The blog below raises the question as to whether we have addressed the problems of the generations within our churches:
In reading advertisements in Christian magazines and vocation sites, there were many positions advertised for the post of youth pastor or the equivalent. It was thought provoking as to how the Church in the United Kingdom had come to this position.
The whole ethos that we are demonstrating is at odds with the demographics of this country. The United Kingdom, in common with most western and European countries, has an ageing population - with more people over the age of 60 years than under the age of 16 years. If the demographics of this country were to be described in a shape, then it would be an inverted triangle. The situation will be more acute in the near future with increasingly more people celebrating their 100th birthday (as the baby boomers reach this milestone) and with the birth rate declining (with notable exceptions from those whose origins are from South Asia). In the light of this fact, it should be considered that it is a rarity for an advertisement for a worker with the older people. Indeed, where one church advertised for a 'family and children worker,' the perquisite was for any applicant to have recent youth work experience.
We have become used to fragmented structures to our church services on Sundays which are further exhibited in our wider church programmes, all the while segregating the generations. A family may arrive together at the building, but then become quickly directed to the different activities for their age groups. (Although this may be punctuated by a time when all are together, where the content is primarily for the children.)
If we were to examine the examples of revival throughout the ages, both in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, it is striking that there are no different activities for the various age groups - God moved through His people regardless of their chronological age. Where the Church is expanding under persecution (such as in China and the Arab countries), His people do not have the luxury to split in age groups for activities that we have come to expect.
In the Great Revival in the 18th century, it was observed that children and teenagers were in the meetings with the adults, and came regularly to know Christ as Saviour. A Skevington-Wood (in 'The Burning Heart') wrote: '[John] Wesley had a particularly soft spot for children and delighted to see them present at his meetings. again and again he made mention of them. Occasionally they were noisy and tended to disturb the preaching, but in most cases he commented on their excellent behaviour and attentiveness to the Word. He was obviously not one of those who supported the theory that boys and girls ought not hear the truth of God's Word at too early an age.'
The slippery slope to our present situation can be seen from seeds sown in the Victorian age and from a commendable beginning. Robert Raikes and others, who commenced the Sunday schools, were concerned that the poor children should benefit from better education. However, the situation was that these schools became separate from the Sunday times of worship so that the times the family attended church together (as they had done previously) became rarer; for example, the Sunday schools were often moved to the afternoons.
By the beginning of the twentieth century and moving on through its decades, the Sunday schools became times of religious instruction rather than education per se. Their function was to become the 'dumping ground' for children to be occupied elsewhere when their parents wanted a quiet time, especially in the Sunday mornings.
By the middle of the century, it was usual for the children to have 'their time' just before the main service with afternoon Sunday schools being phased out. Those children whose parents attended the church joined them in the main service if they were old enough and the younger children would be placed in the creche; the children of unchurched families would leave after the Sunday school had finished.
We are now in a situation where the children miss out in joining the adults in any meaningful way as they either go straight to their activities (which have modern titles) or after a time when the service is primarily directed to their age group. Even the term 'all-age service' is a misnomer as these services tend to be directed to children and young people. Despite the emphasis on children and young people in a number of churches, there seems to be diminishing numbers from these age groups.
The problem stems from the fact that, within several generations, the Church in the United Kingdom has moved from a family-centred Church to one that was fragmented into generational activities. It is interesting to note that the instruction to teach children (Deuteronomy 6) is within the context of families - no-one else within the nation was responsible for their spiritual education.
In the same manner, when Ezra preached (in Nehemiah 8: 2), it was to be to all age groups. It does not mention that, at the stage when Ezra stood up to preach, the children and the young people went out to their various activities. Other examples in the Old Testament where children were present when the Word of God was expounded can be found in Joshua 8: 35 (when the words of Moses were read out) and 2 Chronicles 20: 13 (when Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel came to seek God.)
When the Israelite people came to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, it was a family activity (see Luke 2: 41 - 50 for example) - which is reflected in the gathering of the family in Jewish synagogues today.
Indeed, there was no generational separation when Jesus undertook His ministry. We are told that, at the end of one day, when Jesus fed five thousand men (Matthew 14: 21), there were also women and children present.
The examples in the New Testament was that the Good News of Jesus was taken to the whole family (see the household of the Philippian jailer - Acts 16: 31 - 34). When the church developed, there were still no generational divisions as we can tell from the greetings of Paul (e.g. Romans 16: 10 - 11).
In the light of these examples, date it be said that the British Church has been at least partially culpable in the generational gap in our society and within its walls? Why are some of the groups (notably men) absent from taking a full role?
Studies have shown that children whose own parents bring them to church have a much higher percentage of coming to receive Christ as Lord than children whose parents do not bring them. The distictive factor is the father for, if the service is relevant to them and the rest of the family (instead of just directing the content to women and children), they are more likely to attend church with the children, and the percentage of children remaining at church is much higher than if it is just the mother attending with them (which is the usual case). There is spiritual impact in concentrating om families that will build a better foundation than concentrating on just one age group.
It is not to say that meetings within the week for the different age groups should cease. There is surely the place for expert ministries for children, young people, men, women, and older people to come alongside churches to give them active guidance.
In these days when there is pressure on family time together (e.g. where both parents work), the Church should be leading the way on all-family activities, where there is opportunity to heal families and not to fragment them - starting with Sunday meetings.
We have been given the opportunity to help families who are broken - not by separating them (as we have done so in the past) but by giving them possibilities to learn to work, play and (more importantly) worship in the places where God has called us to demonstrate being His family.
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