North of 85 and Going Strong
Wes Wick
How do you say ‘no’ to an 85/86-year-old couple with a God-given passion to help smaller churches?
We could just view them as anomalies, or we might let their example help move our expectation bar much higher.
If they and others in their eighties can still accomplish so much, maybe I’m too young to hit the brake pedal!
Stan & Julie Wagner, through their ministry, SeedOne, have raised millions of dollars and have tackled over 200 projects, both domestic and international—primarily assisting smaller churches that need an infusion of labor and expertise.
Stan admits that he has now backed away from most of the physical labor, but he & Julie are the driving force in pulling these projects and work teams together—with lots of help from those younger.
At this particular Santa Cruz, California project, “those younger” included 80-year-old Walter. More than a decade older and wiser than me, I couldn’t keep up with him.
While Stan & Julie have learned the art of downshifting, they clearly still have their foot on the gas pedal, eager to share about upcoming projects in Bolivia and Northern California.
I recently had the joy of serving a day with the SeedOne crew in their week-long backyard makeover at New Hope Community Church. Both new and returning volunteers came from multiple churches in California and Nevada... mostly skilled construction volunteers in their forties to eighties, about half of them vocationally retired and the others still employed.
It was amazing to see all they accomplished, pouring a huge patio, installing fencing, building/painting a new shed, and painting another one.
Stan didn’t start out in construction but earlier pastored several small rural churches. Necessity led him into a variety of church-related construction projects.
We don’t all have construction skills or the physical agility to serve on a work crew like this, but we do have an array of gifts and talents that can still be activated for meaningful service.
85+, going strong and multiplying their efforts through others...incredibly inspiring!