Within the last few years I have heard it said that first the first time ever in the history of the Church in North America we have as many as seven different generations represented in local churches. This is mainly attributed to the fact that people are living longer, healthier lives today. With these generations comes the phrase “generational issues.”
I have a hunch that “generational issues” is a catch-all phrase that masks the real challenges and obstacles we face in local churches today . . . but I won’t go there yet!
So here’s the question for the week:
What does the phrase “Generational Issues” really mean for local churches?
Here are some resources you might consider:
The Church and Postmodern Culture (blog)
Article by former SBC President
‘Millennial’ generation poses challenge for church
Generational Worship in a Multigenerational World
Maybe Eddie Hammett will share some of his insights from the new book being released later this year!
May 8, 2007 at 9:57 am
Two thoughts about “generational” issues.
1. The biggest pressure-point facing my congregation is not seven different generations as much as the sheer size and unique needs of the oldest one, the 80+ year-old group. Never in church history (dare I be so categorical!) have we faced so large a cohort of members in these advanced ages–80s and 90s. We are having to rethink “senior ministry” with active and able 60s and 70s and even 80s, as well as the weighty challenges of ministering to those who were once active, contributing members who may now live on apart from the worshiping community (not to mention far away from their families) for literally decades at the end of their lives. This is a challenging new world for pastoral care, theological education, and spiritual formation with the aged and aging!
2. Fifteen years ago, I helped devise a survey of our congregation focused on our music and worship as we entered a search for a new minister in that area. When the results came in, there was no correlation of attitudes and expectations according to the ages of the respondents. However, there was a powerful correlation according to the cohorts who entered the congregation during the respective tenures of the successive senior ministers! In other words, regardless of their individual biological ages, the “generations in the congregation” that mattered–at least in their assessment of worship and music–fell out according to intramural cohorts defined by their expectations of what the worship, mission, identity, pastoral leadership style, etc., of the congregation was when they entered it! There may be some literature out there that treats this; I don’t know (after all, I’m an Old Testament and aNE wonk, not a congregational dynamics guy). Fifteen years later, I still find intramural cohorts to be far more powerful “generational” dynamics in driving the congregational system I work in than biological age, boomers, busters, etc. I’m not saying these latter and more frequently talked about categories are not influential; it’s just that congregationally there are other currents running that we ignore at our own peril.
I look forward to learning from others’ wisdom and experience!
May 9, 2007 at 9:43 am
Jeff, I really appreciate your response. I need to reflect on your cohort ideas more . . . There are many challenges in trying to relate to people of all ages. Anytime I hear a minister use such a phrase, I wonder if it is that minister’s anxiety about other generations. Older ministers say it about younger people. Younger ministers say it about older people. Is it the fear of the unknown or the fear of knowing ourselves that makes us act in such a way? A friend of mine went to visit an older patient in the hospital. His response to me was, “I wanted to make her laugh because I didn’t want to see her upset. She reminded me too much of my grandmother.”
May 10, 2007 at 11:22 am
I like this chart that Marion Aldridge put together as a way for understanding generational issues.
http://cbfofsc.org/20-21Century-March2007.pdf
May 12, 2007 at 9:51 am
Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60: Being Church for All Generations is the title my new book to be released in August. While I certainly agree with Jeff’s observations about the growing needs of pastoral care for the aging population of our churches my concern is what happens after this senior population is gone! They have been and continue to be the stability and leadership for most of our churches but they will not be here forever, neither will their tithes and offerings that fund most of our ministries these days.
Most congregations are not attracting, much less keeping, many people under 40 years of age. Without the younger generations interest and engagement of the faith where will that leave the church, family etc?
I’m of the opinion that the needs of every generation have some distinctions the church needs to pay closer attention to. I love Marion Alrdiges chart. How does the church of today and tomorrow take these distinctions seriously? What kind of leadership skills do the key leaders need to pull this kind of church off?
Neil and others I hope this gives you a glimpse of my passion and concern. Thanks for the dialogue opportunity. Good stufff!!!!
May 18, 2007 at 11:32 am
Neil, thanks for calling Marion’s chart to attention–it’s packed with good stuff. Eddie, I’m looking forward to benefitting from your book. Sorry if it seemed that I didn’t give enough credence to the well documented reality of distinctive age-cohort perspectives at work in our congregations. I didn’t intend to minimize the challenges they present, only to point to some things I have seen that also cut across those age cohorts, complicating our assessment and actions on the basis of them. I agree that reaching under-40 is critical to the future (though in churches I have guest-somethinged in, I almost always also hear from seniors, “Please don’t forget about us!”). While we seem to be having success with under-40s right now (God–and others a whole lot smarter than me–only knows why–and without “contemporary worship,” surprise, surprise!), it is the perennial challenge. Even if things are going well at the moment, what about 3 years from now, 5, 10? What are the new distinctives in each decade/half decade that characterize the next young cohort’s needs and expectations and how do we reach them without abandoning the folks who are keeping–or who have in the past–kept the local congregation alive to be there for this next group??? Read this as an advertisement for Eddie’s book!
May 19, 2007 at 9:20 am
Thanks Jeff for your advertisement! I appreciate your perspective and have served in many churches similar to that of BBC G’ville. Many seniors who do not want to be forgotten. Certainly we should not forget about them – they have brought us to where we are and have invested deeply in denominations and churches. they deserve what works for them. On the other hand, as leaders we have no choice but to work and plan for the future of faith formation and local communities of faith.
I pray my experiences and writings can help us along the journey.