won't sombody please think of the children
this silly catch cry by our favourate pastors wife was rolling around in my mind today as i was relayed a story about a friend who was going to a new "emerging church" plant but has just left because it was felt that the children weren't being well catered for.Now i don't have any "news" there is no bun in the oven but i was thinking about this because as we seek to contextualize church for the next generation it is easy to forget the spiritual needs and formation of the kids... the "established" church still has the edge over the small emerging movements because they have a long tradition of sunday school and youth ministries...
i can see in my church right now a whole generation that are getting married and having babies, that still identify with the sunday night congregation and im sure will find it difficult in the next few years dragging kids out at 7-8pm sunday nights....
the usual thinking is to transfer to the morning congregation but what if the culture is different? if the fit isn't right?
i don't know if i have answers but only questions on how an emerging flavor of church (that primarily is targeted at the single 20's) can embrace change and grow up without selling out...
any thoughts?
Labels: discussion, emerging church
3 Comments:
Yeah been thinking bout that lately, what with so many marriages happening and all...
I've got no clue either. But it's cool since our church actually has some awesome kids stuff, went out to help with JFK, and Michael B. is a legend with them!
Maybe what'll happen is the constant moving of groups as a whole, once a fair few of them have kids, which will in turn cause pressure for the morning service to change, while the evening service still feels that pressure from an even younger generation, meaning the morning service will always be a generation behind the evening one. Who knows?
What I've noticed in our church though, is that those particular people actually frequent both services, and it may not be as much of a hassle to 'switch', if that's what they're gonna do. They may keep attending both, for all you know.
Wow. This comment is long.
- ashbash
how come an 'emerging church' is so selective on who it targets?
Shouldn't it be for everyone?
I guess I am missing something
Well... I'm one of those... (the newly married type that is)...
Just as a point of reference... There isn't a chance in... err... that hell place... that you'll be getting me up early enuff for that saught of shenannigans...!
Especially not after a long day of sailing followed by a long night of rehearsals...!
Especially when there's someone that brings you a bacon & egg roll and an espresso when you do finally wake up...!
Especially when... well... you get the idea...
Err... what was the question again...? Oh yeah... bliss of the morning to you...!
...and I don't like being 'targeted' by anyone... but such is the culture of our sanitised, boxed-up, squared-off existence where everyone is a target market for everyone/thing else...*sigh*...
Does an emeging church choose people to be for... or do people choose to be for the emerging church...?
So... how 'bout this...
Turn it up... Raise a glass... Take the stance... Strike a chord... and Rock 'n' Roll...!
Oh yeah... but not too loud cause you'll wake someone's baby... Shhh...!
Peace, Love & Lot's o Dots y'all...!
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