Read to the end: All generations. The other day I was talking with a young man who knows he needs to get back into a local church. However, one that he knows of he described as a church that he wouldn’t fit into. To say it another way, based on the age demographic, it was very clear that the church had an “expiration date” and everybody was from one generation. Now, excuses are not necessarily completely accurate. But this is a rather common reason that should probably be considered, honestly. Why would you want to attend a church where you’re not welcomed because you are not of the same age or demographic as everybody else? Or even where you are lovingly treated as a visitor but not as a guest and even potential future church family member? The church is called to be intergenerational and multigenerational, not one generation. Older members matter. Younger members matter. And everything in between. However, a church with a church with a younger demographic is not necessarily healthy. I remember talking with a re-planter of a church in another denomination earlier this year, their health challenge is that they don’t really have any older members. A church that is all millennial, I would say is just as unhealthy as a church that is all boomer.
Many are the churches that feel they are doing rather well as long as they have a vibrant children’s ministry, whatever that metric is for them personally. However, the real mark of church health seems to be, on this matter, discipleship of adults. If you are reaching more adults, children will in time follow. It’s just a fact. But many are the churches that need Revitalization (before drift necessitates restart/replant) but still have a large enough crowds of children and youth that they don’t recognize they are not discipling the generation of adults coming behind them.
Now I want to be clear, there is nothing wrong with children’s or teen ministry, and nothing wrong with doing them well. But they are not the mark of church health, discipling adults who will in turn make disciples is. Case in point: was the church in Acts staking their “future” on a childrens and teens ministry or teaching men and women?
Another way to say it is, are you a great commission observer or a great commission participant. Every single one of us who are believers is called to make disciples. And we can disciple across our generations. I’ve discipled peers as well as some of the kindest older saints you’ll ever meet. Every generation matters. #BeADiscipleMakeADisciple#GreatCommission#AChurchCannotBeHealthyWithoutObedience #Titus2
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