Number of Centenarians on the Rise Once virtually nonexistent, the world's population of people 100 years of age or older is projected to reach nearly 6 million by midcentury. That's pushing the median age toward 50 in many developed nations and challenging views of what it means to be old and middle-age. The number of centenarians already has jumped from an estimated few thousand in 1950 to more than 340,000 worldwide today, with the highest concentrations in the U.S. and Japan, according to the latest Census Bureau figures. Those numbers are projected to grow at more than 20 times the rates of the total population by 2050, making centenarians the fastest-growing age segment. Demographers attribute booming long-livers to decades of medical advances and improved diets, which have reduced heart disease and stroke. Genetics and lifestyle also play a factor. In the U.S., centenarians are expected to increase from 75,000 to more than 600,000 by midcentury. By 2017, it will be the first time there will be more people 65 and older than there will be kids younger than 5. New Development – in 45 Languages LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK), a church innovator in ministry models and technology, recently launched a free group instant messaging tool called BabelWith.me that allows users to communicate in real-time--without a language barrier. Developed in-house as a web-based Google application, BabelWith.me translates up to 45 different languages such as Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi and Spanish. The tool is not just for LifeChurch.tv members, but can be used by any business, church, mission group or individuals hoping to expand messages globally. "In our increasingly global society, language barriers have remained major hurdles to bringing people together," said LifeChurch.tv innovation leader and pastor Bobby Gruenewald. "Our hope is that BabelWith.me will set conversation free by empowering communication between different cultures and creating new opportunities for important discussions." Life Serve National Conference The Life Serve National Conference is a one-of-a-kind event that combines the best of the Church Volunteer Central National Conference with the Externally-Focused Network Annual Conference--giving your leadership team the synergy of two leadership conferences for the price of one. Speakers include John Ortberg, Reggie McNeal, Wayne Cordeiro, and Rick Rusaw, along with 80 practical, inspiring workshops led by in-the-trenches experts who are active in local ministry. Participants will learn how to help their church identify, equip, and release people into gift-based ministries through skill-building workshops, and uncover practical, effective ways to build an internally strong and externally-focused church.