Buried deep within the Church are gifts, talents and lifetimes of skill and experience, more than you can imagine, just waiting to be set free. They’re there, hidden in the hearts of men and women who stand at crucial transition points in life and we can rest assured that they will not automatically rise to the surface.
Second-half Christians often hesitate these days, somewhat jaded, a bit weary, yet hoping, waiting to be invited as valued members to the team to participate in the most important season of their lives. More than ever they want to be challenged with fresh purpose. But too often church leaders make a dangerous assumption … that these second-half Christians will remain content to just be … while the church focuses on other “more important” tasks of reaching the next generation. I guarantee, most will not.
It’s a serious error in judgment to believe the future is held by the young alone. It is also in the hands of the Church’s “new elders,” who are gazing at new roles, new freedoms, new challenges, new opportunities they’ve never known before; possessing gifts and skills, wisdom and resources gathered in life’s first half. They likely represent at least 25 to 40 percent of the constituents and an even higher percentage of the financial wealth in your church and community. And that number grows with each passing year.
They don’t disagree with a focus on those who are younger. In fact these are their children and grandchildren, bringing life and energy to the family of Jesus. But, remember, there are “warriors” here, Christians in their prime who, wanting to engage the culture and longing for fresh meaning and purpose in their life journey are unwilling to simply be ignored. There are “veterans”, too, who desire to be valued and remain useful, at the same time needing love that understands and increasing care as they move nearer the end of the journey. To meet this challenge the Church must offer transformational leadership that is focused intentionally on those in life’s second half, helping each person unpack the divine call, repositioning and releasing these ‘invested’ followers of Jesus in meaningful Kingdom service. Transformational leadership refuses to foolishly let God’s ‘long-term treasures’ slip like sand through careless fingers.
It’s reason enough for me to encourage your church to join or rejoin the CASA family and to invite you to participate in CASA’s Annual Leadership Conference, in Costa Mesa, California, November 12-14, where some of today’s outstanding second-half ministry leaders will share inspiration, insights and encouragement in Christ designed to help you be a transformational second-half ministry leader. Check for details elsewhere on our website. Let’s do it. Let’s stir the glowing embers of our peers … and leave a light on for the next generation!
