Generation to generation
I was having coffee with a clergy friend who serves a traditional congregation. “Our church is struggling,” he said, his brow darkening with concern. “Our members are all over 60, and I can’t remember the last baptism. We’re lucky if 50 people show up on a Sunday morning. Our biggest givers are dying. How we can start alternative ministries when we can’t fill our own pews? How can we throw money at something new when we can’t sustain what we already have? How can we justify new ministries?”
I nodded. The description fits most congregations in our denominations, and I hear the same questions everywhere.
When I began writing about church movements, I hoped that we could also revitalize our existing ministries. If traditional congregations became more focused and intentional about welcoming younger generations, I thought, then we’d have thriving denominations. I had served churches that had grown with younger generations. I knew the possibilities.
