15 Feb 2026 Mission of Hope

By Rita Halter Thomas

For decades, the idea of retirement has been depicted as a time for senior adults to step back, slow down, and enjoy less strenuous activities while a younger generation steps up to take over. However, perhaps the reference to “the golden years” should be recoined as “the greater impact years.” It would certainly describe a handful of mission-minded senior adults who proved they have so much more to give.

“No believer should say, ‘I’ve done all I need to do. It’s time for me to sit back and let someone else take over.’ He may redirect your focus, but there is always something to do until God takes you home,” said Pastor Roy Jutze of New Hope Baptist Church, Conway. 

New Hope’s small congregation, which is made up primarily of older adults, is proving this truth. In September, Jutze, along with his wife, Shelly, and their special needs daughter, Brittany, accompanied seven members of their church on a mission trip to Calvary Baptist Church at Derby Hill in Loveland, Colo. The church was one of several participating in the Serve Tour mission effort organized by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and locally coordinated through the Faulkner County Baptist Association.

Strip, scrape and glue. Even though the team didn’t necessarily have all the skills for the jobs they tackled, they were eager, willing to learn, and not afraid to dive in. “We replaced carpet in the entire sanctuary, fellowship hall and in the hallways leading to the classrooms,” Jutze said. “That meant we had to go in first and strip out the old carpet, scrape it and glue it. So, we got an education on how to lay carpet. None of us had ever laid carpet before.”

While some were handling the carpet caper, others sprayed a bit of joy working on the church’s sprinkler system or swung over to the children’s playground to spruce it up. Jutze said it was quite an adventure. “We’ve got pictures that are hilarious. I’m watching those 60-pluses on the floor, behind a scraper or using a trowel spreading glue. Talk about bonding together, because once the glue got on them and they touched each other—,” he laughed, implying the obvious. Although there were lots of jokes about literal bonding, that’s exactly what stuck with this crew: the bonding.

“I think the most significant impact for our church came from the fact we spent time together. We were hand-in-hand, getting the job done. At the same time, we laughed, we joked and we kidded each other,” he said. “I believe friendships and relationships have exponentially grown, even among those who have been [members] for years.”

While spending four days riding in a van together (two days there, two days back) might be tricky for some groups, this team had a great time laughing and joking with each other. Plus, mission trips can’t be all work and no play. The team took a side trip to the Rocky Mountain National Park for a little sightseeing, a great reward after working so hard.

New Hope’s mission team not only bonded over the whole experience, but they also bonded with the members of Derby Hill Church, who worked alongside the mission team, and spent time talking and sharing with each other during breaks. Jutze and Dave Herre, the pastor of Derby Hill Church, remain in touch, offering encouragement to one another. “I’m a big believer in relationships. I believe you can teach doctrine all day long. You can preach and pound scripture over their heads, but if they don’t know you care about them, they won’t listen,” Jutze said.

In a time when senior adults are often overlooked, this group thrived and reminded others of their value as they demonstrated what they are capable of learning and doing. The senior adults were not the only ones invigorated by the experience. The Jutzes’ special needs daughter dove right into the grunt work by helping pull up old carpet. “She was able to feel productive and valued because she was a part of something,” Shelly said.

The Jutzes each expressed how members of their mission team had no idea what blessings they would receive. “Almost every one of them have asked what we are doing this year,” he said. “That’s good. This is the first time this church has ever attempted something like this, a purpose with a focused mission effort. Some weren’t sure they wanted to do it, but they did. They stepped out and they did it.”

The congregation at New Hope Baptist Church may be smaller, and a little older, but they made a big impact on the Colorado church, and the experience made an even bigger impact on their own.