Sunday programing on the television was almost unbearable when I was a kid. I remember having very few options of what to watch as the world around me napped. Bowling and golf seemingly dominated the airwaves; but certain channels offered the opportunity to watch old movies. There were seldom few movies that held my attention on those lazy Sunday afternoons, and even fewer that I can remember, but there is one that has always stuck out in my memory. It was a movie from the late 60’s titled, “Wild in the Streets.”
The basic premise of the movie, as I remember it, was a young rock star had become disillusioned with the controlling influence of older adults in his life. He, his band, and their massive following lead a revolution, lowering the legal voting age and basically imprisoning anyone whom they deemed too old to trust. I didn’t particularly enjoy the movie, but to my young mind, it beat bowling and golf. In all truth, the movie was thoroughly forgettable, all except for one key line which has stuck with me to this day. Throughout the movie, the rock star repeatedly stated, “Never trust anyone over 30.”
As a child, that phrase didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. All of the people I trusted most were in the 30ish or above crowd. I wasn’t sure how old my teachers were at the time, but I was fairly certain they were REALLY OLD, at least 35! The wisest, most trustworthy, most loving person in my life at that point in time was my Grandma Ruth. There were several wise old men at my church and I was certain that one of them, Mr. Dale Sowers, knew everything about everything. As a self-proclaimed and unashamed “mama’s boy,” it was unthinkable that I would distrust my mother, who was also “old” in my mind. These people and many more were indispensable sources of knowledge, guidance, support, and love in my life. Why would I not trust them?
Throughout my 17+ years in ministry, I have constantly sought to build relationships with older adults in the churches where I’ve served. My experience and education had led me to believe that I should not only trust people over 30, but I should seek the counsel and mentorship of those well into their 60’s, 70’s, and beyond. I have found them to be invaluable sources of knowledge and support, and I am certain that without their love and guidance I would not be who or what I am today.
Several years ago, while I was serving as a Youth Pastor, I had a thought. If I have found my relationships with these senior adults to be so beneficial to my own life, would it not be beneficial to foster relationships between them and the young people I was leading? I began talking to a senior adult youth worker who was on my team about how we might seek to develop relationships between some of the senior adults and youth at our church. Could we create spaces where emerging generations could interact with older generations? Would these intentional opportunities for interaction actually result in deeper relationships? How would those relationships impact the culture of our local church?
All of those questions and conversations led to a year-long study on intergenerational ministry. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing various experiences and insights from that study. Many of our local churches are full of people who are over 30 and are actively seeking to reach those who are under 30. Relationships build on trust and mutual respect are not only beneficial to all involved but are essential to the church’s ability to be one body and one family, united in love, seeking to reach the world with the good news of the gospel.
Over/Under 30
O
