As I'm on vacation this week I read an interesting article in the Greenville News this morning. The article dealt with the problem many churches are facing as their congregations age and their buildings begin to suffer from a lack of maintenance and care. These formerly powerhouse churches have seen their receipts dwindle as their crowds have shrunk and they no longer can provide proper infrastructure or ministry to a younger generation that demands the best and brightest to satisfy their techno-desires. The quandary of younger versus older in the church is a popular topic when I speak with friends and fellow ministers from across the southeast. How can we satisfy to desire to see young people and families come to our churches without alienating older saints and compromising with the world?
As we look at the landscape that is America today, we see a clear divide in what is desired from church. The 60 and over crowd for the most part still desires strong biblical preaching. They have more traditional values and see church as a place of solemnity and tradition. The under 40 crowd is tech savvy and loves the bells and whistles that accompany many church services today. In between, the 40-60 year old crowd could go either way. The problem comes in that very few churches are willing to take the best that the other has to offer and incorporate it so that a strong biblical church can still be modern and relevant to differing generations. Oh, you see a few scattered about, but for the most part, a congregation is either far to young or far too old, eliminating the necessary influence that the different generations should have on each other.
The older generation rightly objects to many of the methods used to draw younger people to the church and the lack of biblical substance in it's ministry. The younger generation rightly objects to the older generations rigidity and unwillingness to release traditions that are not based upon the bible. What we fail to realize is that both generations are necessary for a true New Testament church.
The bible is full of exhortations to respect our elders and appreciate the wisdom they have gleaned from years of serving Christ. Yet many younger Christians pridefully reject the years of experience that an older Christian can offer, failing to discern that the old ways of bible focused preaching instead of felt-needs sermons; true discipleship instead of social-club small groups; and reverent, respectful worship instead of a secular concert atmosphere are needed today as they have always been.
Many older Christians are so stubborn in releasing power in some churches to the younger generation and clinging to a their way or the highway mentality that they drive away young people who simply have a different vision in how to worship God. Disputes over methodology and worship style has been responsible for killing more churches than Satan himself. The unwillingness to incorporate younger ideas that are biblical just for the sake of maintaining control is a sinful condition that exists in many churches and divides us into unbiblical groups.
You see, young people, YOU need those older warriors for God. They have fought battles you have yet to face and can spiritually discern things you cannot many times. A person who has spent a lifetime following God has value, and we are to seek them out on spiritual matters.
Conversely, you older saints, YOU need those younger folks able to do the ministry you no longer can. Without them the local churches you love so dearly will cease to exist in a few short years. Their is nothing sadder than a church with no children or young people in it. If you attend a church like this, you can be sure, that older leaders have failed to yield power to younger ones, or worse, failed to train them, and thus stunted the growth of the very people they will need one day.
And you younger folks, if you attend a church that has few if any senior saints, you need to be keenly aware of things that contradict the bible. Without the godly wisdom of older saints, discernment often fails, and we become very susceptible to worldly ways and error. You may have many people attending, but why are they there? Are they drawn by Jesus as the bible says they should be? Or, are they drawn by the entertaining services and fun programs you offer. Many a worldly person loves a church that offers entertainment but lacks biblical foundations.
You see, the thing is, in order to have a truly biblical, New Testament church, we need all ages. We need enthusiasm and we need experience. We need workers and we need wisdom. We need each other. We need children and grandchildren in the same churches as their grandparents. We need the retired Christian to mentor and disciple the younger. We need each other. When one or the other is lacking, we lack gifts that are necessary for a full perspective of God. Will we ever be willing to look at church in this way, instead of what we want? Only if we are willing to humble ourselves and seek more than what we want. Whether it's an older congregation or a younger one, when church becomes about us instead of God and others, we build barriers that cripple us in ministry. Whether you are old or young, ask yourself a question: in the church you attend, are you receptive and welcoming to ways that are biblical but may differ from your personal preference? Or, are you stubbornly committed to what you desire and nothing else? In our churches, are we willing to give a little to gain alot? Will we do what is necessary to bring the generations together?
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