Bridging the Gap: Fostering Church Unity Between Adults and Children

We are all the Jesus Generation.

Years ago, I was at a festival with several thousand other people. A few young people set up a booth asking for donations for a mission trip. They had t-shirts on that said, "Jesus Generation." It stopped me in my tracks. I left but felt compelled to walk back. I asked if they were selling the t-shirt. They were surprised. "I think we have an extra in the car!" They said. I waited! He came back with a t-shirt that I've been wearing for five years. Every time I wear it out and about, someone will come up to me and comment on it. My favorite was when the mailman said, "I too, am in the Jesus Generation."

One of our prayers is to see greater unity in church. We want to see families united serving and worshipping God, together, like the days of Acts when whole families would be saved and advance the kingdom of God together.

I'm not really talk about about the structure of church or families. You know, 9 AM on Sunday with children's church and a sanctuary. I'm talking about a change of culture and mindset. The mindset that says you're too old to be useful at a certain age and too young to "get it" at another. This was never true in scripture. And, it's not true today.

For this to happen, we need to teach the same gospel to our children that is being taught to the adults. Grant and I have seen family after family lose their young adult children to the pleasures of the world and it breaks our hearts. It's not surprise to anyone that our children are under intense attack. If we want to change that pattern, we have to do things differently.

Our children shouldn’t receive a watered-down gospel. The authentic salvation message is their best defense against the darkness in the world. They need the same fullness that every adult needs. God doesn’t hold back His Spirit because of age. There isn’t “too old” to make a difference or “too young” to get it. He is the Father of all generations:

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17

The picture above is of Grant and our eldest worshipping together at our church, True Life. To the right is a picture of them six years earlier, when Isaac was a baby. It was a dedication or special day. Grant just wanted to bring Isaac into worship. He's not always in there (like I said, it's not really about changing the strucutre), but he has a value for worship as a family.

Families of families worshipping together will change our children, cities and the world.

Our prayer is to see families from young to old experiencing the pleasure of God as it was meant to be. I see a vision of families of both blood and convenant worshipping God together in the throne room. In this place, it isn't just singing and raising our hands, it's also serving others, changing diapers, washing feet. Our worship to the Lord looks like doing things unto Him, together.

We can all be Jesus Generations worshiping God together on earth as it is in Heaven.