In preparation for a number of different ministry ideas that I have been pursuing for a while, I have had cause to give a lot of thought to how many churches conduct the ministry that God gives them to do. Traditionally in our day, age, and country, there has been a tendency for several decades now to seek to minister to age and stage groups. Not a bad emphasis at all. After all, the needs of the more senior adults in God's church have different ministry needs than do young families, children, or youth. Each one of these ages and stages have different challenges they face, and the effort is there to have some form of ministry for them according to their need.
Again, this is a good thing. However, many have started to realize that this also creates certain "problems" within God's people. In one book I was reading, the author shared how, upon a visit to a congregation, a young lady in her early 20s was interviewed. She had shown up once to a funeral. Upon being asked, the young lady acknowledged that she didn't know the person who had died, an elderly member of the congregation. When asked why she would come to the funeral of a person she didn't know, the young lady remarked that she had never been to a funeral. She wanted to know what one was like. Upon further questioning, she also shared that she had never held a baby, or even really worked with children, other than those who were her age when she herself was a child.
This points to one of the problems that can arise when age and stage groups are created. They rarely interact with one another. (Oh, and if you think that this isn't an issue in your congregation, go ask the young people how often the older people interact with them, and vice versa. You may be shocked at just how isolated each age and stage can get.) We would like to think that the ages come together and interact more than they do, but the reality is that we humans tend to be found with those like us, in mindset, in age, and in stage of life. It takes intentional effort to cross those generational boundaries.
Again, I want to re-iterate that there is a place for age and stage ministry. However, if that comes exclusively at the expense of the ages and stages interacting, then something has gone wrong. God's people of all ages and stages are supposed to be living life together. The family doesn't each get sent to their age/stage room, but are supposed to gather around the dinner table all together (think the Sacrament of the Altar here). They are supposed to have family time together (think of the fellowship of the saints here). They are supposed to pray together, play together, and know each other. Even if they separate to be challenged and to grow according to their age and stage, it should never be at the expense of the whole body.
Yes, this presents a rather significant challenge. How do you bring the ages and stages together, and at the same time, let them have their needed time on their own? I won't say that this has any particular answer, but I do know that it is something that we will be working toward in the congregation I am part of. Sure, we will have our ups and downs, and I will pray for patience and understanding as we try and learn from failures and successes. And I will ask you to please remember, while it may be easy to point out what is wrong with what we do, if you don't have a suggestion for improving it, then please keep it as constructive and positive as you can.
Again, this is a good thing. However, many have started to realize that this also creates certain "problems" within God's people. In one book I was reading, the author shared how, upon a visit to a congregation, a young lady in her early 20s was interviewed. She had shown up once to a funeral. Upon being asked, the young lady acknowledged that she didn't know the person who had died, an elderly member of the congregation. When asked why she would come to the funeral of a person she didn't know, the young lady remarked that she had never been to a funeral. She wanted to know what one was like. Upon further questioning, she also shared that she had never held a baby, or even really worked with children, other than those who were her age when she herself was a child.
This points to one of the problems that can arise when age and stage groups are created. They rarely interact with one another. (Oh, and if you think that this isn't an issue in your congregation, go ask the young people how often the older people interact with them, and vice versa. You may be shocked at just how isolated each age and stage can get.) We would like to think that the ages come together and interact more than they do, but the reality is that we humans tend to be found with those like us, in mindset, in age, and in stage of life. It takes intentional effort to cross those generational boundaries.
Again, I want to re-iterate that there is a place for age and stage ministry. However, if that comes exclusively at the expense of the ages and stages interacting, then something has gone wrong. God's people of all ages and stages are supposed to be living life together. The family doesn't each get sent to their age/stage room, but are supposed to gather around the dinner table all together (think the Sacrament of the Altar here). They are supposed to have family time together (think of the fellowship of the saints here). They are supposed to pray together, play together, and know each other. Even if they separate to be challenged and to grow according to their age and stage, it should never be at the expense of the whole body.
Yes, this presents a rather significant challenge. How do you bring the ages and stages together, and at the same time, let them have their needed time on their own? I won't say that this has any particular answer, but I do know that it is something that we will be working toward in the congregation I am part of. Sure, we will have our ups and downs, and I will pray for patience and understanding as we try and learn from failures and successes. And I will ask you to please remember, while it may be easy to point out what is wrong with what we do, if you don't have a suggestion for improving it, then please keep it as constructive and positive as you can.
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