Who Is Next?

Is it just me or are the days running together? Faster. More frequently. It's getting harder to remember what happened and when. Either that, or I am getting older. (And everybody older than me reading this says "just wait until...") I can see the comments already.

I think it was last Sunday (see my point?) that we were discussing cross-generational churches. Then yesterday on Equipped Radio with Chris Brooks, I caught part of interview in which they were discussing research on the millennial  generation and what they loved about their church.

Overwhelmingly, the response that stood out, was that church was like a family. It's truly how it should be, as we are the family of God. Scripture is replete with we are His children and joint heirs with Christ and the like.

One conversation they shared was the research they were doing with a particular focus group when I young person started attributing their love for their church with the name of one man. Then everyone in the group agreed, upon the impact of this "guy". Hearing of his involvement, they were prepared to meet someone who was just an incredibly engaged young, youth pastor.

On the contrary, and quite to the contrary at that... the man everyone loved is 77 years old. He attends kids sporting events; visits school campuses, connects with them over coffee or whatever and genuinely seeks to impact the generation coming behind him.

All this got me thinking, naturally. As we the discussed the difficulty in fostering healthy families in the church if the leadership families are in various states of unhealthiness, so present is the difficulty in fostering effective community relations outside the four walls of the church, if the church body itself isn't a healthy, functioning community. The 77-year old saint being a prime example.

Thus it begs a question for all of us, myself included.

Who in the generation before me, am I allowing to speak into and invest in my life?
Who in the generation that follows me, am I speaking into and invest in their life?

Thoughts to consider, as we pray this #communitySaturday. Pray for the church community to continue to reflect the character of Christ; to reach across the various dynamics that differentiate us and bring us closer together through the love and grace of Christ. May we people that make a greater impact in the communities in which we live because of the people within the church that have invested in us. Pray that we in turn, would continue to seek opportunities to invest in the next generation; that they may continue to the good work of bearing witness to the glory of God and the gospel of Christ.

May our communities be places of health;
Because our churches are places of health;
The result of healthy homes, being led by healthy people.
For God is working on all of us
As we allow the power of the Holy Spirit
To reflect in greater dimension the character of Christ.
For the sake of the world.

- PNC

---