Why the Church Needs Every Generation
The beauty of a church where faithfulness is passed down, wisdom is shared, and generations grow together in Christ.
Over the past several weeks, our church family has said goodbye to some godly men and women who faithfully loved Jesus and His church. As I have reflected on their lives, I have found myself thinking about something that seems to become more important to me the older I get.
I wonder if we sometimes fail to recognize the gift of having faithful men and women sitting among us until their seats are empty.
For much of my ministry, my attention has naturally been focused on reaching the next generation. That calling has not changed. However, the longer I serve, the more I realize that reaching the next generation and valuing the generations who came before them should never be competing priorities.
We need the energy and passion of young believers, the commitment of those raising families, and the wisdom of those who have walked with Jesus for decades. Their lives remind us that following Jesus is not simply about starting well. It is about remaining faithful until the very end.
A healthy church is not simply one that reaches the next generation. It is one where every generation is growing in Christ and helping others do the same.
Sometimes Faithfulness Looks Like a Rocking Chair
Over the past several weeks, our church family has said goodbye to some godly men and women who faithfully loved Jesus and His church. As I have reflected on their lives, I have found myself thinking about something that seems to become more important to me the older I get.
I wonder if we sometimes fail to recognize the gift of having faithful men and women sitting among us until their seats are empty.
For much of my ministry, my attention has naturally been focused on reaching the next generation. That calling has not changed. However, the longer I serve, the more I realize that reaching the next generation and valuing the generations who came before them should never be competing priorities.
We need the energy and passion of young believers, the commitment of those raising families, and the wisdom of those who have walked with Jesus for decades. Their lives remind us that following Jesus is not simply about starting well. It is about remaining faithful until the very end.
A healthy church is not simply one that reaches the next generation. It is one where every generation is growing in Christ and helping others do the same.
Sometimes Faithfulness Looks Like a Rocking Chair
Psalm 145:4 says, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” (ESV)
When I think about that verse, I cannot help but think about Bro. Dave Todd.
Before I came to Thorsby First Baptist Church, there was a season when the church was without a student pastor. During that time, Bro. Dave, along with several other faithful members, stepped in to teach and love the teenagers.
Dave had a rocking chair that he would sit in while teaching his lessons. There may not have been impressive production or exciting activities, but those teenagers had something far more important. They had someone who loved Jesus, opened God’s Word, and consistently invested in their lives.
When I arrived at Thorsby, there was already a core group of students who had been loved and discipled because people like Bro. Dave understood that ministry is not always about doing something extraordinary. Sometimes it is simply about being faithful in the ordinary.
Years later, Bro. Dave joined our first student ministry mission trip as a crew chief, even though he was in his late seventies. I also remember seeing him and his wife, Dru, sitting on the back row of our renovated student building, supporting what God was doing among the students.
However, there is one memory that has stayed with me more than any other.
Early in my time at Thorsby, we brought in a band to lead worship for a student event. This was before our church had a praise team, and having drums in the sanctuary was unusual. The band was rehearsing, and the music was loud. I remember being nervous that we might be disturbing the classes meeting downstairs.
When I saw Bro. Dave standing in the sanctuary listening, I hurried over and began apologizing.
He smiled and said something I have never forgotten.
“It’s not my style, and that’s okay. I got Jesus. Do whatever it takes to tell them about Jesus.”
Here was a man who had followed Jesus for decades, listening to music that was nothing like what he preferred. He could have complained about the volume or reminded me how things used to be. Instead, he reminded a young student pastor what mattered most.
Bro. Dave understood that the mission of the church was bigger than his personal preferences. His greatest concern was not whether the next generation worshiped exactly as he did. His greatest concern was whether they knew the same Jesus he knew.
Bro. Dave did not need the next generation to look like him. He wanted them to follow Jesus.
That is the kind of faithfulness that leaves a lasting legacy.
We Can Attend the Same Church and Still Miss Each Other
One of the challenges facing churches today is how easily generations can become disconnected, even when they belong to the same congregation.
At Thorsby FBC, we currently have two worship services because we cannot fit everyone in the same room. That is a blessing, but it also creates a challenge. Many older members attend one service while many younger families attend the other. We can belong to the same church family and barely know one another.
I often hear people say they wish we could all worship together in the same room. I understand that feeling because I wish we could too. There is something special about seeing an entire church family gathered together, singing the same truths and worshiping the same Savior.
However, simply sharing a room does not mean we are sharing life. We could sit a few rows apart for years without ever developing a meaningful relationship.
We may not be able to fit everyone in the same room right now, but we can make room for one another in our lives.
Thankfully, our church already has opportunities to make those connections. Our Renew Women’s Ministry brings girls and women of different ages together for friendship and encouragement. Our Iron Men’s Ministry gathers men across generations and intentionally connects them through discipleship groups.
These are not simply events to fill a calendar. They are opportunities to develop relationships with people who may be in a completely different season of life.
I understand that schedules are busy and not everyone can attend every gathering. However, I wonder how often we wish for a more connected church while overlooking the opportunities God has already given us to connect.
Ephesians 4:15–16 reminds us that the church grows into maturity in Christ as every part works together. Pastors and ministry leaders can create opportunities, but meaningful relationships require each of us to take initiative.
My prayer is that one day we will be able to worship together in one room. More importantly, I pray that when that day comes, we will not simply recognize one another’s faces. We will genuinely know and love one another.
Your Ministry Is Not Finished
When I think about that verse, I cannot help but think about Bro. Dave Todd.
Before I came to Thorsby First Baptist Church, there was a season when the church was without a student pastor. During that time, Bro. Dave, along with several other faithful members, stepped in to teach and love the teenagers.
Dave had a rocking chair that he would sit in while teaching his lessons. There may not have been impressive production or exciting activities, but those teenagers had something far more important. They had someone who loved Jesus, opened God’s Word, and consistently invested in their lives.
When I arrived at Thorsby, there was already a core group of students who had been loved and discipled because people like Bro. Dave understood that ministry is not always about doing something extraordinary. Sometimes it is simply about being faithful in the ordinary.
Years later, Bro. Dave joined our first student ministry mission trip as a crew chief, even though he was in his late seventies. I also remember seeing him and his wife, Dru, sitting on the back row of our renovated student building, supporting what God was doing among the students.
However, there is one memory that has stayed with me more than any other.
Early in my time at Thorsby, we brought in a band to lead worship for a student event. This was before our church had a praise team, and having drums in the sanctuary was unusual. The band was rehearsing, and the music was loud. I remember being nervous that we might be disturbing the classes meeting downstairs.
When I saw Bro. Dave standing in the sanctuary listening, I hurried over and began apologizing.
He smiled and said something I have never forgotten.
“It’s not my style, and that’s okay. I got Jesus. Do whatever it takes to tell them about Jesus.”
Here was a man who had followed Jesus for decades, listening to music that was nothing like what he preferred. He could have complained about the volume or reminded me how things used to be. Instead, he reminded a young student pastor what mattered most.
Bro. Dave understood that the mission of the church was bigger than his personal preferences. His greatest concern was not whether the next generation worshiped exactly as he did. His greatest concern was whether they knew the same Jesus he knew.
Bro. Dave did not need the next generation to look like him. He wanted them to follow Jesus.
That is the kind of faithfulness that leaves a lasting legacy.
We Can Attend the Same Church and Still Miss Each Other
One of the challenges facing churches today is how easily generations can become disconnected, even when they belong to the same congregation.
At Thorsby FBC, we currently have two worship services because we cannot fit everyone in the same room. That is a blessing, but it also creates a challenge. Many older members attend one service while many younger families attend the other. We can belong to the same church family and barely know one another.
I often hear people say they wish we could all worship together in the same room. I understand that feeling because I wish we could too. There is something special about seeing an entire church family gathered together, singing the same truths and worshiping the same Savior.
However, simply sharing a room does not mean we are sharing life. We could sit a few rows apart for years without ever developing a meaningful relationship.
We may not be able to fit everyone in the same room right now, but we can make room for one another in our lives.
Thankfully, our church already has opportunities to make those connections. Our Renew Women’s Ministry brings girls and women of different ages together for friendship and encouragement. Our Iron Men’s Ministry gathers men across generations and intentionally connects them through discipleship groups.
These are not simply events to fill a calendar. They are opportunities to develop relationships with people who may be in a completely different season of life.
I understand that schedules are busy and not everyone can attend every gathering. However, I wonder how often we wish for a more connected church while overlooking the opportunities God has already given us to connect.
Ephesians 4:15–16 reminds us that the church grows into maturity in Christ as every part works together. Pastors and ministry leaders can create opportunities, but meaningful relationships require each of us to take initiative.
My prayer is that one day we will be able to worship together in one room. More importantly, I pray that when that day comes, we will not simply recognize one another’s faces. We will genuinely know and love one another.
Your Ministry Is Not Finished
Psalm 92:14 says of the righteous, “They still bear fruit in old age.”
Titus 2 reminds us that older believers have an important responsibility to model spiritual maturity and invest in those coming behind them.
Some of the most meaningful ministry in a church will never appear on a calendar. It happens when an older man encourages a young father, when an older woman walks alongside a struggling mother, or when someone takes the time to invest in a teenager.
To older believers who wonder whether the church still needs them, I want you to hear this clearly.
Your age has not disqualified you from making a difference. Your years of walking with Jesus may be one of the greatest gifts you have to offer.
Your value is not measured by how much you can physically do. Your prayers, presence, wisdom, and faithfulness matter. For those who are able, I want to encourage you to intentionally invest in someone younger.
Research suggests that younger generations are already participating in mentorship relationships. A 2024 study from Barna and Gloo found that 83% of churchgoing Millennials and 86% of churchgoing Gen Z adults were engaged in mentorship. While that does not necessarily mean all of them are seeking an older mentor, it reminds us that intentional relationships are already part of the lives of many younger believers.
Imagine what could happen if more experienced Christians intentionally made themselves available to those coming behind them.
What if the wisdom someone needs is already sitting a few rows away at church?
Those of us who are younger also have a responsibility to seek out that wisdom.
Since 2018, I have had a weekly phone call with a man named Larry, who has served in church ministry for many years. Those conversations have given me encouragement, perspective, and wisdom through difficult seasons.
I am grateful for the sermons, conferences, books, and resources that have shaped my ministry. However, some of the most meaningful investments in my life have come through those weekly conversations with someone who has already walked roads I am still learning to navigate.
Larry has reminded me that mentorship does not require an elaborate program. Sometimes it simply requires two people willing to consistently make time for one another.
The next generation does not simply need more Christian content. They need Christians whose lives are worth following.
Younger believers also have gifts, perspectives, and encouragement to offer older believers. Every generation has something to contribute, and every generation still has room to grow.
The goal is not for one generation to become like another. The goal is for every generation to become more like Jesus.
A Legacy Worth Leaving
In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul reminds Timothy of the sincere faith of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. Their faith did not save Timothy, but their example and instruction helped shape the man he would become.
That is the kind of legacy worth pursuing. Not simply a legacy of buildings, budgets, programs, or attendance numbers, but a legacy of people who have been pointed toward Jesus because someone took the time to invest in them.
One day, if the Lord allows, those of us who are younger will become the older generation. When that day comes, I hope we have more to offer than memories of how things used to be. I hope we have stories of God’s faithfulness, wisdom shaped by His Word, and lives that have consistently pointed people toward Jesus.
That kind of legacy begins with the choices we make today.
This week, I want to challenge you to do something simple. Find someone in our church who is in a different season of life and start a conversation. Learn their name. Ask about their family. Invite them to lunch. Maybe even ask if they would be willing to meet regularly.
You do not need another church program to begin building an intergenerational relationship. You simply need to make room for someone.
As we grieve the loss of faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, we do so with the hope of the resurrection. Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again, offering eternal life to everyone who repents and believes in Him. First Thessalonians 4:13–14 reminds us that believers do not grieve as those without hope. Our hope is anchored in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
I think about Bro. Dave sitting in that rocking chair, teaching teenagers about Jesus. I think about the wisdom he shared, the example he set, and the way he continued investing in the next generation long after many would have assumed his ministry was finished.
One day, someone will look back on our lives too. My prayer is that they will remember more than the programs we built or the preferences we held. I hope they will remember people who loved Jesus and made time to help others follow Him.
One of the greatest ways we can honor the faithfulness of those who came before us is to become faithful examples for those who will come behind us.
We may not be able to fit every generation in the same room on Sunday morning, but we can make room for every generation in our lives.
May we never wait until another familiar seat is empty to recognize how much we need one another.
Research Reference
Barna Group and Gloo. (2024). Church Attendance Is Linked to Relational Health.
https://gloo.com/press/releases/church-attendance-is-linked-to-relational-health
Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
Titus 2 reminds us that older believers have an important responsibility to model spiritual maturity and invest in those coming behind them.
Some of the most meaningful ministry in a church will never appear on a calendar. It happens when an older man encourages a young father, when an older woman walks alongside a struggling mother, or when someone takes the time to invest in a teenager.
To older believers who wonder whether the church still needs them, I want you to hear this clearly.
Your age has not disqualified you from making a difference. Your years of walking with Jesus may be one of the greatest gifts you have to offer.
Your value is not measured by how much you can physically do. Your prayers, presence, wisdom, and faithfulness matter. For those who are able, I want to encourage you to intentionally invest in someone younger.
Research suggests that younger generations are already participating in mentorship relationships. A 2024 study from Barna and Gloo found that 83% of churchgoing Millennials and 86% of churchgoing Gen Z adults were engaged in mentorship. While that does not necessarily mean all of them are seeking an older mentor, it reminds us that intentional relationships are already part of the lives of many younger believers.
Imagine what could happen if more experienced Christians intentionally made themselves available to those coming behind them.
What if the wisdom someone needs is already sitting a few rows away at church?
Those of us who are younger also have a responsibility to seek out that wisdom.
Since 2018, I have had a weekly phone call with a man named Larry, who has served in church ministry for many years. Those conversations have given me encouragement, perspective, and wisdom through difficult seasons.
I am grateful for the sermons, conferences, books, and resources that have shaped my ministry. However, some of the most meaningful investments in my life have come through those weekly conversations with someone who has already walked roads I am still learning to navigate.
Larry has reminded me that mentorship does not require an elaborate program. Sometimes it simply requires two people willing to consistently make time for one another.
The next generation does not simply need more Christian content. They need Christians whose lives are worth following.
Younger believers also have gifts, perspectives, and encouragement to offer older believers. Every generation has something to contribute, and every generation still has room to grow.
The goal is not for one generation to become like another. The goal is for every generation to become more like Jesus.
A Legacy Worth Leaving
In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul reminds Timothy of the sincere faith of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. Their faith did not save Timothy, but their example and instruction helped shape the man he would become.
That is the kind of legacy worth pursuing. Not simply a legacy of buildings, budgets, programs, or attendance numbers, but a legacy of people who have been pointed toward Jesus because someone took the time to invest in them.
One day, if the Lord allows, those of us who are younger will become the older generation. When that day comes, I hope we have more to offer than memories of how things used to be. I hope we have stories of God’s faithfulness, wisdom shaped by His Word, and lives that have consistently pointed people toward Jesus.
That kind of legacy begins with the choices we make today.
This week, I want to challenge you to do something simple. Find someone in our church who is in a different season of life and start a conversation. Learn their name. Ask about their family. Invite them to lunch. Maybe even ask if they would be willing to meet regularly.
You do not need another church program to begin building an intergenerational relationship. You simply need to make room for someone.
As we grieve the loss of faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, we do so with the hope of the resurrection. Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again, offering eternal life to everyone who repents and believes in Him. First Thessalonians 4:13–14 reminds us that believers do not grieve as those without hope. Our hope is anchored in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
I think about Bro. Dave sitting in that rocking chair, teaching teenagers about Jesus. I think about the wisdom he shared, the example he set, and the way he continued investing in the next generation long after many would have assumed his ministry was finished.
One day, someone will look back on our lives too. My prayer is that they will remember more than the programs we built or the preferences we held. I hope they will remember people who loved Jesus and made time to help others follow Him.
One of the greatest ways we can honor the faithfulness of those who came before us is to become faithful examples for those who will come behind us.
We may not be able to fit every generation in the same room on Sunday morning, but we can make room for every generation in our lives.
May we never wait until another familiar seat is empty to recognize how much we need one another.
Research Reference
Barna Group and Gloo. (2024). Church Attendance Is Linked to Relational Health.
https://gloo.com/press/releases/church-attendance-is-linked-to-relational-health
Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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