Will some one want the church I pastor when I leave? In my denomination there will be many who will but probably not among the younger generations. Primarily because if they executed ministry according to their hearts they would be blocked at every turn. They will be questioned and debated with, and in the end they will go off and begin a new work where they do not have to justify their mission.

But the younger generation will have to takre the baton of the church, not individual congregations, but the church, we will have no other choice. They will have no other choice. Even if the emergent chruch is an example of saying not to the baton, they will have to take up the race for us all. So it make sense to have more conversations now, to understand each other better now then when the time come to pass the baton.

Even though I am a part of a “start up” church, I’m not sure the church as a whole or in every location would be BETTER served by start-up’s.

In answer to the second question, we didn’t start because we were saying “no” to the baton, but for many other reasons.  However, one of the blessings has been not having to wait to serve.  Having been an Air Force wife, we were members of four church before this one.  The average age of the committees (with exception of Hostess and Nursery) was easily 60.  Not only that but over the last 13 years, we saw the Sunday School teachers’ average age increase to the point that in our mid-20’s class the teachers were in the late 60’s.  This was true over all the churches in three states and three different regions of the country.  Even family members have commented that 40 somethings are not old enough to serve in leadership even though they have been serving since they were 30.

Now that we are in our mid-30’s we are part of church that sees all ages as having a place to serve.  One of our core values is “Intentional Apprenticing” so that people are mentored and trained and placed in positions based on the gifts, calling and heart and not age. This avoids needing the “pass the baton” because all ages of adults are in positions of leadership after going through a “Paul/Timothy” mentorship.

Hi,
I live in Scotts Valley, and I’m sorry I missed your chat up at Bethany U. I think we younger folks have disengaged somewhat from how the older generation “does church.” There seems to have been an era where commercialized gospels and trinketts and music and materialism was pushed onto the entire American church. This is not to say the younger generation has all the answers and knows how to do things right, but more that there is a willingness to disregard the status quo, and to drop the facade, to admit that we don’t know what we’re doing, and to be willing to hear what God has in store. There is an electrifying excitment coursing through the start-up churches, because no longer are we being told what to do and how to do it by an older person, but we are entrusted with the word of God and we can wait on the Holy Spirit to lead us. There is a desire, it seems, to return to the bare bones of what the church is supposed to be. There is a desire to shed the traditions and ritualistic monotany of weekly church services. Again, this is not meant to beat down the current Christian church structure, but an attempt to explain why a new kind of church is emerging.
I think the majority of young people want to find out for themselves what the Bible says about certain things, rather than commiting to memory what Sunday School teachers tell us. I was not raised in the church, but when I became a Christian at age 21 I wanted nothing more than to be spoonfed the Christian sub-culture so that I could become the ultimate Christian. Now I see that I was not patient to wait on God to reveal His truths to me. I looked to other people instead. Now I want to know God deeper and to be more real. I am not able to do that in the current evangelical church because there is a “headship” placed over me. I left a church a year ago that told me what the Bible says, or at least their interpretation of each verse, but they did not practice these things. I was not free to serve God the way I thought He was leading me, and I disagreed on a minor, non-essential end times doctrine that led to division.
Because I questioned this non-essential doctrine, I was told I would never teach the Bible at that church again. I was rendered mute in the youth group, and I felt tied down. I finally considered leaving at that point, and after the youth pastor and his wife counciled me to separate from my husband because he was no longer going to church there.
I believe God wants me to be a part of a community that seeks to nourish my spiritual health, my marriage, and my spiritual gifts. I’ve found that community, but I had to strip away my pride and anger and preconceived notions first.
I think a lot of young people feel like they are rendered ineffective in the older church as a whole because of experiences like these.
When I encountered these problems, I confronted the leadership. Their response was to ignore me, deny my claims, and to gossip about it to others, or lie to cover up my concerns. They would not listen.
If the older generation refuses to listen to the younger, refuses to validate feelings and concerns, refuses to repent of clear and present sin, then the younger generation will leave to save their own lives.
I am so blessed to know that you are willing to engage in dialogue with young people and older people. It’s a discussion that needs to happen. And both sides need to be willing to listen to each other.
Thank you for listening.

Huh, pass the paton?  How about mentoring them in?  Not sure i get the passing paton thing as ministry is always changing.  Now we have multi-site churches, home churches, new starts.  I do not think we are doing church the same way we were back in 1980.  Oh some churches are, but I am not sure it is a majority anymore?  So far as the new people saying what were doing is an old thing, no I don’t think so not where i serve, but I am open to new ideas on how to reach the lost.  Of course there are traditions and I am sure some things are the same, however as do I, the new generation of leaders will have some things to learn from the vets.  I enjoy talking to ministers who have been at it a while.  Just as Paul mentored Timothy, the older generation needs to mentor the new leaders.  Not just give them opportunties to preach or serve, but really invest in the new ministers.  Maybe prevent the young guys and not so young guys from learning some lessons the hard way.
My two cents.

In some respects, whether we like the fact or not we are passing the baton. The emergent church, the house church, the multi-site church would not exist if were not for the traditonal church. The issue is not how we look but what we do. Will the church in 2025 look like this? No, but then again neither does the of 1935 look like we do.

Technique and structure are not the end goal. The traditional chruch was missional and assume otherwise is the height of arrogance. How we carried it out may be different, but the same passion burned.

100 years from when a new movement of God arises it will be interesting to see how those who have held baton will pass it a long.

Interesting.  It was actually an article by Barna on this very subject that gave me the idea behind my blog.  Barna doesn’t answer all the questions people are asking on this subject, but I think he might provide a little more understanding for those trying to interpret the boomers and their actions (or lack of action) in regard to passing the baton. 

As I’ve said before, I think the question of passing the baton has less to do with the boomers and more to do with the younger leaders.  Passing the baton is something you are constantly doing in little ways by investing in others, be it the next generation or not.

From my stand point, I started the process of handing the baton to future leaders the minute we started our church.  The minute I forget to have this mentality is the minute I slip into arrogance, believing I’m irreplaceable.

Personally, I think most lead pastors suffer from a severe lack of creativity when it comes to envisioning a role for their leadership outside of being the lead pastor in their current church.  I’m not sure why this seems to be the case.

Anyway, here’s the article by Barna:

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Perspective&PerspectiveID=1

We are all setting here talking about passing the baton but isn’t that actually our duty to fulfill that by Gods word to raise them up to take over and all we talk about is the struggles and trials that we are having who’d want the baton, Well I never asked for it GOd called me to it and would not leave me alone.  When I accepted it I did not hear God say there won’t be any trial and tribulations anymore On the contrary we are as the song says messing up Satans plans we are going to have more trials and tribulations but that is a different subject but what I am getting at here is that we as Pastors and Elders of Churches need to insure that we are raising them up and guiding them so they can deal with trials and tribulations they will face God will call the man for you to pass the baton to and we need to insure they are equipted to carry on the message of Christ and him Crucified..