Podcast Episode #326
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Millennials are being called to established churches, so today we cover six reasons they should answer those calls. Thanks to Sam Rainer for the outline for today’s podcast.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- Established churches are more likely to be more generationally diverse than church plants.
- A sense of history of the church is invaluable to a new pastor.
- Sometimes an established church’s history can be damaging to its reputation.
- If you’re being considered to pastor a church, ask other pastors in the area about the church before you make your decision.
- There are a lot more opportunities to serve in an established church than in new churches.
- Established churches need good pastors too.
- I wish Millennials were more enthusiastic about leading in established churches.
The six reasons we discuss are:
- Diversity includes multiple generations.
- The older generations will teach you things your own generation may not.
- Established churches tend to be more stable.
- Younger people need a sense of history.
- Established churches are more rooted in the community.
- There are a lot more of them.
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Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Who Moved My Pulpit?
Hey Tom, Your article was interesting but what happen to going where the Lord sends you regardless of where it is. Just a thought.
Thom, Thank you for you post. As a 35 year old pastor of a 214 year old church I am offten asked by my peers why I would want to pastor in an old, established church. I simply tell them it is where God called me. He has given me a heart to see “old” churches continue to have a dramatic impact for His kingdom in our culture today. There is a church for every person, and all churches, just like all believers, have a roll to play in the body of Christ and His mission.
I know some men and women who are young associate clergy in very traditional churches that are 100 and 200 years old. Many people would be surprised at the attendees (many younger people) on any given Sunday and the number of baptisms that occur every year.
The church is old ? Hardly. We are going to live forever. I understand the context and the challenges and the reason for the post but let’s not think in terms of the “old” church and the “new” church. We are the church. What’s 10 years, 100, 200, even three. Let’s think in. terms of eternity, forever. Make every day count….every moment count. Just serve. Go where He leads and focus on today. The church is not old or new……the church is forever. The term “old established church” should not even be in our vocabulary. Again, I understand the context of the post…….
There are a few kinds of established congregations. On one end of the spectrum is the congregation that eats clergy, is dysfunctional, has bad leadership with no turnover, and has major unresolved issues. On the other end is the congregation which has solved its issues or handles them quickly and properly, has/had good clergy, has members in all the generations and a very good leadership made up of a wide variety of people with a reasonable amount of turnover but still has consistency. Most congregations are somewhere in the middle. The problem arises when one bad congregation makes all established congregations look bad.
I agree with the sentiment. But disagree with the conclusions. An under-evangelized generation needs a “movement” to stir it’s collective soul. Historically those movements have sprung from a member of that generational cohort. You could even argue that young adults nearly always cause social disruption whether for good or for evil. A millennial in an established congregation will be called to conform rather than reform.
As to becoming multi-generational, older people will always be drawn to younger if they hear of God at work. Something that might not happen so easily when the current would run the other direction…
Sometimes I feel like older churches are perpetuated just because they exist. I have told our board that the church we planted 8 years ago I would like to last for bout 35-50 years and then we say “Mission Accomplished” and die and let our resources go to grow something new that God is raising up. I know this is not what needs to happen in all older churches but “shutting down” is kept off the table as an option for too many churches.