Tuesday means rambling thoughts. Today: about churches and aging believers.
- I’d venture to say most newer or growing churches in the U.S. have a smaller number of aging believers (perhaps a lower number of those age 60 and up? – just a guess).
- A question: what would happen if a number of new believers – equal to 20% or more of a church body – over the age of 60 just showed up and got plugged into a church targeted at younger believers?
- Would it feel like an inconvenience? Or moving backward?
- Would the leadership change the style of worship to adjust?
- Would the younger congregation welcome them with some of the struggles they might bring?
- Older believers by default will have more health problems and require more visitation.
- Would anyone see such a situation as a blessing? Would leadership work to connect the aging believers with younger believers in need of godly wisdom and counsel?
- I don’t write this to condemn, but to challenge.
- How can our churches honor our older members, whose lives have changed so much?
- How can our churches welcome their service and influence as part of the larger mission?
- How can our churches help us learn compassion for people at different stages of life, even that stage which leads naturally to death?
- For all ages: who do you know in an age bracket 30-40 years or more away from you?
- Do younger folks know older folks? Do older folks really know younger folks? Both in a way that allows for prayer, relationship, and connection inside and (gasp!) outside of church?
- Read Titus 2 here and get a picture of the types of relationships the Bible describes.