Yesterday I listed a few common issues smaller churches raise about why they are not able to do more than they are doing, and I promised to address each of them over the next few days. It is important to note that many of these issues are valid. What the people are saying about their churches are true, but that does not mean they have to limit what the church is able to do. One very common complaint I often hear has to do with the age of church members, and for many of our smaller churches it is true that many in their congregation are older people. When I began my ministry at Hebron BC in 1981 a family member visited the church. I asked later if she was going to return, and she said she would not because everyone in the church had gray hair. Several years later I told her that if she wanted to start coming to the church she was qualified as her hair was as gray as the others. She was not amused!
Why do we automatically think that having elderly people in a church limits what the church is capable of doing? These are people who are often retired and have more available time to do things than some younger people might have. These are the builder and boomer generations who are known for getting things done. Some are living very comfortably on their retirement accounts and have disposable income available for ministry purposes. There is much our older church members can do to advance the Kingdom of God and increase our ministry presence in the community.
The problem is that too often we fail to see these folks for the resource they are. Too many churches are wanting to develop a youth ministry because "the youth are the future of our church." It's very hard to develop a youth ministry when there are no youth in the church for a core group. Maybe we would be better off to focus on reaching out to senior adults if that is our current core group. Do we really think every senior citizen is a Christian and active in a church somewhere? Most would quickly admit that isn't the case, but we seldom think about that because we are too busy focusing on trying to reach people who aren't in our churches that we fail to see those who are there and how they can reach out to others in their generations.
A member of a smaller church told me recently that they were discussing installing a new video system in their church so they could begin to attract younger people. I am not opposed to video equipment, and in many churches they are needed, but I don't believe every church needs to make that investment. This is an older congregation located in a small community primarily made up of senior citizens. Do the church leaders really think that by installing a video system in their church that will cost them several thousands of dollars according to this one lay leader it will cause young people to magically appear in their congregation? Sadly, that is their hope. Would it not be a much better use of their resources to become involved in the community in ways that would be meaningful to the senior citizens who live there that would build relationships between those people and the church?
Too many churches want to put their senior saints out to pasture, and that is a huge waste of human potential. One of the most energetic pastors I've ever known continued to pastor churches until he was in his early 80s. I first met him when he was in his 70s and judged him to be mid-50s. Health issues finally caused him to leave the pastorate, but he continues to be involved in the life of his church. Personally, I will turn 65 at the end of this week, and I may have slowed down a little, but most people couldn't tell it. If someone tries to put me out to pasture I'll break through the fence and find a new field to run in. Having an older congregation does not have to limit the ministry of a church unless they choose to allow it to do so.
Church growth people have known for years that churches tend to attract who they are. If you are in a church made up primarily of senior adults then develop ministries for seniors. Encourage your members to invite their friends to be a part of those ministries. Stop fantasizing about developing a great youth ministry and use the resources God has already provided. More than likely you'll find great ministry opportunities when you do so.
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