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Discipleship Ministries of the PCA

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The Kingdom and Generations

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The church is getting older.

It might not seem like it where you are but there has been a steep decline in church attendance beginning with the baby boomers (those born between1946-1964) and continuing to the present generation. The most recent statistics indicate that we are not far from the place where the majority in the United States will identify themselves as something other than Protestant.

This presents a great challenge.

One is to reach the generation growing up around us. In many cases this group relates better to grandparents than parents.

In the church I serve there is an 87-year-old widow. She no longer drives. But she has become a Pioneer Club pal to a child some 80 years younger. That involves things like remembering a birthday, speaking briefly at a worship service, and praying for her pal.

To date, every child from age 2 to 5th graders has had a pal. Sometimes the child is invited to the pal’s home. On occasion pals attend school functions in which the child is participating. They might celebrate a birthday together.

There are adults who seem fearful of interacting with young people – especially middle and high schoolers.

If you’re a grandparent you have a great place to start. Should your grandchildren do what the vast majority of young people are predicted to do-either never start or drop out of church? Is it possible for you to build enough of a relationship with them so that you can be heard when you encourage them to follow Jesus? Are you willing to pray for them – regularly, fervently?

If you’re willing to take a bigger risk, talk to the person responsible for children or youth ministry at your church. Ask if there’s a place where you can help.

Another older lady in our church has participated in a project with our children and youth over the last two summers. One Sunday she gave her testimony to the group. She said she did it because she wants to get to know our young people.

A retired couple in our church has been Pioneer Club leaders for some time. They have become critical in making that ministry work. And they light up when they talk about the children– the way they memorize Scripture, what they do in their groups.

To make an impact will take more than a Sunday or two. Think of it as a long-term investment in the Kingdom.

Another challenge is this. There are seniors who are feeble and all but forgotten. They don’t come to services and after a while they’re not missed. Sometimes their faith gets shaky as this life draws to a close. A great many others have a faith that has never been sure. This is one reason so many of their children have decided not to make the Christian pilgrimage.

As those associated with the church advance in years it is our privilege and responsibility to demonstrate the reality of the gospel to them.

Last year one of our small groups took on the challenge of doing the “honey do” list an elderly couple had accumulated. They have suffered much. Their health is declining. And that group reminded them – our hope is real.

Were I to live through another generation or two, I might have trouble recognizing the church. But I am confident of this. There will be a church. And it will be composed of every age group just as it has people today from every nation, tribe, tongue, and generation.

We’ll see God work, in part, through our actions.

A Member of the Family

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Baptism divides Christian people.

On the one side are those who are convinced it is reserved for those who believe in Jesus. A minority within that group says it is necessary for salvation and an even smaller number says it’s only effective when done by their church.

There are also those who see continuity in the Old Testament signs of faith. Passover gives way to the Lord’s Supper. Circumcision is replaced by baptism.

The familial nature of faith is part of the essence of the redemptive story. But it was blurred when the revivalists of the 18th and 19th centuries, capturing the spirit of American individualism, emphasized the individual’s relationship with God to the virtual exclusion of the family. We live with that legacy today.

In a discussion of marriage, the apostle Paul said, “the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife” and vice versa. That is strong language. The least we might conclude is that a believing spouse provides some sort of covering for the unbelieving spouse. Perhaps implicit in this is that the unbelieving partner might be more open to faith in Jesus.

Even more compelling is Paul’s virtually throwaway line “otherwise your children would be unclean but as it is, they are holy.” (1 Cor. 7:14)

When a baby is baptized in the Presbyterian Church in America, the child becomes a member of the church. That recognizes the covenantal umbrella. The child belongs by virtue of the faith of the parent(s).

Sometimes it has meant that we assume too much. The gospel is not clearly and compellingly presented as the child grows. I believe that happened to me. But we might also assume too little, urging the child to pray the “sinner’s prayer” at the earliest possible opportunity. There is no magic in such a prayer. It might or might not signal belief. And a commitment to Jesus can be made without ever uttering the words to such a prayer.

We can’t take this challenge lightly. Money spent to help build up families and disciple children and young people will bear significant dividends. Examine your church budget. Where does the money go? Look at your statistics. What’s happening to your young people? Are your households maturing in the faith?

There are occasions when an unbelieving parent has had to stand or sit silently by while the believing spouse takes the vows of their child’s baptism. That’s appropriate but it ought to stir a restlessness to see the family united in faith.

There are many stories of congregations that have gotten used to the involvement of one spouse such that the other is virtually forgotten because he/she seldom if ever attends.

Many years ago a woman came by herself to our church in Connecticut. On one occasion I heard her say that she wished some man in the church would reach out to her husband. I decided to try and God blessed. After months of getting together to talk about anything and everything, always coming back to the gospel, he decided he was ready to follow Jesus. I wish I could say I’ve done that regularly. I wish that were a common practice in our churches.

Some of the most effective evangelism I know involves a believer inviting an unbelieving brother or mother or grandchild or adult child to services where the gospel is able to take root. The process might be more complicated in blended families but that’s where we are. So believing stepparents are presented with a great opportunity and challenge.

A synergism becomes possible when the church as the extended family builds up its households. And those households in turn build up the churches, which then impacts the community, enfolding others in the family of God.

Discouragement

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“Most people are walking around with a low-grade depression,” said my mentor, Richard W. Gray. That’s like walking around with a low-grade fever. I tend to run in cycles – up and down. Thankfully, as the years have gone by the lows are not as low and the highs not as high.

Palm Sunday I looked around in church. Attendance was down. The time had changed. An hour was lost. Spring break had begun. Yet I was expecting a whole lot more. We had been encouraging the congregation to try to bring someone on Palm Sunday and/or Easter. It appeared that we had accomplished little or nothing and I got discouraged.

Like a disease, disappointment can quickly make us negative about a lot of things. That began to happen to me. I started asking questions about the commitment of others, and my own commitment. What difference does the gospel make?

But it didn’t end there. I went from worship to a Sunday school class I’ve been teaching. We’ve had some great sessions. But on that morning attendance was down, and I found myself struggling through the material. It felt like the whole group was laboring to get with the program.

Note this: I didn’t say to the class, “I’m kind of down today.” In fact, I tried to mask it. But that’s virtually impossible.

Some years ago I had extensive conversation with a pastor who was deeply discouraged, seriously considering abandoning the ministry. One of the things he said was, “I’m careful not to let anyone in the congregation know how I feel.” My response: “You’re fooling yourself.”

That has played out in my own experience. I was still down when I led a Bible study group on Tuesday evening. We struggled through that session. However, I doubt that anyone would have put his or her finger on what I believe to have been the big problem.

It may sound like I’m suggesting that we ought to wear our feelings like a shirt, on display for anyone to see. But that isn’t always helpful. So where does that leave us?

1) It will help immensely if we are self conscious about what is going on in us. That is often difficult because we tend to be masters of denial and deception. I’ve heard people, red in the face, angrily contend that they were not angry. John Calvin understood that to know ourselves we must know God. To face what we know about ourselves in the presence of the Father will help us to see more what we are like, causing us to seek his mercy in fresh ways.

2) There will be occasions when it is appropriate to talk about our struggles, and times when it is not. But we must always be real. To cover ourselves with superficial expressions of piety or in other ways pretend that we are something that we are not is never appropriate. I have a vivid recollection of the minister who in one forum gave a distressing report about his personal situation, and in a matter of a few minutes, responded to another group’s greeting with a hearty “rejoicing in the mercy of the Lord.” He didn’t have to lay out his troubles with these people. I doubt it would have been appropriate. But one thing seemed clear. He was not rejoicing in the mercies of the Lord at that point in his experience. Most of the time we Christians don’t give others enough of a sense of what churns inside us. Perhaps that’s why opening ourselves to others may at times cause us to feel like we are jumping into an abyss of the unknown. We don’t want to face God or ourselves.

3) We must commit ourselves and our responsibilities to the Lord. There are times when the Spirit has taken me beyond my circumstances and abilities to use me in a particular setting. It can happen with you. Maybe it has. These are small indications of God’s grace and power.

4) Healing is often preceded by an open admission of our wound. That may be the heart of our reluctance to let ourselves be known to others or to God. To allow God, often more than others, to pick at the scabs of hurt and rebellion is too much to contemplate. Underneath it all we don’t really want to change. We may not like where or what we are, but we’ve been that way long enough that we are comfortable.

We urge change in those we teach. But do we really want to change? Do we really want to know God?

Sunday School and Small Groups

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What’s the difference between an adult Sunday school class and a small group? Why is it important for a church to offer both? Such questions would not have been raised a couple of generations ago. Every opportunity to continue the disciple-making process would be welcome – at least in theory. But I hear these questions a lot today.

Also, most congregations would not have been as intentional as many are today. Purpose statements accompanied by strategies to accomplish specific goals were relatively rare in the Christian community twenty-five years ago.

Both Sunday school and small groups are programs. Consequently, they should be viewed as means to an end – nothing more. If they serve a given purpose, presumably one better than a possible alternative, they are worthwhile. If not, do something else. Time and resources are too important. The task is too big. And the resources, by comparison, often seem meager. My observation suggests that it is difficult for a congregation to put an equal emphasis on both small groups and Sunday school. Invariably one will do better than the other. Let’s look at some specifics.

For the vast majority of churches, the biggest group of people gathers on Sunday morning. That alone makes Sunday morning an ideal discipling opportunity. The traditions surrounding Sunday school can be a significant inhibitor to using the time effectively. But instead of just letting things ride let’s do something about it.

Over the years I’ve had conversations with those who either had or were contemplating abandoning Sunday school in favor of small groups. My first question has been: What will you do to disciple your children? As often as not, that question was overlooked.

In some places a structure has evolved in which children attend Sunday school while the parents are in the worship service. I find that troublesome. Increasingly, we have situations where middle school and even high school students do not attend worship with any regularity. If we expect young people to continue in the church they must be integrated into the full-orbed life of the congregation.

It is possible to have a small group format on Sunday morning that could deal with two problems at once –

1. Childcare is almost always an issue with small groups. To hold them on Sunday morning in conjunction with a children’s Sunday school solves that problem.

2. Both children and adults would have opportunities for study and worship in a two-hour-plus block on Sunday.

But what is the difference between an adult Sunday school class and a small group?

In some churches the small group is primarily for fellowship — an opportunity for people to gather and tell their stories. Other elements such as Bible study are secondary. In such a setting, the difference might be striking because traditionally Sunday school has been a place to study the Bible. Yet it’s also true that the social fabric of some churches is knitted in adult Sunday school classes. In my experience, however, the level of sharing in the small group is almost always more personal – more intense.

That gives us the biggest indication of the difference between Sunday school and the small group. Some in the larger Sunday school class, which is quasi-academic in its setting, would never feel comfortable in a small group.

In small groups that I work with, Bible study is a significant component. So is prayer. It’s also important to have a task – to work together to make a contribution to others. The elements are similar in many Sunday school classes but the setting and the atmosphere make them distinct.

In the Sunday school class, ethics can be approached from a philosophical perspective. In the small group its more personal. Issues such as child rearing and marriage can be discussed more generally and systematically in the Sunday school. In the small group issues confronting members become the backdrop for discussion.

Bible study in the Sunday school can be a bit more academic without forsaking application and in the small group there can be application without neglecting the text. Thus at times the differences may seem subtle, at other points distinct.

In a world that is so ignorant of the Bible and a Christian community so lacking in its understanding of basic tenants of the faith, there is plenty validation for helping people understand the Scripture, the culture and the ways the Christian message applies personally and collectively.

An Important Job

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You’re important. Important to the Kingdom.

But someone says, “I just teach a Sunday school class for two-year-olds.”

Our grandson, who just turned three, tells me “I know Jesus loves me.” I can’t say what’s in his mind when he says that but he’s beginning to get the heart of the Christian message.

No matter how sophisticated our formulations of the faith become, it all comes back to this simple realization. “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so.” Could we say “all I needed to know I learned in Sunday school when I was two?”

It’s not hard for me to imagine that little grandson being a stinker in a few years. This grandfather certainly was. I made most of my teachers miserable.

You’re trying to teach fourth grade boys and it seems like you’re hitting your head against a wall. How long do you put up with that before you say, “enough is enough?” God’s got his hand on some of those boys and he’s given you the great privilege of helping to shape them into the men they will become.

Every person in God’s family is important. There are no “little” people.

Those God has called to teach in the church have been given the responsibility to pass the faith on to the next generation. But the next generation isn’t learning and then they don’t know about Jesus’ love, or what they know is void of Christian content. So to say you teach a class in Sunday school, hear verses in Pioneer Clubs, do projects in Vacation Bible School or become a pal to some child-says that you have been given an incredibly important job.

Never take it lightly. But relax and enjoy yourself. Watch God at work.

A Time to Evaluate

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I’m the Director of Discipleship Ministries at Covenant Church in Fayetteville, Georgia. For over a year we’ve been doing an in-depth evaluation of our Christian education efforts. Evaluation should be a regular part of everything we do.

We’ve looked at our community. Who we are reaching. Who we’re not. A large number of African Americans are moving into what we consider our “parish.” How is it possible for us to become a more racially integrated congregation?

We’ve looked at our purpose against the backdrop of the church’s broader purpose. We want “to introduce people to Jesus and help them grow in their relationship to him and to others.” The short version is “Reach and teach to love and serve.” That’s our summary of discipleship.

We’ve looked at our curriculum. Does it do what we want? Are there ways we need to supplement? We’ve checked attendance records. How are we doing relative to the community and to the church ministries? We interviewed teachers and leaders. What do they think they have achieved?

Then we took a further step, one that the church’s Christian Education committee thought was a natural outgrowth of our analysis. We decided to interview young people who spent a substantial part of their growing up years in the congregation. We invited six young adults to join a round table in which they assessed the impact of the congregation’s efforts on their behalf.

When I mentioned to them what we were doing, the response was basically, “What a gutsy thing to do.” But we didn’t think of it that way. In fact, I would favor such a discussion with some who had dropped out of church somewhere along the way.

It is God who changes hearts. But for whatever reason, he has chosen to use us. I believe he is most pleased when we do the best we’re able to do. To put it another way, a teacher hasn’t taught until the student has learned. With the gospel, learning is used by the Spirit to produce change – in our thinking, our desires, and our activities. So it makes sense to see what the product looks like. It also makes sense to assess the perceived impact our efforts have made.

In this case we were affirmed. Certain teachers and leaders stood out. The overall assessment was that they were grounded in our theology and sensitized to the importance of relationships. Mission trips opened their eyes to God’s will for his people everywhere. They were taught to serve. The biggest weakness discussed was the availability of programming for those recently out of high school.

The next step in our process is to talk with a larger cross section of the congregation to brainstorm where we go from here. Out of that, goals and strategy will emerge.