We at Trinity Pres. are committed to building a generational church in the generational Church, and that is no simple thing.
This last week I had the rare opportunity to listen to conservative Catholic commentator Ross Douthat’s Interesting Times podcast during which he interviewed the ex-American Baptist pastor and now data analyst Ryan Burge. It was an interesting conversation concerning topics that we don’t typically think about from the standpoint of polling data. Conservative American Christians have recognized since the 1960s that the American Church has been shrinking. The reality is that the most hardcore conservatives haven’t been leaving the Church, but the greatest impact to the Christian presence in our country has been the decline and near extinction of the so-called mainline Protestant denominations (e.g. the American Baptist Churches, Presbyterian Church of the United States of American, United Methodist Church, etc.). These denominations were the homes of Christians of all stripes for a good chunk of America’s history, and at the end of the 20th century, their attempt to stay mainstream by watering down doctrine and embracing liberal social norms have led to their disintegration. Why is America such a sinful nation in God’s eyes? We often blame “the culture”, but the reality is that it is the Church’s responsibility to shape culture (i.e. the Cultural Mandate), and instead of doing that, the mainline denominations simply went along with unbelieving trends.
But blame for the state of our nation doesn’t just lie with certain Christian denominations—it’s an “us” problem. And it has to do with building the catholic Church generationally by building local churches generationally. This is certainly much easier said than done, yet God promises that this work is not only pleasing to Him but that He will surely bless it.
We in the CREC are known as a group of Christians that value having all of God’s people together: for worship, for work, for play, etc. You will not find “children’s church” at a CREC congregation and families are encouraged to keep even their youngest members in the worship service throughout. And where you find fellowship, it will be robust and for the most part inclusive of all ages. To many this seems quaint or counter-cultural, but we should not lose sight of the fact that it isn’t trendy but simply in obedience to God’s will. And while this commitment is very hard to practice, it is also very good. This is of utmost importance because though churches and denominations rise and fall, the Church will be the obedient Church, and the Church builds according to our Triune God’s design. How does generationalism practically shape church practice?
First, it reminds the Church she is a covenantal people, and Biblical covenants have succession. By “succession” we mean inheritance, that is, passing on things from generation to generation. God’s promises were not just for Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter, Tertullian, Augustine, Gregory I, Hus, Luther, Calvin, Bavinck, etc. … these promises were for them and their children. But covenantal promises aren’t simply “God is going to bless you”, they are also “he who loves Me keeps My commandments”. Biblical generationalism is committed to us and those who come after us receiving all of God’s triune goodness , and to get it, we need to be discipled and disciple generationally for covenant faithfulness in love, thought, word, and deed.
Second, generational building requires us to rightly view the Church as our primary family from which all other ties proceed and are defined. Liberal, kinist, nationalist, and patriarchal movements today get a number of things wrong, chief of which is that they fail to affirm with the Scriptures that there are only two types of people in the world: children of God and children of the Devil. This is not to overlook or even avoid attempting to work through the complications of sub-cultures within these two groups, but Jesus says clearly that His family is comprised of those who do His Father’s will, not those whom He came from by biological, geographical, or cultural connection. Those who do the Father’s will are a biological (in Christ’s blood), geographical (the Kingdom of God), and cultural (true Israelite) people. If we do not recognize this primary distinction in the Bible then we will spend ourselves either inadvertently building Satan’s family or simply ignoring our own in the baptized Body.
Third, generationalism requires all age groups to work together by the Spirit to build the Church. The Church and local churches as part of the greater are made up of people with differing gifts, all of which are necessary for the good of the Body (local and catholic) and the glory of God which is filling-up the earth. Practically, this means that 1) there should be neither pure consumers nor producers in the Body of Christ, 2) Christians never outlive their usefulness, and 3) baptism is when preparation if not service in the local church begins. For “retirees”, there is no retirement in the Christian life. While there are certainly exceptions, you should have years of experience, more time, and more monetary resources to dedicate to discipling your younger brothers and sisters in the Lord. Likewise, your physical needs are increasing, and as you draw near the end of your race, you need to be constantly reminded of Christ’s life which is manifest in the life of the Church—in baptized babies, teenagers figuring out adulthood, exhausted parents committed to raising their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord in trying times. You need to be in the thick of that for your good, for your encouragement in Christ, as well as the encouragement and equipping of your heritage in the Lord. Likewise, young families need the wisdom, the patience, and the physical resources of older brothers and sisters in Christ and the physical gifts of their younger ones. You are in the thick of building the next generation, and your good is the most impactful on the future of our local churches. And though you are at the most resource-dependent (and starved!) period of your lives, you don’t lack the means to contribute to the congregation. Well-ordered families, voices that are learning to sing, recite Scripture, participate in worship, fellowship around tables, and help with the chores—all of which all but infants can participate in—are a tremendous and necessary commodity to a healthy local church. This is all 5th Word territory, people showing honor to parents and authorities over them, all of which God commands of even the youngest of us. Our single young adults are vital to the health of local bodies, as well. Though they are still figuring parts of the Christian life out, they should have both a level of Christian maturity, mobility, and energy that is a glorious blessing to the local body. Yet you still have needs, particularly the counsel, connections, and prayers of your older siblings in life, and you need to learn how to care for the extensions of God’s people that He will raise up in your future homes. All of you in the local and catholic Body are necessary and good.
May the Lord give us the grace to see the project that is before us, plant us in faithful, generational congregations, and so spread the glory of Christ to every nation, tribe, and tongue for all eternity.
-Pastor K