Intergenerational Church

Introduction

Good morning church, and may I add my welcome to you if you’re in the building or joining us online this morning, and especially if this is your first time this morning, a really warm welcome to you.

Last month I mentioned that I was going to be sharing on a few topics scattered throughout the year that are part of our vision as a church. In January we looked at reframing the UP, IN and OUT, which is a framework that we have used for quite some time to describe what we do as a church. And we were looking at Jesus being at the centre of everything. So UP is all about Being With Jesus, IN is all about Becoming Like Jesus, and OUT is all about Doing What Jesus Did.

We want to be modelling our lives on Jesus, and so we were reframing the UP, IN and OUT around Jesus. Because this is what it means to be a disciple - this is what discipleship is all about. As learners or apprentices to Jesus, the three key things are Being with Jesus, Becoming like Jesus and Doing what Jesus did.

This morning we are going to look at being an intergenerational church.

I don’t think this is a new message for our church, for many years we have been a church that has invested in all different generations, so I’m probably not saying anything new, but I guess I just want to do a refresher on this topic this morning.

Welcoming people into the family … to meet with Jesus

The passage in Mark 10 is all about the disciples stopping the people bringing the children to Jesus to be blessed, and Jesus’ response to them. The adults, presumably their parents, and their children were being stopped because the disciples decided that it was not appropriate. We don’t exactly know why. It could be that they saw the children of lesser value than the adults, maybe they thought that they would tire Jesus out, maybe the disciples thought that the children did not need a blessing. Whatever the reason was, they blocked the children and their parents from approaching Jesus.

But Jesus challenges this head on and tells them to let the little children come to him, ‘for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’

This passage is clearly about children being blessed, but what Jesus says is that ‘the kingdom of God belongs to such as these children’. Not that the kingdom only belongs to children, or even especially to children, but those who are like the children. I think this is about the attitude of the children, and so it is referring to a child-like faith. They receive and believe in Jesus with a simple but concrete faith. And Jesus is saying that everyone who comes to him, who opens their hearts to him, everyone who believes, is welcome.

I’m sure if I asked the question: ‘Are some people more welcome in the family of God than others?’

I would hope, and I’m sure that many if not all of us would say ‘no … everyone is welcome’.

But I wonder if we practically work this out?

What do we really think or believe? Do our behaviours match our convictions?

Do we say that everyone is welcome, but only choose to talk to those who sound like us?

Do we want to welcome everyone, but choose not to talk to someone who is new or on their own?

It’s a challenge sometimes, but it’s good to think about.

And the other thing to mention is that when we are talking about welcoming people into the family of God, we’re not talking about the church building … that welcome needs to carry on down to welcoming people at services and gatherings in the church and church centre … but the main part of the welcome is about welcoming people into the family.

The disciples were not in a building, they were out in the open, and they created a physical barrier to the children and parents, stopping them from reaching Jesus.

But Jesus breaks down the barriers.

Many people today have no idea about church, they haven’t been into a church or met a minister - and they might find entering a church to be a huge hurdle … Before coming they might be thinking … What is this place? Who are these people? What should I wear or do?

Meeting the Ripon Community. Meeting the Corleys … meeting Sam was like meeting the godfather … I was so stressed and intimidated.

What do I do? How should I be?

Having met him, now I’m only a little bit intimidated.

Many people today have no idea about church, they haven’t been into a church or met a minister - and they might find entering a church to be a huge hurdle, but they are probably close to a Christian in the workplace, or at the school gate, or in a social media group.

That means that the closest example of church that people get is the Christian who they know - i.e. You!

People will get to meet Jesus through you

And that means we become sort of gatekeepers to knowing Jesus

Do we swing the gate wide open / do we hold it shut / do we make conditions on entry?

Are we welcoming in our conversations? Are we open? Are we friendly?

Or do we have unspoken expectations of what a person should be like for them to be allowed into this community?

As an intergenerational church, first we need to welcome all people into the family … so that they can meet with Jesus

Everyone has a part to play

I really like the passage that we heard from Acts because it gives this picture of what it looks like when God pours out his Spirit on his people. In Acts 2, Peter quotes the prophet Joel, who says that when the Spirit is poured out in the last days, the Spirit will be poured out on all people … ‘Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.’

Because the Spirit is poured out on all people, young and old, male and female will hear from God and prophesy.

If the Spirit of God is poured out on everyone … everyone receives ifts from the Spirit … which means that everyone has a part to play in the ministry and mission of the people of God … everyone has a part to play in this church.

And what I particularly like in Joel is that he refers to the young people and the older people.

As an intergenerational church, we need to value every generation … which means younger valuing older and older valuing younger.

If we compare our culture today with the 1st century, it is very different. We have seen huge cultural shifts in just the last 70-80 years.

I don’t feel able to speak on behalf of all cultures, but I think what I have seen in the West is that there is quite a divide between older and younger generations unless you are part of the same family, or maybe unless you’re from a different culture originally where family is of higher value.

I think what I see is that in the West, and I can speak particularly about those who are white, is that there is a breakdown in relationships between different generations.

There is not a sense of respect for your elders that there used to be if you go back a couple of generations. Although it was good to hear that Keith you were offered a seat on the bus by someone younger than you … even if it grated on you a bit!

I think part of this is due to the Digital or Information Age that we are in. It used to be the case with trades or in other areas that when you went to work you learnt from those who were more experienced than you. You might have learnt from those who had been doing the job for decades … just think of the shoe industry in Northamptonshire.

There was a sense of those who were older were wiser.

But with the speed of the developments of the Information Age, those who are younger are better at new advancements than those who are older. They are native to the digital world, more than those of us who are older. So it is the younger ones who teach the older ones.

I didn’t always grow up with a computer in the house, my sister who is 12 years younger than me, never knew a time when there was not a computer in the house. I think she has also never had a mobile that isn’t a smartphone.

So there has been a cultural shift towards newer is better / younger is better.

Whereas if you were in the 1st century, older was better … you go back to find wisdom … it’s why when Jesus is asked questions about the law, he goes back earlier in the Scriptures when he reinterprets it according to God’s original intentions.

In different cultures family is different - there is respect for elders - you have many aunts and uncles who are not blood relatives - but they are cultural terms of respect

I have a friend who is from Nigeria, and he occasionally MCs for birthday celebrations. And I remember one he did for an older lady and he referred to her as ‘mama’. She wasn’t a family member, but it was a sign of respect.

In the church, it is unique in comparison to parts of Western culture to have people who we spend time with and who invest in us that are of different generations. And that is because the Spirit has been poured out on all of us equally, whatever our age and stage.

As an intergenerational church, everyone has a part to play, and without you sharing your gifts, there will be something missing.

Growing younger

Finally, we want to be a church that grows in every direction, but there is a priority for us a church to grow younger.

There is a challenge for the church nationally that numbers are decreasing. Often the church is getting older - I haven’t done the stats for our church, but that is national picture. I’m really encouraged that I was talking to Beth and over the last year we have had more contact with children and families at Toddle In, and our numbers on a Sunday morning have grown. Wasn’t it great the other week that Beth had to come in to say I need another leader because we’ve got more children than I expected … what a brilliant problem to have!

I’m interested this morning … Jesus talks about receiving the kingdom of God like a little child in Mark 10:15, and I wonder when did you receive the kingdom? … Likelihood that it was before you were 18

Something I miss … when I was an intern, I was in my later 20s, and I was involved in leading the youth band. It was the youth who were continually asking me if they could play new songs … they kept challenging me … and even when I was a curate, I did a bit with a youth band, and they sent me a playlist of their favourite songs … since I have been here, I have only had one person younger than me ask if we could introduce a new song.

It’s not all about songs … but I love the enthusiasm of youth

Last week, someone new to faith - who came to faith in the last year, part of the evening service, recently baptised - he came up to me and asked for some information about fasting! … A young person, he’s not yet 20, and he asked me about fasting! Praise the Lord!

It’s not all about the younger generations as I’ve said, but I think it is right to have a priority on the next generation.

I’m speaking to adults in the room now. Scripture talks about one generation declaring his works to another. We need to be passing on the faith that we have received.

What does it mean to be an intergenerational church?

Welcome people into the family ... to meet with Jesus

Everyone has a part to play

Growing younger