Recently, I had the opportunity to sit in on a session about congregational senior housing at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Eastern Washington/Idaho Synod Assembly. I learned some interesting things about how this type of collaboration makes so much sense for communities and congregations of all denominations seeking to ride the age wave and expand ministry work.Presenters were Pastor Dave Olson of First Lutheran Church in Sandpoint, Idaho, Steve Ordahl, senior vice president of business development at Ecumen and Dana Wollschlager, director of real estate development at Ecumen. First Lutheran Church and Ecumen are developing senior housing called Luther Park of Sandpoint, which will be connected to First Lutheran Church (above is an architectural rendering). Ecumen is the developer and will manage it upon opening later this year. 5 Key Points About Congregational Senior Housing:1. Builds Connections Across Generations: Pastor Dave elevates with excitement when he talks about the opportunities for intergenerational connections at First Lutheran. First Lutheran operates an early childhood learning program that will be enhanced by the wisdom and friendships of new neighbors at Luther Park. And he sees Luther Park’s new residents benefitting from learning from their young friends. Congregational senior housing can be an effective vehicle for fostering meaningful intergenerational connections.2. Creates Bridges in the Community: I assumed that it would be all people who are already connected with First Lutheran who are moving to Luther Park. My assumption was wrong. There are a number of people who don’t attend First Lutheran today who are moving in. Also, Pastor Dave talks about how a lot more people know about First Lutheran in the Sandpoint area now that they are offering this housing option. It’s building bridges in the community.3. Enhances What It Means to be a Community: The most successful congregations and most successful senior housing are truly ‘communities,’ not simply bricks and mortar. People care for each other … respect each other … learn from each other … grow and develop … and are proud of being member of their congregation and their neighborhood. Congregational senior housing can capture and enhance what it means to be a community.4. Provides Another Appealing Draw to the Church: As I listened to Pastor Dave explain the many neat things about this expansion of First Lutheran’s ministry, you can see how the church-senior housing integration can be a draw to attract new members to a parish. You immediately sense that this is a place that has vision and is committed to being there for their parishoners for the long-term. That’s a comforting thought.5. Expands Ministry Resources: Pastor Dave conveyed how Luther Park will provide positive cash flow to First Lutheran Church. Congregational senior housing is a ministry that if done right can generate financial resources to benefit and help expand other ministries and create new synergies that make churches and communities stronger.A lot of people talk about the challenges of a large, aging population. As First Lutheran Church of Sandpoint is showing, there are also a lot of opportunities.