What About Generation Gaps in the Church?

Social groups often form when people have specific things in common that attract themselves to each other and can provide a foundation for friendship. Many people today feel the most comfortable if a social situation includes their close friends, united by many things, but primarily united because they share a similar age. This is true for many of us. High Schoolers feel most comfortable with their high school friends, college students feel most comfortable with 20 and early 30 year olds, and so on. But what about in the church? Is it natural for us to remain confined to our generations? What is missing?

What is the Church?

First of all, “church” is not a social situation. It’s not a place you go to or something that you do. The word “church”, in the New Testament, literally means “assembly”. When you are talking about the church you are talking about all the believers that assemble in the name of Jesus, whether local or universal depending on the context. The church is all of those that you worship with and have a common faith in God.

The church is a body of believers, much like a body of water is made of many different drops of water. It is also compared to a human body in the Bible. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12, talked about this body, the body of Christ, and explained that just as a human body is made of different body parts, the church also has many different members. Like body parts, every member has a different function. The clearest way we can see this is through gender roles. Beyond this, we see roles that parents have towards children and vice versa and what the older generations should do with the younger people.

Going back to the body for a second, listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:14-20.

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

The Body is Diverse!

As body the Christ, we must come to realize how important every member is. Adding on to that, we also need to understand that other members can offer things that we can’t. Older Generations can offer things that we can’t get on our own and the same goes for younger generations. One thing I’ve noticed about younger kids is that they’re generally very good at evangelism. In this area of ministry, it is mostly our kids who are responsible for the majority of converts in the church. On the other end of the spectrum, those who are older have plenty to offer. They are living libraries with years of experiences. Many of them have perfected their faith in ways that younger people haven’t. They can teach and provide encouragement. The retired are especially important because they have more time to serve and study. Older generations can mentor us and can provide the encouragement and advice that we need to keep growing. The body of Christ is a wonderful and diverse living thing!

But Why The Gaps?

Living in the world teaches us that our own generation should be valued above other generations. It happens through education, job placement and advancement, and through stigmas that generations place on each other. Biases can make us think that the other generations are foolish. Whether we think they don’t know enough or they just don’t understand what we’re going through, we place boundaries on ourselves, limit the church’s unity, and create stagnant churches that won’t grow. The good news is, we can stop this. If we actively seek mentorships and cross-generational relationships, we can form close bonds with people we never even thought of being close to. The hard part is, it’s up to you. Don’t wait for others of different generations to come to you. Be proactive in encouraging the whole body no matter how young or old it’s members are. I guarantee you that they have something to offer that is different from what you’ve got. The Bible tells us so.

Yours In Christ,

Zack