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The Elephant in the Sanctuary

What to do with Baby Boomers?


One of my greatest passions is to see churches succeed and grow. I love church to feel vibrant and full of get up and go. I love churches that have plans and strategies that help it grow and be relevant in their own particular communities. However I do get a little frustrated with some of those fast growing contemporary churches because I think they miss the point when building church. Let me explain.
I have come across quite a few churches that call themselves modern and contemporary and are growing yet there is a small number of their congregation that feel left out of the grand scheme of things.  The baby boomers the 45-60 year old. They feel as though they are no longer relevant and feel that their own particular usefulness has come to an end. Why is this? because all the programmes, music and focus is on reaching the young.
Churches that just concentrate on young families and the under 18 age group, because they want to reach the next generation, end up with an imbalance in their leadership.  They do this at the peril of losing those that have built the church in the past, those leaders that are fast approaching that middle age 45-60 who were 30+ when they joined the church. These people now have other priorities, their children may have left home, they are looking toward retirement. These people begin to question not their faith in the church but their role. Many begin to step back from their service because they are tired of programmes and events they want  deeper more spiritual relationships with fewer people, they prefer deeper spiritual exercises. Many senior church leaders don't know how to handle the problems even though they themselves may be at the same age group level, their concentration is on the vision and plan for their church.
This for me is the elephant in the room or the sanctuary if you will. What to do with the baby boomers? How to make them feel comfortable, relevant and how to keep them interested in service and ministry?
The answer is I believe is that churches should be intergenerational. The most healthy churches that are seeing consistent growth are those that practise and include in their plans intergenerational ministries. Where all age groups are catered for and all feel included in all levels of leadership.
I will think on these things again and blog about them in a few weeks.
Watch this space.


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