Negotiating Our Identity as We Age
8-week Zoom study discussion group with Gray Poehnell
Thursday, September 24, 2026, 7:00-9:00pm

Negotiating identity is a critical life skill, especially during times of change. As we age, we face profound changes that can challenge our sense of identity: “Who am I now?” Who do I want to become?” To navigate our life journeys effectively, we must know how to negotiate our identities with ourselves and with our world.

We all age. Aging is a natural and inevitable part of our life journey. But aging brings with it unique challenges and possibilities that can impact us and those around us.

It can sometimes be difficulty to look at aging, because to do so is to expose our own vulnerability. To make matters worse, our culture tends to fear aging. Older people can be viewed as not having much to contribute to this world. In response to this perspective, far too many either fight aging or ignore it, rather than embracing it in a healthy way. Yet the Bible gives us another way to respond to aging. It presents aging as a gift from God. It gives a holistic view of aging with all its tensions, good and bad. It addresses both the challenges and the blessings of aging.

Over the last year or so I have not just been studying the idea of negotiating our identity as we age: I’ve also been living it. In this study we will be exploring some Biblical perspectives on aging that I have been finding helpful as I deal with my own aging issues. These perspectives are helping me to live with grace, gratitude, hope, creativity, and imagination. Each week we will look at a different perspective and then discuss how this perspective could help us as we age. We can all learn from one another.

Initial meeting to introduce the study and a time for sharing what everyone’s hopes for the course might be.
The Zoom link will be sent out next week to those who are interested to participate. If you are thinking of joining the study, please email Gray at graypoehnell@mac.com.