Peter Laslett, 20th century English historian (1915-2001), was an early proponent in British and American society of what I believe must happen in 21st century church culture. In his book, A Fresh Map of Life, published in 1991, he points to the need for a new outlook and a new language with which to view life in today’s world. Nothing could be truer for churches today than the need for a new outlook, a new language and above all, the need for leaders to take a new and serious look at the world through the 40/50 Window.
Nearly 40% of society is 50+ in age. In a few short years it will be 45%. It’s happening in the USA, in Britain and Europe, in Canada and Australia. Today it is estimated there are more than 70,000 Centenarians in the USA alone. Japan is in second place with nearly 45,000. But the headline story is not about our growing 100-year-old population. The big story is the fact that society as a whole is aging, that we are living longer and growing older than at any other time in history, and that this very fact offers the greatest potential for the Church in mankind’s history. It is also about churches not absorbing this big story while growing sluggish with inadequate staff or finances to sustain them in our faltering economy. A new paradigm for doing business is imperative. The world at large recognizes this as our new reality. But the Church has been slow to get on board.
This amazing percentage of 50+ adults will continue to increase. Some see it as an unforgiveable burden on society. Others, like myself, see it as an undeniable opportunity, however poorly we Christ followers may be approaching this reality at the moment. Pastors and other leaders must come to grips with longevity issues, a reality that many are only glancing at or turning away from all together. Here’s a thought, not totally intended to be humorous, but, if the new wave of today’s mono-generational churches survive another two or three decades, they could wind up looking, acting and feeling like ecclesial ‘Sun Cities!’
Much of our thinking regarding aging in the Church is framed in a perspective belonging to the past. Even in ‘2nd half’ terminology, to which I myself often refer, there is a confusion that attempts to join the age of fulfillment with the age of decline. For example, when we in the CASA Network approach the ages chronologically, we identify three broad categories, namely 1) the Legacy generations – birth to approximately age 44; 2) the Bridge generations – 45 to around 69; and the Sage generations – 70+ (the three circles in our logo). Yet the longer I work in this age-wave environment and the more I see where researchers, academics and other thoughtful leaders are headed with their assessments, the more I am persuaded that we may have marked off Bridge generations too early at 70. I think we should be giving them another 10!
While dependence and decrepitude may define the oldest old, the weak and the infirmed, it in no way defines the vast majority of modern boomers and trailing edge builders in the Church or society. And therein lies the beginning of our misperception. It used to be that human life potential was wasted by people dying before their ‘three score and ten’ was up. Today, we who abhor teaching anything other than an authentic, up-to-date, rightly divided Word of Truth still find it easy to buy into century old passé myths of aging without a second thought.
Look at it another way. View the Body of Christ as you would a one-dollar bill. Hold it in your hand. It represents the entire worth of the Church. We decide to invest 55 cents of that dollar in children, youth and young adults. The remaining 45 cents we hold onto for a while. We don’t invest. We make no effort even to connect it to our earlier investment. We don’t understand its power. After all, what can you do with 45 cents? So it lies there in our hand. Losing interest. Getting in the way. Eventually it goes on a shelf or in a drawer. Out of sight.
Forty-five percent of the Christ followers in most of America’s evangelical and mainline churches are 50+ in age. Losing a high percentage of valuable influencers when we need them most doesn’t make any sense at all. Letting them slip through our fingers through inattention, under-serving or by not understanding their true value to the whole Church is even worse.
Maybe this is why a dollar isn’t what it used to be!
Ward