Reaching People Under 40 . . . A Review


REACHING PEOPLE UNDER 40 WHILE KEEPING PEOPLE OVER 60: Being Church for All Generations. By Edward H. Hammett with James R. Pierce. Foreword by Bill Easum. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2007. xii + 180 pp.

A great many established congregations face a dilemma. They want to reach younger adults, youth, and children, that segment of the population so highly coveted by advertisers. While seeking to reach out to this group, they must also seek to retain their current base – those over 60. This is no easy task, because to reach the younger set the church must change and many of these changes can be deeply unsettling to those over 60. Eddie Hammett and James Pierce have written a book for Chalice Press’s “The Columbia Partnership Leadership Series” that addresses this topic. It may not be a perfect book, but anyone who is in my position – pasturing churches with a significant portion of older adults it is a must read.

Hammett is a Baptist – Senior Leadership Consultant for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, a coach and trainer for Valwood Christian Leadership Coaching, and founding partner for the Columbia Partnership. Although Chalice Press is the publishing arm for Mainline Disciples of Christ churches, Hammett’s Baptist roots stand out, which can at times be confusing. For instance, he has a section on what to do with Sunday evening services – a concern probably for Southern Baptists, but not likely for too many Disciples congregations. He also places a strong emphasis on fulfilling the Great Commission, again with a strong Baptist sense to it. I state this up front, because it is easy to miss the central points if you get stuck in the Baptist illustrations.

The book has at points a “church growth” feel to it, but the authors also recognize that we are in a postmodern era and that the church must become missional. It’s not just about adding members to the roles – indeed, younger adults aren’t focused on what Hammett refers to as “nickels and noses.” They want to make a difference and don’t have time or energy to spend on committees or details. Mission not business is the focus.

Part of the purpose of the book is to explain to the two constituencies the concerns and issues of the other. Here he leans on generational theory. He also challenges the two groups – which are in no way homogeneous – to listen to the other. In a brief chapter near the end of the book he talks to those between the ages of 40 and 60. This group – largely composed of Baby Boomers – is called to lead and to interpret. They are (I can say we are) the glue that can bind these two groups together.

Serving as a thought leader and innovator is key and is suited for the forties-fifties crowd. Churches need innovators and thought leaders to help introduce and manage the changes we are discussing in this book (p. 156).

As leaders and innovators, this cohort is called to help the older members understand the culture and context of the younger set. Hammett and Pierce suggest that the older set see themselves in missional mode. That is, just as missionaries must learn and understand the language and culture of the group they will minister to and with, so must those who are long established in the congregation. They must, he suggests, if this is to be successful learn to appreciate – if not enjoy – the music and concerns of those much younger than themselves. At the same time, they are called to empower and mentor those who are younger. And here is a primary issue – Baby Boomers have not shown themselves adept at either mentoring younger people or show willingness to pass on leadership to those younger than themselves. That “me first” identity that has dogged the generation effects this part of the church experience.

The point in this effort is to move the church from an “us vs. them” mentality where everyone loses, to one that allows for a “win-win” situation. It is, to use a metaphor that I’ve grown fond of lately; we must learn to tend one vineyard while planting another. To do this effectively, changes must happen first to values and then to structures.

Our habit is to focus on structures rather than on values, but changing staff assignments or adding programs will have little meaning if we don’t first address the core values of the congregation. Among those values is missional focus. If we are focused inward on taking care of those already in the fold, then it will be difficult to minister to those outside the walls. In other words, we must be first committed to the cause and be clear about what that cause is. It is clarity as to cause that will help guide the congregation as it loosens the hold of rules and regulations.

For churches to effectively connect with younger people, they must change. Change will happen, though the authors offer a caveat. While form changes, function doesn’t (Great Commission and Great Commandment). It will require reallocating staff and volunteer time and energy. It means changing the way we worship, study the Bible, and minister in the community. Many of these changes will prove unsettling to older adults, whose culture is very different. They will tend to focus on nickels and noses, which is why values must be changed first. All of this will take considerable energy to teach, interpret, and encourage. Perhaps it’s no surprise, considering his own vocation, but Hammett places emphasis on the idea of coaching. He encourages congregations embarking on this journey to engage a professional coach, one who can guide them through the difficult times and offer resources. At the same time, he encourages leadership – especially pastors – to see themselves as coaches. Throughout the book he presses this case by what he calls “coaching questions.”

If you are planting a new congregation that is focused on younger adults, perhaps communities such as those proposed by Emergent leaders, this book may hold little value. But, for those who are charged with leading established congregations and wish to help their congregations become missional communities that include both the young and the old, this book is essential reading. And, if you’re not Baptist or don’t speak the evangelical language that pops up throughout the book, don’t worry about it – look for the many words of wisdom that will help you move forward in ministry.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I agree the Boomer generation has not done a great job of mentoring the younger generation of church folks, but I'm not sure that's where the bridge between young and old lie.

As a rule, those over about 65 and those younger than 30 or 35 share a lot more than they disagree on. Social issues are probably a sticking point — my generation tends to demand a progressive stance on LGBT issues, for instance, which older Christians may find uncomfortable. But generally speaking, we are seeking to harmonize our social and political commitments with a comparatively traditional vision of Church, whereas Boomers tend (in my experience) more toward wanting to reform the Church in light of their other commitments.

To give a few examples, I know a Presbyterian pastor under 30 in Iowa who wears fairly traditional high-church vestiture — and has told me she would wear a cassock if her mostly-Boomer congregation wouldn't be weirded out! Stories like this are very common. Young liberal Catholics want chant, incense, Latin, and women priests. Young Lutherans are strongly confessional and love singing good old Lutheran hymns, but also want to see a focus on social justice. The list goes on.

I'm not sure what insight that really lends. Certainly it is heartening to hear older church leaders saying smart things about my generation. It's true we're not about "nickels and noses" (part of the reason I'm an Independent Catholic after having had my taste of leadership in the institutional mainline churches). It's true we want to see change from the previous generation. But to me the real difficulty is in bringing together younger people and the Boomer generation, not younger people and those over 65. Because in many cases, the "traditions" we're reacting against are things like guitar music and free-form liturgy.

That's just my $0.02. My sense at least of the more liberal parts of the Church is there is a desire by young people to return to more traditional programs. It's not that generational needs change so rapidly that nothing in the traditional repertoire makes sense -- it's that much of what is "traditional" has shifted away from some really useful resources that the Church can and should go back and appropriate for reaching out to younger Christians.

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