This sign recently popped up on a corner in my neighborhood:
I beg your pardon?
First, while I am not yet 50, the half-century mark is lurking. Personally, I find myself offended by the idea that 50 = senior. Since when? What happened to 65 or even 55 as the threshold for senior citizenry?
Besides, how do they know? Is there a bouncer at the door checking AARP cards before allowing people into the service? Does that mean once I pass my fiftieth birthday I am no longer welcome at a ‘normal’ church? (Thankfully, that definitely does NOT apply at my church.)
Second, I don’t get the concept. Why segregate older people? Is it because those 49 and under have nothing to learn from the older generation? Is it that the 50-plus-ers can’t be bothered to maintain relationships with those younger than themselves? Is it a convenient way to corral the elderly and infirm so come the revolution they’ll be easier to round up for disposal?
Seriously. What gives?
Where in the Bible does it say we should not worship with anyone who doesn’t look like us? I see the part about older women teaching the younger ones (Titus 2:4). I see the part about “we are many, but in Christ we are all one body.” (Romans 12:5). But nowhere do I see where we should cut ourselves off from the rest of the family of God just because we’ve reached a certain age.
Am I missing something? What do you think about this segregated church concept? Is it ageist or a creative way to minister to an underserved population?
As a 66 year old committed Christian I totally understand. Perhaps I. The south they still have churches that have traditional services. Up north they are hard to find. We older saints would prefer a blend. I know many seniors who just stay home because their churches lack what feeds them. I attend mine, but often opt to skip the noise and worship, hping to get something good out of the sermon. I love the people, but for hymns, I have to get a good dose of Charles Stanley or the Moody Church o. Podcast. I grieve for church as I grew up on. the changes came too fast I. The past twenty years, and now I fear we have many lime me who would love the new, if only we could have what is meaningful to us as well,
I am sure the Heritage Church would welcome younger congregants, and perhaps they could find a way to make their sign appear to be less exclusive. the church I grew up I. Had both hymns and choruses. and expository preaching. I miss that. Never thought I would stop loviing church whe. I got older.
I truly don’t think it should be that way. I guess that it could be better to be in a 50 plus church where each person is valued for what they bring, than to be in a church where they are placed on the periphery while the younger folk are invited to be front and centre. Ideally, we should all function together, and minster to each other. But more and more, even within church walls where all ages are welcomed, they are segregated.
It is such a shame that so often it’s all or nothing rather than a blend. I know one church can’t please everyone, but I hate to see the body so polarized. We miss so much when we cut out one group or another.
While I love many modern worship songs, I’m also a big fan of hymns, myself. I like the idea that I’m joining in a choir that stretches through the centuries, all singing the same song of worship. It gives me a sense of my place in the grand scheme of things.
I think it is the music in most churches these days. They are trying so hard to appeal to the 15 – 30 year olds that the over 50 crowd feels left out. I do at my church. THe music is terrible. It is all done by really young people that usually write their own stuff and its hard to follow and it feels like they are singing solo. It does not feel like worship to me. While I’m not a hymnal kinda worshiper I like a good mix of the old and the new music. AND PLEASE LOSE THE SCREAMING GUITAR!!! Sorry, off a soapbox now!!!.
Wow. I was moved enough by this to email the pastor of this church. How sad that the wisdom and knowledge of 50+ people would be wasted by keeping us from being in a position to disciple and fellowship with those younger than us (at least I hope we have something to offer by this age).
Add to that, I visited a Sunday School class for seniors yesterday, and it was a room full of 60+ who looked like my grandparents! I felt so out of place that I was in tears during the worship service. There is no place for young-at-hear, active single women in their 50′s – or at least I haven’t found one yet. It’s very discouraging, and is the primary reason that most of my girlfriends don’t go to church. I am currently church shopping, and my hope of finding a ‘place’ for me is diminishing. I definitely won’t be visiting the church you featured!!!
I’m sitting here pondering all of the pros and cons of this situation. As a former worship leader of a significantly large fellowship in the Dallas area, I know personally the struggle to follow the Lord’s heart in worship and yet provide a balance musically that will draw all into worship at the throne.
Sadly, I, too, feel like Lee Ann that no church has figured out how to fully access the gifts and provide a place for 50+ singles (women, in particular) because we’re either “divorced” and marked with a scarlet “D” or single and don’t have the “proper covering of a man in our life.” What’s with that??? Jesus loved the single women and allowed them opportunities to share their gifts … are we not ALL called and gift of God in some way – those of us who call Him Lord?
I also agree with Paula. The youthful music of today doesn’t bring me to the throne to worship; at least at the church I’ve been attending. It is more like a concert or a “hey, look at me pace back and forth on this platform; don’t you love me?” I miss the days of actually sing scripture – not only did it minister to me, but it helps me remember the scripture!
Now, don’t get me wrong. As a former youth choir director, I KNOW and have witnessed God move mightily through the younger generation. I have been blessed by watching them grow their spiritual legs and begin to trust God to move through them. So, I know there is a place for “their music.” (I’m sure many senior saints felt the same way about the worship music of the 70′s and 80′s.)
But, I agree segregation is not the right method, either, because yes, we more mature in the Lord have a LOT to share with the younger ones … if they want to hear.
This situation requires ongoing prayers for wisdom and guidance in order to resolve the differences. But it also calls for patience and long suffering on the part of ALL attendees – the youth need to allow the “older” songs and the senior saints need to allow the “youthful” expressions of praise. (Heavy sigh!)
It is a conundrum to be certain!
Jill Brooks
Why does a divide exist between younger and older (notice I didn’t use the word ‘senior’)? I think both age groups can benefit. I don’t agree with that advertisement unless of course it’s located in a retirement neighborhood of 55 or older.
It’s sad…our children are growing up without benefiting from the older generation and it’s showing.
Way back when I was a young’n, the old and the young and the in betweens did worship together. I am more grieved by the fact that many older saints come to me saying how they miss singing the songs that meant so much to them through their entire Christian lives. They also miss testimony meetings, and expository preaching. These changes all took place after the 1980′s, and while we protested about what was being lost, we never got anywhere with it so rather than divide the church we simply gave up and settled into the background and let the new people run things. I hate observing only, and I do sing in the choir although our worship leader wants everyone to stand through a lengthy song service, But I asked to be allowed to sit for part of it and I do. Otherwise I endure the pain as I mouth the words, because otherwise I will start coughing and not be able to sing the choir number.
From my vantage point I have watched congregational response. When we sing a familiar song more people are singing. When we sing an heritage song, even more sing. When the new music is sung a few in the congregation actually sing. It is sad to those of us who can remember services where everyone sang.
I get my expository preaching from podcasts, my music from my memories and my extensive Itunes library, and my fellowship from my church. Too bad I cannot get all of that in the church, but I cannot.
I’m doing a bit of tooting my own horn here, but your comments were so poignant to me – and so familiar – that I want to let you know that I’ve written a book about the gathering of believers that tries to take us back behind the cultural stuff and explore what God’s people could or should be doing when we come together. It is written in every day language but challenging to some of the common exegesis and theology that many Christians have absorbed. You can find it at lulu.com by searching for “When You Come Together.” I’d love to get a reaction if you get a chance to read it. (The electronic version is only a couple dollars.)
Thanks Amy, your book looks good. I like the “ditch the concert paradigm”; it reminds me of a friend who described two worship leaders as “one was like ‘watch how cool I am when I worship’ and the other invited the congregation to worship with them.” Leading a church these days is quite the balancing act, it seems.