Episode

The Role of Identity in Aging

Guest

Crissa Letson - teaching pastor at Asbury Church in Madison, AL

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Age of Lions, Mark sits down with Pastor Crissa Letson of Asbury Church in Madison, Alabama, to talk about what it really looks like to age with purpose in the Kingdom. Crissa shares honestly about the quiet “aha” moments of midlife—from catching a glimpse of her gray hair in the sunroof to realizing she and her husband are no longer the “younger generation” in their church conversations. From there, she dives into the deeper issues she sees as a pastor: people feeling obsolete, wrestling with grief and regret, and wondering if their purpose has somehow expired. Together, Mark and Crissa push back on that lie, naming the cultural messages that sideline older believers and reminding us that purpose and calling don’t come with expiration dates.

Crissa also offers a powerful vision for multi-generational ministry and what she and her husband call “spiritual parenting.” She describes the surprising hunger younger believers have to sit with older men and women, ask questions, and receive wisdom—and how life-giving it is when those in their 50s and beyond choose to invest instead of withdraw. She talks candidly about identity, comparison, and the fear of man, and why she believes we never age out of needing to be rooted in our identity in Christ.

In a tender and vulnerable moment, Crissa shares how a recent season of renewal leave and the loss of her father-in-law have deepened her friendship with Jesus, especially through John 15 and learning to abide rather than strive. With themes of gratitude, grief, purpose, and spiritual legacy woven throughout, this conversation will encourage anyone who’s wondering if their best Kingdom years are behind them. Spoiler: they’re not.