Young VS Older which is more vital and why?

Younger Vs Older Which is more vital and why? this is a continuation of my blog from yesterday.

As previously stated in my last blog of which I wrote about younger pastors serving older generational churches, I want to focus on one thing. Age, and its vitality, and how that relates to the church. This idea I am paraphrasing and editing from a theological evangelical writer named Leonard Sweet, he is probably one of the funnest 'old' white theologians i have had the privilege to read while in seminary. I highly check out his books! Any way in one of his sermons he puts forth this idea of age and how that relates to vitality especially in the church. The common thought today from the younger generation is that old people are boring, only keep company with those people of the same age, and who are just outdated to the times and what is hip, and maybe one that is not mentioned but definitely thought, these old people are filling up the pews and making worship or church unimportant or not fun. I agree with Sweet's idea that we have that all backwards today, especially in regards to the church.
Allow me to enlighten you, there are 4 primary stages of aging in life. The first is birth to 18, thats when one is still living at home, and normally still going to church. The second stage is 18-25 is the educational stage, life's biggest questions are where are you going to school and what are you studying. The third age is 25-45 sometimes before, sometimes later one becomes involved with marriage, beginning a family, this is an ambiguous time for the church, some parents want to raise their children in the church so they bring themselves back to church, others just don't find themselves going back to the church. Then there is the third stage of: 45-55, life starts to get stickier there are career changes, aging parents, maybe personal illness' such as cancer or the like where one asses the need to regain and rebuild relationships with the church, when these 45-55 year olds get plugged into a church they usually will stick with it until death. why because they feel more ownership, they have adjusted through lives major turmoils and the tough ones like burying their parents, marrying their children might require the relationships a church family can provide. Then comes the coveted Golden/retirement age 50 plus some adults work up until they die, some get the luxury of retiring and enjoy life in the slow lane again. But what then does a person do in retirement? Where does their time go? yes surely they will spend time relaxing and doing all the fun things they didn't have time to do when they were consumed with career and family. It is also at retirement that you find more people active in the church. They have spare mornings and afternoons to spend at the church going to meetings, preparing sunday school lessons or bible studies, or aiding the pastor in whatever endeavors he or she may be encountering that week. so what I suggest and what Sweet wrote about is that these retired age group of people, these old people are actually the primary people that have and should have the leadership roles in the church. why not?! why not allow someone who has the time to develop evangelistic plans during the week be allowed to be in leadership with out being discriminated on for their age? If we as pastors need something to be done, and done asap, are you going to call on your Mother of three that is a soccer mom who many not get the chance to even listen to her voicemails until midnight? (who knows when she'll get time to return your call) or as a pastor are you more likely to call someone who is enjoying their time in retirement at home, and ask them to help you with your project. I believe that those who are retired and older in our congregations would get great joy out of aiding the church in anyway they can.
So I say all that to propose that maybe, just maybe us young pastors need to refocus our energies on the people we have right before our eyes. Build relationships with the ones who have the time to spend with us, and help us bring our church back to or into more vitality, and maybe with those relationships building the church will radiate vitality into the community and the younger generations won't be able to help themselves from filling the pews, just to check out the cool hip church thats doing so many cool things for the community? thats just a thought, like I said, I want to give credit where its due, these are not original thoughts, I kind of took these thoughts from Mr. Sweet and ran with them in my own direction. I will leave you with one question does this refocusing of energies on our more vital aged members make a difference as the mission of God is portrayed in this world, or do we need to scrap all these ideas and go back to square one of how to get young people into the church?

will be continued tomorrow ;-)

Young Pastor --- Older Congregation

Young Pastor: Old Congregation

As a 29 year old pastor and a full time student at seminary, I have observed two things. One young pastors, or pastors in training such as myself are being sent out or appointed to local churches that are declining in vitality. My second observation being that these declining churches are comprised of individuals whom are increasing in age. Questions I have to follow these observations are: With the obvious generational gaps, language, technology, and social barriers between younger generations and older generations why would the bishop appoint a young pastor to an elderly church? (is it primarily because we work for less money?) My next question would be wouldn't an older or middle aged person be able to relate to that congregation more naturally as they have had more life experience? My last question would be does the bishop think that if they appoint a younger person to a congregation comprised of aged and aging individuals that they can somehow magically increase the amount of young people in worship and on membership roles? I have been in my setting for 5 months; I had a few, very precious, younger generation families in my congregation before my arrival, I surely have not scared them off and I even more surely have not gained any new younger individuals or families. However I have gained at least 3 individuals/guests who are of the older generations.
My next question would be that of relevance, so what’s the point? Why not appoint a young in seminary person at a large church under a successful pastor so that young pastor in training could gain experience church work from a successful pastor? And then my next more deeper question would be are the younger generation age groups the main targets we as a church are looking to catch or evangelize or add to our congregations? Or do we need to reevaluate what vitality means and the age groups that can bring that vitality.
My answers, I cannot really answer on why the Bishop does what he (or she in some cases) does, it is a mystery that I will probably take to the pearly gates with me, I have learned not to complain about the appointment process but to search for the joy it brings and revel in that joy. Would a young pastor be successful in an older congregation, it depends, if that younger person intends to initiate change and drastically effect worship and the social norms of that church before forming relationships I believe that person will fail miserably. Relationship building being the key to this last sentence. Are the younger generations the main target to keeping or making the church vital I would say yes and no. Younger generations can bring a vitally to the church that allows the church to outlive its life, as in, the more younger people a church has the longer the church will survive until the doors close because the younger generations are still active and vital to the church's ministries. Is taking a look at church vitality something that is important and needed, yes without a doubt! Can an congregation comprised of middle aged and older aged individuals make their declining church into a vital church yes without a shadow of a doubt! Does that vitality include evangelizing to the younger generations, possibly but it does not hinge on it.
I will address more of these issues in my next blog, I will end with this. You younger generational pastors/preachers that are reading this, do not lose heart and focus on building relationships before you make changes! You older congregation members that are reading this do no lose heart, I love you, I know you have passions that outlive my life, God has seen the work and time you have put into your church over all these years, your cries have not fallen on deaf ears, now is your time to shine we can come together and become a vital, fruitful, 'young' congregation!