Hello,
Once again I start with an apology that I have written in a while. I might just create a draft so I stop having to write sorry at the beginning of each blog.
Its been well over 2 and half months since my last post!!! I have been home for that amount of time, and although it was difficult to adjust at first I am now really enjoying it. Looking for jobs is my main objective at the moment, which can be quite frustrating at times. I know God will provide just waiting on his timing not mine.
Lets get straight on with because I need to fill out some application forms!
I've recently got back from Momentum, which is a Christian festival in Somerset. It was amazing! I went with over 20+ people from church and it was just amazing to spend time with them, as well really working on my relationship with God.
On the first evening of Momentum the evening talk discussed the growing problem in the 20-30's age gap. It was described as the church is 'hemorrhaging 20-30's', meaning there is a growing lack of this age group in church. There are some churches in the inner cities that are thriving with this age gap yet the church in local towns are noticing a distinct gap.
Whilst I was away at uni my home church was struggling quite badly however, there was one amazing thing that came out of that. The church pulled itself together by seeing a need and knowing that they could serve that using their own initiative. From these groups the church became stronger, and solid friendships were formed. One group that did this was the 18+, which is the group I am part of. I had absolutely nothing to do with this but it is something I am incredibly grateful for. For over a year now this group has been thriving and there are some really solid friendships that have come out of it. There is time to be challenged through bible studies, and in depth conversations but there is also time to laugh...incredibly hardly. I cannot thank God enough to be in such a comforting place.
** I am coming at this from the angle of the seminar not the talk**
However, from going to the follow-up seminar of the first talk at Momentum I begin to understand that this is not the case for most people. It was a seminar for the guys at Momentum to get a real understanding of what was going on in the local churches away from the Christian festival bubble. I think like I was they were shocked with the comments and reactions of some of the people.
There were some there that had clearly been hurt by people in their church, and others who wanted to express words of encouragement. I left feeling disheartened. Not by church but by those comments that were discussed in the meeting. I do understand being in the age group of 20-30's can be difficult particularly in church. You may have grown up in that church then gone away from uni having learnt and change loads but people still think of you as 15. Maybe you haven't left at all but still changing loads and getting people to understand you as an adult can be challenging.
Having said all this church is going to hurt at one point regardless of age. And do you know why? Because church has people in it. Yes it is difficult to be in your 20-30's and yes church can be a so frustrating that it affects your walk with God. But if church was perfect, fulfilling all our needs you would not be in it. And why is that? Because 'for we have all fallen short of the glory of God' Romans 2:23. Meaning church will never be perfect and we will never be completely satisfied because we fail.
Church is not about a building, or the style of worship or even the preach (although these are important). Church is always about the people. The word church originates from the Greek word Ekklesia, which means group of people. When Christ said 'on this rock I will build my church' he is pledging for a group of people. Christ didn't give up his life for some walls, a particular style of worship or a bunch of cell groups, he gave his life up for his people, THE CHURCH. Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her".
So when we have upset Jesus by sinning he doesn't give up on us. He preserves with us, and forgives us. If we have been upset by the people in the church we need to act like Christ and forgive them. Christ on the Cross ask for the forgiveness of those WHO were mocking him during the middle of his crucifixion (Luke 23:34). In the middle of his pain caused by his people he forgives them.
Church is also referred to as one body. Not segregated with individual groups occasionally saying hi on a Sunday morning. Paul writes in Ephesians to be united Eph 4: 3-6 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.here is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all
We need to be united. We need to make every effort because if the church is broken how do we expect to reach the last, the least and the lost.
There should be no separation between ages as Christ accepts us all so the church accepts all. Ephesians 2:14,16 ' For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.....(16)Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death."
By Paul saying Jesus united Jews and Gentiles this is massive! Paul is saying he joined two opposite together by the crucifixion. If Jesus can do that with two opposites he can build that bridge between the 20-30s and the rest of the church.
With this in mind we need to make amends with those we have trouble with in the church because it is not God's purpose for his church, his people.
If we are united we will work more effectively, and we will see more saved. If we work in unity we will not see hemorrhaging of the 20-30's but people in that age group will see something attractive about church.
I do know that people come from different angles, and things have happened that are hurtful but sometimes being reminded of what God laid out for his people can be hard, and humbling but so worth it in the long run.
This is something on my heart! Massive stream of consciousness! Definitely something I need to work on to and I pray you will too.
x
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1 comment:
Interesting post, cheers for it Hollin.
Just some thoughts that came to mind whilst reading it:
1) When you say church here you're using the greek phrase Ekklesia, meaning body of Christ. I agree with you that the Church is never to be thought of as a building but as a body of Christ. Since this is the case do you think it's possible for one area to be stronger than another in some areas? In which case should we remind ourselves that although some churches may be lacking certain people it's not necessarily a bad thing, so long as we're looking at the body of Christ holisitically and not in individual parts.
2) Carrying on from that point, a very wise man once told me "It's fine that my eyes don't hang out with my toes". What he was trying to bring up here is that even though their overall purpose is the same (to work the human body), they aren't required to be together. I'm not saying that young people shouldn't go to church with older people (in fact the opposite) but that if we try to create community that wouldn't otherwise be there then it won't work. If we take a part of a toe and put it in the eye it wouldn't work.
That said however, community ought to be an effect and not a cause.
I suppose my main point could be summarised as: Is it necessarily a bad thing if young people don't attend the traditional churches that older people attend?
If we think so then are we guilty of focussing exclusively on one aspect of the body as opposed to the entirity?
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