conversations with my friends in youth ministry, one theme keeps emerging. They tell me that more and more youth are grappling with depression and this often leads to self-harm. Some threaten suicide. And some succeed in carrying it out. This was brought...
by Soo-Inn Tan | Mar 22, 2024 | 2024, Community, Loving Others, Small Groups
How committed are your small-group members? This year I will have a number of opportunities to teach on healthy small groups. I will probably teach about the commitments test. There are at least three levels that small-group members are committed to in their...
by Soo-Inn Tan | Mar 15, 2024 | 2024, Community, Spiritual Friendship
I am in the Malaysia Theological Seminary (STM) for a few days, to teach an intensive course on spiritual friendship and it made me think of old friends. STM was a school that made me feel welcomed and allowed me to work with them at a very difficult point in...