Bob's Blog

Small groups are a great way in connecting your church, especially since people in and outside the church yearn for community. Most small groups are done by choosing to gather with friends or by similar age grouping (parents with young children, senior saints, etc...), but a weakness in this is that the church becomes segregated by age-level communities. Churches that are mixing their small groups generationaly are finding that it is strengthening their church. One of the benefits is sharing faith from one generation with another. This is a great way of passing the "torch" of Christianity from older to younger. Here are some insights that will help you process multi-mix generations for your small groups:

• Benefit of life experience from older adults.
• Benefit from energy and passion of younger adults.
• Provide a natural conduit for mentoring the next generation of leaders.
• Provide child-rearing assistance for younger adults.
• Provide application and the sense of being needed for older adults.
• May be linked by geographical location.
• May be linked by interests or hobbies.
• May be linked by a desire to study a particular book of the Bible.
• Strengthen the overall ministry of the church.
• Provide needed group care and pastoral type shepherding.

Recently, I met with some of our church's college age people to see if I could get an answer to a question I had. Our church is going through a time of reevaluating our ministry and I wanted to see how they and those of their generation felt about church. We met in our temporary rented office, which I tried to make as "artsy" (my CD player playing contempo worship) as you can considering where we were meeting. I brought some pizzas, a few drinks, and a note book to record the night and for the next couple of hours we talked about the church.

With college-age you never know what you're going to get but these guys came ready to share. They were open and honest and loved to laugh. Their views were insightful and well thought through. In fact, I was really encouraged with what they had to say. They no doubt knew what they liked and didn't like about the church. For me, the best part of the evening was getting to know four individuals outside of Sunday morning.

It's important to know what younger people are thinking about their church. I always hear from older church attenders,"how can we keep our young people?" and my answer to their question is ask them what they like or don't like about their church. The key is to ask with the willingness to listen. Some of their answers I had heard from other college-age groups but some of what they shared was new to me. There are a number of churches (buildings) in our area that are up for sale and some congregations will most likely dissolve, but I have a hunch that if they would have asked this simple question to their young people, they might have avoided the final outcome of their church.

Looking for someone to lead your college-age ministry? Well, so are a lot of churches these days. Churches are seeing the need to train and reach this transitioning group of young people as they head towards young adulthood. So, what should you be looking for in a person(s) who will be investing in the lives of young people?

• Character - I know this seems like an obvious starting place but some times we assume that a "good" church going person already has this in place. Spend time observing potential leaders. Ask church members you trust who they see as potential leaders for this group. College-age people are bright so ask a few of them who they see having godly qualities. Character is not something that everyone has but is needed when it comes to discipling the future of your church.
• Relational - When I was in college, there were a few older adults that hung out with us in the church I attended. I don't remember the names but I do remember the impact they made in my life. One couple in their forties (is that old?) lived across the street from my dorm. Their home was open to us any time of the day or night. We had great Bible studies and prayer but it was the way they related to me that was influential. They liked spending time with me. These are key years in building relationships with college-age. A person or a couple that will pour themselves into their life will have a profound effect in their walk with Jesus.
• Side by Side - They're moving from childhood to being young adults so walk with them...not in front of them. They look to older adults for guidance but they don't necessarily want to hear a lecture on how to live life. They observe to see if you have something of value to share. Look for someone who has listening skills. Like we've heard before...God gave us two ears but only one mouth. There's a reason for that.
• Discipler - The Church is not about making "nice" people. We are to make disciples so look for someone who reflects that already. A discipler has a few qualities: they can teach with transformation in mind and they can lead with the purpose of training others to lead. So, you need someone who knows Scripture and can help those grow in the Lord. It's not only about information but transformation you want. Second, we need leaders in the Church. Where do you think leadership will come if you are not developing leaders at an early age?

These are just a few qualities that you should be looking for in someone who will lead your college-age ministry. Who do you see in your church body that might fit these characteristics?

When you are restarting your church's ministry (that Vision thing), one thing I suggest you do is to bring in college-age and young adults into the process. That's what we're doing at our church. Later this month, I'll be leading a "focus" group of young people on what they like to see our church become. I've lead a number of these types of groups but never one from my church. Now, you might be asking why is this important. Why should you involve a younger generation in shaping your churches future ministry? Because it's their future and not yours. It may seem obvious but when your church is at a new place in ministry and is seeking God's vision (i.e. trying to stop a decline in attendance), your not bringing back the 80's (or whatever church decade that was your peek). Though they still need older believers in their lives, your church's future is in their hands (with God's help). Here are a few thoughts when a church is reinventing itself.

• Start a college-age/young adults Focus group.
• Disciple college-age and young adults for leadership.
• Bring young adults into your committees and let them help in the process.
• What's your vision for college-age and 20-somethings for your church?
• What will your church look like if you exclude 20-somethings from the discussion?
• Be genuine. Don't ask for their insights if your not going to actively pursue them.
• Consider hiring them on staff.
• Listen when they share.

Our church is going through a "restart." It's the first time for me and for most in our church in processing and rediscovering the Mission and Ministry (vision) for us as a local body of believers. Like all churches, we have our peculiar circumstances that will guide some of our decisions, and there aren't many books that can cover all situations that we'll be going through. Too bad. I like it when I can find quick answers to my many questions. That's probably best that it's not always so easy. You hear those stories of miraculous endings that leave you to think, "if that can happen to them, why not me?" Each church has its ministry. That ministry can be shaped by the community you live in, those that God brings to you, leadership gifts, and other variables but ultimately it is God who gives the vision.

Right now my part is with young people and that's what I'll blog about. I'll continue to write about college-age ministries but I'll also be sharing about the journey our church will be taking. I'll be teaching about the church's' mission and ministry in a couple of our Sunday evening gatherings, and how a younger generation will affect that mission and vision. No doubt we'll be seeking thoughts and insights from others who might have traveled this road before us. My hope for myself is that God's word will be my main guide through the process. I'm a "gatherer of facts" and I love to hear what others will share about "being the church." Although useful in its place, this can be a snare for me. I find that I can depend too much on what others write about, teach on, or blog concerning the Church. Believe me, I have all the books on this issue but still I find the best place is Scripture. So, with that in mind the journey begins. Most of what I'll share will appear in this blog but I'll also post on my Facebook page...with pictures.

If you have any thoughts or questions about our restart, please feel free to ask. If you enjoy talking about the Church (or church), I would love to hear what you think. We're in a tremendous point in history for the Church in America and I believe a new outpouring of God's Spirit is soon to come. I don't think that's wishful thinking but a sense of seeing what He is doing with the love of His life. His Church.

Charles Colson was asked the question on what makes a pastor great. He responded by saying,"They have a love for people in the church. They have a heart for discipleship, and that's what makes them great pastors." When asked what he tells inmates in his ministry to look for in churches his response was,"Number one is a church that believes in and preaches the Bible...Second, it should be a place where disciples are made...and number three, discipline. Discipline in terms of both holding people accountable and teaching."

I agree with what Colson shared and believe that more than any time of our history we are in need of great pastors and great churches. If I were to ask the same question to a Christian in their twenties they might say it differently but would likely agree with him. In fact, I do ask these questions of young believers and I know they would agree with him. There is a reason authors like Piper and Driscoll are popular among young evangelicals or that Puritan writers such as Baxter or Edwards are in demand on many evangelical college campuses (I was in a bookstore of one of these campuses and over heard two students talking about where they could find books by John Owens).

What are you teaching your young people in church? Don't be afraid of challenging them (and yourself) with deep and difficult teachings. Theology is not dead teaching (unless you teach like your dead). One of the most influential college age conference in America is called Passion. Some of the biggest names in modern worship lead thousands of young people at this conference, but it's not only the worship they come for, they also come to be taught in the Word. One of their favorite teachers at Passion is John Piper, a preacher in his fifties that looks more like an professor than an icon for young evangelicals. He not only preaches with heat but loves those that he teaches, and they can sense that from him. Great pastors love their church. Great churches love to teach. A winning combination for making great disciples. Nothing new here that can't be found in Scripture.

If you're looking for reading material that deals with a younger generation and the Church, and is not reminding you why they hate the Church or why we are losing this generation, then you might find these two books encouraging. Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck's recent book Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutional and Organized Religion and Collin Hansen's Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalists Journey with the New Calvinists are just a couple of books that are refuting the more recent writings that take a more bleak outlook of younger Christians in America.

DeYoung and Kluck's book take a familiar tract as in their last book, Why We're Not Emergent, by combining personal stories that are humorist with key insightful arguments backed by sound doctrine. The chapters are divided between the two authors with each taking on a personal topic combating the quick and easy way some books have written off the Church. Whether you agree with them or just are curious on hearing from a different younger perspective, I recommend that anyone who works with a younger twenty-something churched generation pick up a copy and enjoy the ride.

If you're anti-Calvin (or Luther, Edwards, the Puritans, mom, apple pie, etc...), you'll probably not be as into this book as you would with DeYoung's or Kluck but you'll be missing out on a thought provoking read. There is something to be said about tradition and history. Tradition reminds us of being connected to something or someone bigger than ourselves, and history reveals the length and depth of our roots. Today, the argument for young evangelicals centers on what will the Church look like in the future? Will it be hanging out in a "journey cafe" that invokes Millerism (re: Donald Miller or Rob Bell...these guys are more hip then Brian McLaren). Or will the church reflect a more Piperist theology (re: John Piper) hearkening back to a time when preachers were teachers and reformers were Reformed. There is a movement with younger Evangelicals who look back not only to a more "vintage" Christianity but to a more "reformed vintage" Christianity. A great read no matter what your Christian heritage.