Missy Buchanan Event

Aging as a Family Affair

There are important conversations we need to have as we age, but they are not always easy - and sometimes we don't even realize the conversations we need to be having! Whether you are a senior adult or an adult child, this event is designed to help us have those conversations. Even if you come without your parent or adult child, you will benefit from the wisdom of Missy Buchanan, nationally known speaker and author, and the workshops we have planned. Additionally, a number of sponsors will have tables sharing information about their community support resources and organizations.

Our Keynote Speaker, Missy Buchanan

An advocate for older adults, Missy Buchanan is an internationally-recognized author and speaker on issues of aging faithfully, drawing first from her personal experience as a caregiver for her own aging parents. She has appeared several times on Good Morning America with co-anchor Robin Roberts who describes Missy as "the rare soul that understands, truly understands, older adults: their fears, struggles and hopes." Missy was also the co-author of Robin Robert's mother Lucimarian Roberts' memoir,
My Story, My Song.

With thousands of followers on Twitter/X and Facebook, Missy provides daily insight about the journey of aging. In May 2023, she was asked to share input for the BARNA research group's Aging Well; report on ministering to older adults. She has been a presenter for the American Society of Aging's national conference in addition to being a guest on many podcasts, radio and television shows, including WFAA in DFW, encouraging and challenging older adults to use their late lives well.

Missy has penned eleven books on faithful aging for Upper Room Books. Her first book, Living with Purpose in a Worn-Out Body, remains a top seller. Many of her titles can be found on bedside tables in senior living communities and in church libraries. Her book Beach Calling: A Devotional Journal for the Middle Years and Beyond was launched in June 2019 and quickly achieved #1 New Release Christian Devotional on Amazon. Missy's newest book, From Dry Bones to Living Hope has been the foundation for older adult discussion groups across the nation. Her latest book, Feeling Your Way Through Grief, launched on August 1, 2024 with an appearance on Good Morning America with Robin Robers.

Missy has been a speaker at hundreds of churches, senior living commnunities and aging conferences including the largest United Methodist Church in the United States - UM Church of the Resurrection in Leawood KS, Prestonwood Baptist Church in plano TX, Texas Baptist Convention's National Boomer Ministry Conference, the United Methodist Festival of Wisdom and Grace, and the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network National Conference. She has also been a featured speaker aboard cruises for Educational Opportunities Tours as she continues to deliver messages about caregiving and faithful aging across the denominational divide.

In 2023, Missy's beloved husband died after a short illness, leading her to move from the Dallas-Fort Worth area to the Texas Hill Country to be near her son's family. She will continue to engage older adults in her new community and will bask in her favorite role of all: grandmother.