Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T18:47:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rode Tavares Moura.pdf: 619864 bytes, checksum: 881562a7b174b462d4161f8b02a74562 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-25 / The general objective of this study was to investigate how the Seventh-day Adventist Church considers the elderly individuals in their personal and social routine. It was carried out in the city of São Paulo, in two Adventist Churches (Liberdade and Brooklin). Based on the qualitative approach and using the interview as the investigation strategy, a script composed of 11 open questions was developed and administered to 10 elderly people, 6 women and 4 men, with diverse levels of schooling, aged between 60 and 90 years, who were members of the Churches and who freely and spontaneously accepted to participate in this study. The interviews were recorded and literally transcribed; the questions and content of the answers were preserved. Then, there was a vertical reading of the answers in order to highlight categories of analysis. The grouping of some answers and their analysis, which was based on theoretical frameworks deriving from Gerontology and from the Sciences of Religion, showed that the majority of subjects adhered to the Church after they had been invited by other members or by relatives, and that they spend their time with religious practices within the Church to which they belong. Being together, feeling safe, making friends, exchanging experiences, praying and sharing each other s problems, receiving psychological support, health instructions and spiritual guidance, and caring for other people were the main contributions reported by our interviewees in relation to their participation in third age programs offered by the Churches. The majority recognize that the Church prepares them for old age, but at the same time, they believe it could be more emphatic. Some of them think that, as it is a young Church, it has focused on youths, leaving aside a large part of its members, who are elderly. The elderly who live their lives according to the principles of the Adventist religion showed that they have a healthy lifestyle, and the benefits of this attitude, promoted by the religion to which they have adhered, are the conviction that they do not live alone, the fact that they can count on the support of others and on God s infinite power, strengthening of self-esteem, sense of usefulness, and meaning of life. We understand that this study can amplify the view on aging in Churches, so that they gradually include the elderly person in their activities, helping them plan their longevity / Conhecer como a Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia contempla a pessoa idosa, no seu cotidiano pessoal e social, foi o objetivo geral deste estudo, realizado na metrópole de São Paulo, em duas igrejas adventistas (Liberdade e Brooklin). A partir da abordagem qualitativa e da entrevista como estratégia de investigação, elaborou-se um roteiro composto de 11 perguntas abertas, aplicado a 10 pessoas idosas, 6 mulheres e 4 homens, de diversos graus de escolaridade, com idade de 60 a 90 anos, membros das igrejas, e que aceitaram de livre e espontânea vontade participar deste estudo. As entrevistas foram gravadas e transcritas, literalmente, preservando as perguntas e conteúdo das respostas. A seguir houve uma leitura vertical das mesmas, ressaltando categorias de análise. O agrupamento de algumas respostas e sua análise feita a partir de referenciais teóricos da Gerontologia e das Ciências da Religião permitiram saber que a maioria dos sujeitos aderiu à igreja a partir de convites de terceiros, e outros pela família, e ocupam seu tempo com práticas religiosas na própria igreja da qual fazem parte. Estar junto, sentir-se seguro, fazer amizades, trocar experiências, orar e levar a carga uns dos outros, ter apoio psicológico, receber orientações de saúde e espirituais, e preocupar-se com o próximo, foram as principais contribuições relatadas pelos nossos entrevistados em relação à sua participação em programas de Terceira Idade oferecidos pelas igrejas. A maioria reconhece que a igreja os prepara para a velhice, mas que poderia ser mais enfática. Alguns reconhecem que por ser uma igreja jovem, ela tem focado a juventude, deixando de lado a grande parcela de seus membros que são idosos. As pessoas idosas que pautam a vida pelos ensinamentos da religião adventista mostraram ter um estilo de vida saudável, e os benefícios desta atitude, promovida pela religião a que aderiram, consistem na certeza de não viver sozinhos, de contar com o apoio do outro e poder infinito de Deus, reforço da autoestima, senso de utilidade e sentido de vida. Entendemos que este trabalho pode ampliar a visão do envelhecimento nas igrejas, para que estas contemplem cada vez mais a pessoa idosa, e assim a ajudem a planejar sua longevidade