There's Gold in Them Thar Culls

Do you know what culls are? Do you know how valuable they can become?

While serving with a YES! team at Gleanings for the Hungry in Dinuba, California earlier this year, I had the privilege of connecting with local farmer Gordon Wiebe to glean from his inside perspective of the summer gleaning operation.

In Gleanings’ winter season we package dried soup mix, which is not technically a gleaning process. But as Gordon described summer and peaches, I couldn’t help but visualize winter and the older adults who come to serve during this season.

He shared that most of the fruit comes into Gleanings from packing houses, not directly from fields.

The fruit is bruised, scarred, blemished, hail damaged, in odd shapes and sizes, overly ripe, or with split pits—but not spoiled.

CULLS

People outside the farming community frequently use the word ‘seconds’ to describe this fruit, but farmers refer to them as CULLS.

Something culled is picked out and set aside. Culls are not inherently inferior or less nutritious on the inside. But packing houses won’t send them to market because of their size, blemishes, or stage of ripeness and because people shop with their eyes.

Gordon went on to say that our eyes often fool us. The best-looking, marketable fruit may or may not be the best tasting or most nutritious.

Gleanings is all about giving fruit a second chance, and summer volunteers can attest there is quite a production redeeming the peaches, eventually sent out as dried fruit.

Because of what happens to the fruit at Gleanings, it lasts longer, travels much farther, and helps meet deeper needs both physically and spiritually than shelf-ready fruit. (The exported food is always tied to proclamation of the Gospel. And in the end, food from Gleanings is consumed by hungry people who appreciate it more than we can imagine.)

When a shipment of very mature, overripe peaches arrives, Gleanings makes sure the volunteers and conveyor belts shift into high gear. If this fruit sits idle, it will quickly become mushy and unusable for the purposes intended.

HOPE FOR THE OVERLY RIPE

What wonderful parallels to our YES! team and other ‘overly ripe’ individuals serving with us. Our colorful crate of culls---up to 86 years ripe, some with canes, limited sight, special needs, physical challenges, and even split in-the-pit relationships---prepared two million servings of soup for shipment and made thirty quilts in the four and a half days we served!

In these later years of life, we do at times get set apart because we’re not shelf-ready in the eyes of consumers.

For a moment I am tempted to mutter, “Those stupid consumers who shop with their eyes!”---but then I catch myself, knowing that I’m often in that swarm of shallow shoppers.

I'm convinced that we're often too quick to slap on the 'ageism' label. Could it just be a reality of the aging process, a season when God is eager to redirect our path? Is He wanting to open our eyes to value not immediately recognized by American consumers? Value that we ourselves might have skipped over in earlier years?

The labels of 'old', 'senior', and 'elderly' do not in themselves constitute ageism—in fact, many cultures certify these crates with special seals of honor, lush with value and respect. The trouble comes when we make the wrong assumptions about these 'Son-kissed' brands. We can waste energy meticulously trying to peel labels off the skin of these succulent peaches—or we can embrace what's inside for all they're worth!

Our challenge is helping seasoned adults and leaders understand that we’ve been set aside for greater purpose, not uselessness. And we must be willing to subject ourselves to the sometimes painful pruning process—renewing our minds so that our full spiritual-fruitfulness potential can be gleaned. As this city kid learned from Farmer Gordon and Gleanings, there is a world of difference between 'CULL' and 'NULL'!

Our scrappy YES! Young Enough to Serve team from a dozen different churches returned to our dozen different packing houses with a renewed sense of our current value in God's economy and of our continuing, far-reaching potential—in spite of hail damage we've experienced along the way! And we pray this renewed spiritual vision multiplies, as we probe beneath the surface and recognize previously undiscovered potential in others.

We are not ‘seconds.’ We are culls. Culled by God for a greater purpose.

Jesus knows rejection. He knows overlooked value. And He knows how to inject culls with renewed value and purpose. Thanks for CULL-laborating with us toward fruitfulness!

Dancing on Eggshells

Do you ever feel like you’re walking on eggshells?

Please know that you are not alone.

We talk negatively about politicians and ‘political correctness’, but we have our own correctness versions in the church/ministry world. We know that we come across overly passionate to some people, and we’re probably too tame for others.

The temptation is to find some ‘happy medium’ sweet spot. That might be easier but also more boring and predictable. Paul, John and other New Testament writers had unique messages for each church.

We know we don’t always get it right, but a key is praying---not just for the right words but for the right tone, temperament and attitude as we try to convey the truths the Lord is showing us from His Word.

Another key is listening. One of the huge benefits of spending more than a weekend at a church is the privilege of hearing more of their heart, passion, and heartaches. Sometimes a quieter pace, without a microphone in our hand, adds such needed texture and perspective.

Since July of last year we have immersed ourselves in three separate churches for periods of just under four weeks. Each church was unique and special. We learned from each setting and hopefully left some Jesus-shaped footprints behind us.

In our American church culture most of us have fairly short encounters with missionaries, catching a glimpse of their passion through short presentations, sermons and perhaps some conversation at a booth or table after the service. The mission is elsewhere, and they invite you to prayerfully and financially support the outreach to which God has called them.

But our mission is moving older Christians, including ourselves, from our comfort zones and into serving arenas we hadn’t necessarily considered before.

Here’s where the music kicks in for the eggshell dance. We’re messing with people’s sense of entitlement and pre-conceived notions of what retirement is all about. (And we’re not even there yet!)

Could you please pray with us and for us that the Lord will continue to give us boldness, compassion and God-ordained direction?

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and from the bottom of our feet---plastered with eggshells!

The Story of Joe Capri

As we seek to unleash serving and disciple-making potential in others, we encounter people whose life scripts so beautifully and dramatically amplify the message God has placed on our hearts. Our lives were touched to the core in early 2014 when we met Erica Capri at the age of 80 ("and-a-half", she reminded us) in Spokane Valley, Washington, just eight months after the passing of her beloved husband Joe.

Although theirs was a marriage that began with love at first sight, it could have ended tragically if it were not for God's miraculous intervention. And because of another prayerful intervention as Joe reached the age of 70, countless other lives have been redeemed.

Click here to hear an audio version of Erica sharing her and Joe's story.

Joe's Story

by Erica Capri, as told to Wes & Judy Wick

I grew up as the daughter of a wealthy shipping magnate in Bremen, Germany. My home was formal and respectable. Although rich in the things of this world, I felt lonely and empty in my heart, learning that material things were not enough to fill this void.

While enjoying a game of tennis as a young adult, I met a foreign diplomat from America named Joe Capri, who was serving at the American Consulate in Bremen in post-World-War-II Germany. Our friendship grew, and we were soon united in matrimony.

My husband's position as a diplomat took us to new residences on several continents. By outside appearances our lives were interesting and glamorous. For the most part I was content to live in my husband's shadow as the wife of a respected diplomat. But over time, the glamour faded. An endless succession of cocktail parties helped lead Joe to alcohol addiction.

Our relationship deteriorated as alcoholism took its toll. It became so bad that I could no longer stand to live with Joe. We separated. I returned to Germany with the youngest of our three children while Joe was transferred to Sydney, Australia.

My Redemption

Feeling lost as a mother of three with a failed marriage, I became increasingly despondent and seriously contemplated suicide. At one of my lowest points I grabbed a Gideon Bible from my shelf, one that my daughter had taken from a hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand a couple years earlier. I had never opened the Bible before. It opened to the 23rd Psalm.

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He leads me besides the still waters. He restores my soul."

I had heard these words at funerals but hadn't realized they came from the Bible. I knew right then, though, that I needed a Shepherd, still waters, and restoration of my soul.

The Lord gave me an insatiable appetite for His Word, and I surrendered my life to Him after immersing myself in that miraculous Book. I did not know any Christians in Bremen. The Holy Spirit was my only teacher in those first six months. He alone helped me discover His unconditional love.

Joe's Redemption

Naturally I began praying in earnest for my estranged husband. I also asked that the Lord would change me too. One day in particular I prayed fervently for a break in Joe's bondage to alcohol. In the middle of those prayers the Lord blessed me with a reassuring sense of calmness. 

At that precise time on the other side of the globe, Joe had his Scotch whiskey on his hotel dresser, getting ready to booze it up over the weekend. Miraculously, as he gripped the bottle, Joe had an encounter with the Lord, who told him to put the bottle down. Joe developed a sudden distaste for alcohol, and he poured the whiskey down the drain of his hotel sink.

Joe was delivered instantaneously from his alcohol addiction and was drawn into the loving embrace of Jesus. As we communicated long distance, I knew this was not just a ploy to win me back. It was the real deal. His life, like mine, had been redeemed by our loving Savior.

Restoration of Our Broken Marriage

Our marriage was restored, and we were re-united in Taiwan as Joe completed what turned out to be his final assignment as a foreign diplomat. He retired at the young age of 59.

Because our daughter was attending college in eastern Washington, we purchased a home in the Spokane area, where Joe and I lived for the next 30-plus years and where I continue to reside.

As new believers we committed ourselves to faithful study in the Word, prayer and church attendance. As a Christian delivered from alcohol abuse, Joe was infinitely more pleasant to live with. The Lord healed the pain of our past. Through God's gift of forgiveness our hearts were knitted together as one.

At the same time, though, Joe began to immerse himself in watching sports on television, particularly American football, one of the luxuries alluding him in his many years living overseas. He spent considerable time over the next decade, from age 60 to 70, sitting in his recliner, remote in hand, with his eyes glued to the TV.

I have to admit that I found his newly-adopted retirement lifestyle quite annoying. It was disappointing to see so many hours wasted as he settled into his personal comfort zone, far removed from action that really mattered. But he continued to grow in his knowledge of the Word and was eager to go to church whenever the doors were open. For that I was grateful.

Joe's Second Redemption

When Joe was 70 years old we had an evangelist, Deanne, staying in our home. One evening we hosted a Bible study with over twenty friends in attendance.

In the middle of the study Deanne sensed God was asking her to publicly share a particular word with Joe. Deanne disclosed that the word she received from the Lord was harsh and that she felt reluctant to share it. As a younger adult, a female and as a guest in the Capri home, she had plenty of reasons for being hesitant. And Joe was a feisty Italian, complete with all the machismo you might expect. But Deanne plowed ahead and asked Joe for permission to share the word the Lord had placed on her heart. Thankfully Joe gave Deanne the green light.

She then boldly shared this revelation:

"Joe, the Lord has impressed on my heart that you have made an idol of television and football. And if you're unwilling to get out of your recliner and serve Him, He will take you home."

Beyond the nerve it took for Deanne to share this bold word of warning, it took even more courage for Joe to receive this ultimatum with a teachable spirit. Joe was a very direct individual, and God knew that he could handle this stern admonition.

On the Monday morning following this weekend encounter, Joe placed a call to a friend who served at the Spokane County jail. He asked if he could become a volunteer through the chaplain's office. They assured him that there was both a need and an open door. He went through preliminary training and began serving. As he continued to serve, he pursued his ministerial credentials and eventually became the assistant chaplain at the jail, going there faithfully five days a week.

Joe's life had been turned right-side-up, and the inmates loved Joe's sincerity, discernment, and direct approach.

One after another, God used Joe to help turn men's hearts to Christ. He also shared with female inmates. Early on he prayed he would live long enough for a thousand souls to turn to Jesus. He kept a running log of names. When the total number of salvations reached a thousand, he asked the Lord for another thousand.

Because of his work as a foreign diplomat, Joe was fluent in four languages, which proved to be a huge asset in the jails. And because he knew firsthand Christ's power to deliver from addiction, he could find common ground quickly.

He could also sense when he was being played. Joe gave Bibles to the men who invited Christ into their hearts. Later he helped many of them secure glasses to help with their reading. When some men wanted to just exploit the vision care, he would call them on it. "You're not yet earnest about your faith. You just want free glasses. Get serious about Jesus and your walk with Him, and then come and see me for glasses."

Many times he entered the jail lobby shouting loudly with a smile, "Somebody give me a box! I feel a sermon coming on!" He would then proceed to share a message from his heart.

Some of the more hardened and dangerous criminals were on the sixth floor. Most volunteers were afraid to enter these cells. But Joe pushed his fears aside and never bothered looking at anyone's rap sheet, entering these cells alone with the steel-barred door locking behind him. Many of these intimidating men also surrendered their lives to Jesus, and their lives were transformed.

One by one and sometimes in groups, more and more men and women gave their hearts to Christ. At the age of 88 Joe had a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair. With the assistance of friends he continued visiting the jail for another two years, always looking for opportunities to lead others to Christ.

After Joe's death last May, the chaplains and I reviewed Joe's monthly logs, which listed by name and date the men and women he was privileged to lead to Christ. Some months more than eighty names were documented. In other months tallies were in the thirties.

The years piled up and so did the number of inmates who came to know Jesus. A final tally found JUST OVER TEN THOUSAND names documented during Joe's twenty years of jail ministry, from age seventy to ninety!

While some seed no doubt fell on hardened soil that never fully took root, thousands of lives were impacted by Joe's faithful proclamation of the Good News of Jesus. And many of these converts have gone on to lead many others to Christ.

Now, as I push through the pain of grief in losing my best friend, I know there are more lives to touch with the redeeming power of Jesus. This redemption can bring eternal life, break through addiction, mend broken hearts, restore marriages, light a fire under complacent Christians, and touch the most incorrigible of criminals.

As I pass the one-year anniversary of Joe's passing, I am challenged to stir up the gifts within me and ask the Lord, "What's next?" Now in my ninth decade of life, I still want to make a difference. 

And perhaps by hearing Joe's testimony, you too will be inspired to break away from your TV or from whatever else might hold you captive---and step out in faith as a willing vessel of Christ.

Yonderville

Written by Mark Delaney

Mark Delaney, Children’s Pastor at Valley Assembly in Spokane Valley, Washington, has actively been involved in children's ministry leadership since 2004. His passion is to empower children and families to seek God constantly, serve Him faithfully, and share Him boldly. 

When my family and I moved to Georgia a few years ago we were quickly introduced to a town called ‘Yonderville’.

Yonderville is the wide open expanse that lies in between two “real” towns. This isn’t a town you’ll find on any map or locate with a GPS, but the locals all know right where it is. (Apparently to qualify as a real town you must have a Wal-Mart and a McDonalds.) 

My family was kindly invited to the home of a couple who lived in this uncharted town.

“Thank you, Sir and Ma’am. Where do you live?” I knew I was in for a wild ride when they began detailing local scenery. Before I could jump in, directions were in full swing.

“Well, we live 20 minutes o’er yonder. Once you get off Highway 35, go past the gas station, then over the train tracks. You’ll take a right at the blue fence and another right at the BIG oak tree next to the creek. Follow the road where the creek turns and when you see the old red tractor on the left, you’re almost there. Our house will be on the right. It’s the one with the electrical box in the yard and white rockers out on the front porch.” 

With wide-eye confusion I felt my jaw drop slightly. Didn’t these people understand I have a phone that talks to me and tells me exactly where to go?! All I needed was a simple address---not some random list of mile markers and roadside attractions. So I did what any good city person would do, I took out my smart phone and asked for their address. I was given their street number, along with their phone number thrown in for good measure.
 
A few days later I loaded my family into the car, pulled up their address in my phone and headed out. Things seemed fine until I realized we had been driving for about thirty minutes. While I didn’t recall any of their backwoods directions, I distinctly remembered being told they lived just twenty minutes away.

My phone said I was still ten minutes from my destination. It then hit me that I was lost in a land with nothing but open roads and peanut farms. (Apparently even Google doesn't understand the intricacies of visiting the town of Yonderville!)

I had their phone number but, of course, couldn't as a man bring myself to dial and ask for help.  Luckily, just ahead I spotted a porcelain gas sign just above the tree line. I pulled into the station, showed the address to the attendant inside, and asked if he knew how to get there.

That’s when I learned my second lesson about the uncharted town of Yonderville. Anyone who lives in this wide-open expanse can usually tell you how to get ANYWHERE in their far-reaching town.

Again I was given directions laden with colors, trees and buildings, but this time I took detailed notes. I got back in the car and followed directions exactly as they were given to me. Before long I saw a green electrical box and white rockers on the porch. My stubbornness and know-it-all attitude got us there late, but we successfully arrived at our destination.

The next time I was invited to a home in Yonderville I wrote down the list of vivid directions, following them word for word. (I arrived on time and only got lost once briefly when I drove past the boiled peanut stand instead of turning right.) Eventually I learned an even better method was simply to get in my car and follow behind a local who knew how to get my Yonderville destination. That was a surefire way of not getting lost.

I’ve also learned that life is full of trips to the town of “Yonderville”. . . times in life when you’re confused, a little lost and not sure which direction to take. It happens to

• High school seniors trying to make sense of what’s ahead
• Newlywed couples not quite sure how to actually “do” life together
• Parents trying to discover how to properly raise their children
• Families facing the stress of moving or losing a job
• Longer term spouses struggling to maintain their relationship now that their lives are overscheduled and full of stress

There are countless other examples, but we’ve all been in those places in life where we seem stranded. Being lost isn’t a comfortable feeling, as we try to quickly figure out how to get back on track. So we read the latest and greatest books, and we listen to seminars and sermons from tremendous speakers. We meet with others dealing with similar issues and seek advice from our peers.

These things can help, but when we’re in the Yondervilles of life, I’ve learned we need to pray and ask God to lead us to someone more seasoned who knows their way around. This is the Biblical model of discipleship that God wants us to live out. One generation speaking into the next, with each getting stronger in return. “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders He has done.” Psalm 78:4

God has gifted most churches with seasoned veterans of the faith. They meet regularly in groups with names like “rock of agers”, “over 50’s”, and “prime timers”. Many times those younger see them as great people but just a little out of touch. They shut them off the same way I treated the person who began giving me directions that sounded like they were sending me on a Tom Sawyer adventure.

But these long-time followers of Christ have learned how to get around the countryside in life’sYonderville frustrations. They possess the ability to share how, with God’s help, you can arrive at your destination successfully. Allowing them to speak Godly advice into your life is more powerful than any new book or video.

Intergenerational ministry is a Biblical model that is far more successful than simply relying on your peer group for advice. I wouldn’t trust my phone, Google maps or another city person to provide the best directions to help me find my way around the countryside. The best way is to get in the car and follow right behind someone who has been there many times before.

I find books, videos, studies, and peer interaction to be enjoyable and highly beneficial. They serve a great purpose. However, I think we MUST empower by seeking out and finding the o’er yonder, been-there-done-that, seasoned followers of Christ.

You may have to listen more attentively, take notes and slow life down a bit, but their advice is well worth it. You’ll find some great direction from the gentleman with the gray hair. He’s sitting just behind the guy with the dark glasses in the third row from the front of the stage, ‘just o’er yonder.’

Streetless in Spokane

What was God thinking when he opened the door for us to leave mildly warm Santa Cruz and head to Spokane in the middle of winter? Aren’t birds supposed to fly south for winter?

In advance of our trip we asked our dear niece Christine, who lives in Spokane, to prayerfully consider creating a church-wide outreach where all generations from her church could get involved. The Lord birthed in her and her husband Brett’s heart a very special opportunity to “get out of our seats and onto the streets.”

It was a catchy title, but who in their right minds would hit the streets to serve the homeless in downtown Spokane on a Saturday in snowy, sub-freezing weather? Maybe a handful? Certainly very few, if any, adults over sixty.

Pastor Kent, the lead pastor at Valley Assembly, his wife Toni and their sons were the first to sign up for this outreach. Several adventurous young adults and teenagers began to sign up.

On Super Bowl Sunday in the Northwest, with an abundance of Seahawk fans eagerly anticipating the big game, Christine celebrated her fortieth birthday by sharing with the congregation her passion for that week’s Saturday outreach with Blessings Under the Bridge. It was powerful and moving.

It was so moving, in fact, that Sharon, a spiritually mature senior adult, darted from the back row to the platform and asked Pastor Kent if she could share a few words. We later learned that this was out of character for both Sharon and this church of a thousand.

It was the perfect, intergenerational ‘one-two’ punch. It was a cry for those of us 'streetless' people, older and younger, who may have never experienced living on the streets, to willingly hit the streets to share food, clothing, toiletries, compassion and dignity with those less fortunate.

Both Christine and Sharon have experienced incredible transformation in their own lives, as God challenged them to begin loving people with radically different backgrounds, including many from the streets.

They shared how God saved many of us (in advance) from extreme hardship, not so that we could:

• Sit comfortably and gloat,
• Sit sheepishly with a sense that we have an unremarkable, inferior testimony of God’s grace, or
• Sit immobilized with thoughts that we can’t relate and have nothing to offer people in such despair.

Yes, he saves us all from lots of terrible stuff, sometimes before disaster strikes and sometimes after, but He also saves us so that we can become an extension of His love to others.

As temperatures dipped below zero by mid-week, we wondered if we should possibly forgo the foot-washing station we had planned for Saturday. But we sensed the Lord challenging us to press on in spite of the weather. And He blessed us with sunshine and a ‘heat wave.’ Temperatures jumped to just over the 20 degree mark! :) And a local rental company, A to Z Rentals, blessed us with patio heating lamps and propane, free of charge.

By Friday an inspiring collage of clothing, accessories, toiletries, backpacks, and food supplies had appeared at the YES!/Blessings Under the Bridge table at the church. Some donations came from older adults physically unable to make it to the outreach on Saturday---but who still found a way to take part.

A group of women, most of whom were formerly homeless themselves, were busy preparing meals for Saturday’s outreach atChrist Kitchen, another local ministry the church was able to engage and bless through this outreach.

Brett & Christine’s daughter Anna was busy making bracelets, excited to use her hobby to bless others.

On Saturday morning a hundred volunteers showed up at Valley Assembly in Spokane Valley for instruction and inspiration. Three very special women from the Women’s Home at nearby Victory Outreach shared important perspective from their prior life on the streets.

Everything fell into place as this courageous team representing every generation within the church, arrived at the downtown serving location. Everyone found their niche, and we all had a chance to shower about 140 precious people with Christ’s love.

As you can imagine, many powerful testimonies emerged from this outreach. And the testimonies show us again how God loves to bless us in special ways as He uses us to reach out and bless others.

With countless cars streaming both east and west on the I-90 overpass above us, countless blessings flowed that Saturday in both directions under the bridge.

It was cold and heartwarming . . . the perfect storm! It was the church in action, the ‘streetless’ impacting the homeless, and the homeless impacting the streetless.

For more pictures, please visit the Blessings Under the Bridge website.

Tapping Into the Power of Intergenerational Ministry

"Intergenerational." Because it's a word that doesn't appear verbatim in Scripture, we might view it as a passing fad in American churches. 

But a closer look at Scripture shows kingdom principles, relationships, stories, legacy and disciple-making flowing freely from generation to generation, not just within generations.

Over the past year we have been privileged to partner in a significant way with the CASA Network (Christian Association Serving Adult Ministries) and the Fuller Youth Institute, champions of the Sticky Faith movement. 

Dr. Kara Powell, author of Sticky Faith and Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, has with her team highlighted key factors contributing to faith that sticks as young people transition to adulthood.  With a research grant from the Lilly Foundation, they probed deeply into why a disturbing number of young adults are walking away from their faith.

One of the primary keys to stickier faith is helping churches commit more deliberately to intergenerational ministry.  Many churches have great programs for every age group, but silo approaches have limitations when it comes to long-term impact, particularly when high school students transition to college and beyond.

Allow me to share a recent example of a church with whom we were privileged to share in meaningful, transformational impact.

A Collaborative Crossroads Convergence

Robin Garvin, a Southern California Children’s Ministries leader, put out a plea for children’s pastors to read Sticky Faith, to be followed by a discussion session at her home.  Laurie Hanks, the children’s pastor at Crossroads Church in Temecula, California, was one of the children’s pastors at that meeting. 

Laurie Hanks, Children's Pastor

Laurie returned to her church and met with other children and youth leaders at Crossroads and asked them to read Sticky Faith as well.  She also shared the book with the leadership of the Classics group, the name of their ministry for 50+ adults. 

“It was at that point Judy (Wick) gave me information regarding the CASA Network/Fuller Youth Institute’s Influence the Generations conference coming to our community,” Laurie disclosed.  The Saturday conference was hosted in January by Gateway Church of the Nazarene, and YES! Young Enough to Serve was privileged to be among the sponsors.  “Pastor Jim Grams, our Senior Associate Pastor, was then inspired to attend the conference and to get the Classics more involved.” 

I was privileged to hear ideas and passion already percolating in Pastor Jim’s heart as we met over lunch at the CASA Conference.  Judy was invited to share at Crossroads the following day, which according to Laurie “really helped seal the deal with our congregation.”

“We had talked before about intergenerational ministry and had some movement in that direction, but we never so fully put our feet to the idea.  This time, leaders from the children, youth and classics got together to plot out how it would come together.”  The women’s ministry leader also read Sticky Faith, and the men’s ministry leader is participating in a life group going through the book, chapter by chapter.

It’s now a very collaborative effort of the youth pastor, senior associate, children’s pastor, evangelism team, and men’s/women’s ministry leaders.  Their strategy is to take existing ministries and make them more intergenerational.  “We’re not just adding a layer of intergenerational events on top of our already busy schedule; we’re integrating,” Laurie explained.

Senior Adults Adopting High School Seniors

Pastor Jim capitalized on the momentum and got going right away.  Thirty members of the Classics group braved a Friday night winter storm to meet and review profiles of each high school senior thoughtfully prepared by the youth pastors, Adam and Amanda Sullivan.  While the high school seniors were not present that night, Pastors Adam and Amanda introduced the students' profiles and shared their hearts for these teens. 

Adam & Amanda Sullivan, Youth Ministers

Pastor Adam made it clear why he and Amanda believe intergenerational ministry is so vital and strategic:

 “For a long time, churches have treated teenagers like they live in their own world. They have their own music, their own service, and their own culture. The only person with a passport to go between the teenage and adult world is the youth pastor.

As youth pastors, we know that we can have a greater impact if more adults have passports to go between worlds. We want to see adults draw nearer to the younger generation and mentor them in a life with Christ.”

Fervent prayers were expressed on behalf of these soon-to-be-graduating high school seniors.  And then one by one, twelve seniors were adopted.  Some from the Classics group knew right away who they wanted to adopt, and others were joyfully selected after further deliberation. 

One ‘adopted’ young man was relatively new to the youth group, new to faith in Christ, and new to healthy Christian family involvement.  Before turning eighteen, he was an ‘emancipated adult’ who moved in with a family from Crossroads Church.  He plans to go into the military when he is older, so it was very fitting when a retired Navy veteran adopted him.  A new relationship is forming, and this retiree is now engaged, along with others, in helping to disciple this young man in his new walk with Christ.

That same weekend, members of the Classics brought gifts to the high school seniors on Sunday morning and introduced themselves to their new adoptees.  Basic instruction given to the adopters and the adoptees is to pray, communicate and simply shower each other with the love of Christ.

Jim Grams, Senior Associate Pastor

Pastor Jim shared, "It has been very exciting to watch the Classics jump at the opportunity to come alongside our high school seniors. Surely the Lord is pleased watching the 'older folks' loving on the 'youngsters'! It's just as it should be."

Some Plant, Some Water, While God Gives the Increase

Amanda (youth pastor) shared more about their recent winter camp. Their goal was to have a diversity in ages speak into the lives of the students.  So they had Adam (youth pastor), Manny Galvan (college/career pastor), Jake Evangelist (lead pastor from their Bishop campus), and Pastor Jim (senior associate) each share at the winter camp. 

Harlem Shake

Pastor Jim, the most senior among them, dove in and participated with the youth in a hilarious YouTube clip of the ‘Harlem Shake’, which instantly helped create a special bond and rapport. “Pastor Jim is everyone’s favorite part of the video. The kids are still talking about it,” Amanda shared with a smile. “And it really helped him connect with the youth later at a deeper level.  He was one of us.”

A combined talent night has now been planned for both the youth and Classics.  These used to be separate events.

A survey will be presented to the Classics so they can provide their profiles for the benefit of the children and youth pastors, identifying special expertise they can offer in children’s or youth ministry.

The women’s ministry leader is shaping one of their Bible studies to provide direct mentorship to children.

Scott Anderson, Lead Pastor

As another exciting expression of intergenerational ministry, Lead Pastor Scott Anderson asked each of his staff pastors to share a part of the Easter story, with each pastor telling a part of the story to their own age-specific ministry group. The worship leader is attempting to tailor a piece of music to every generation.  They are also talking as a staff about creating a special family service quarterly in those months with a fifth Sunday.

Pastor Scott underscored his belief that "intergenerational ministry within the framework of the local church is the exact model of a healthy church."

Crossroads’ evangelism team reached out to the nearby senior adult community of Fountain Glen and helped pave the way for new intergenerational relationships.   Kids with Purpose is a summer ministry of Crossroads where the children engage in acts of service within the surrounding community, including Fountain Glen.  Among other serving tasks, the kids help the adults create centerpieces for Fountain Glen’s summer luau, with help flowing freely in both directions between the generations. 

Because of the evangelism team’s efforts, many adults at that facility are now riding a bus to Crossroads on Sunday.  Included in this group of adults is a blind man who for obvious reasons needed more help while working together with the kids on the centerpiece projects.  He is someone the kids naturally gravitated to when he began attending Crossroads. How special and inviting for this older adult without sight to be greeted by name by children in the church!

Grandparents Day, September 8, is a major event in the planning stages.  Kids are going to be honoring senior adults, and they will be integrated into the children’s services.

Laurie is in her eleventh year as children’s pastor at Crossroads.  She has become increasingly aware of her need to connect long term with ‘kids’ formerly in her children’s church---offering encouragement as many of her students transition into adulthood. 

She has recently had a special burden for a young college freshman who God keeps bringing to her mind.  She texts him occasionally to let him know she’s praying for him.  The timing of the encouragement has been God-ordained. “You have no idea.  I was having such a hard time, and your text came at just the right time,” he told Laurie while wiping tears from his eyes.  It helped him know he was not alone.  “Knowing the Lord put me on your heart is powerful.” 

“Intergenerational momentum is now here and will be at the forefront of how we plan.  Our perspective has matured.  Our Classics group will never be the same again---after Judy’s challenge to them.”

From her perspective, Laurie shared that engagement of adults over fifty at their church was pretty typical, with many adults thoroughly committed to serving through Royal Family Kids Camp and other vital ministries.  But many 50+ church activities had defaulted to retirement stereotypes depicted in YES!’s Ted video.  And while many good things were happening, some attitudes of complacency needed to be challenged.  “It wasn’t necessarily a new revelation, but YES! helped provide a strong nudge for us to become much more intentional."

Sticky Faith Becoming Stickier

Pastor Adam is excited.  “I believe our efforts at Crossroads Church are doing more than I imagined. We are working hard to remove the barriers that develop between teenagers and adults."

"Instead of an adult visiting the teenage world, the two worlds can unite. Relationships between the age groups naturally push one another to grow closer to our Lord. And we know for the teenager that can make the difference in their faith sticking.”

Pastor Laurie shared further:

“We were able to identify many things already in place that are helping to create faith that sticks among our young people, so fortunately we weren’t starting from scratch.  It was good soil that needed to be cultivated.  And now we’re planting more seeds and watching them take root and grow.

Judy’s heart in sharing with the entire congregation the importance of loving and supporting each other as a church family had a profound impact. The people were impressed by the passion with which she shared.

Most people in our congregation would have already agreed that we need intergenerational ministry.  YES! helped us realize how important and urgent this calling is, and that now is the time to make it happen.  The YES! Young Enough to Serve message helped our Classics feel more valued and strategically vital in ministry.  It helped them know that their life experience and longevity of faith has current value to every generation.

An outsider’s perspective is so helpful---along with the fresh emphasis on relationships, the kingdom of God, and God’s call for all of us to make an impact, no matter what our age.

These are real needs that people need to grab a hold of.

Lead pastor buy-in from our Pastor Scott Anderson has been so critical.  He has always had an interest in intergenerational ministry, but we hadn’t really tooled it out in such practical ways.

We were ripe for the message, and it solidified what we needed to do.  YES! put an umbrella over it and helped everybody grip the handle of the umbrella. YES! helped our whole church connect to this passion and to become more deliberate in reaching outside our peer groups.

The seed has fallen on good soil.  It is well integrated and spreading.”

To God be the glory for allowing us to be co-laborers in healthy transformation happening in the lives of individuals, groups, churches and communities! 

-----

Wes and his wife, Judy (Popineau) Wick, are  founders and directors of YES! Young Enough to Serve. They would be honored to help your church move to a stronger, more intentional platform of serving, intergenerational ministry and disciple-making. Please connect with them.

PLEASE CLICK HERE IF YOUR CHURCH MIGHT BE READY FOR AN INTERGENERATIONAL TUNE-UP.

Rattling Cages Without Losing Your Tigers

You’d like to prod them with a swift kick to the posterior, but you can’t afford to lose them.

What do you do with change-sensitive older adults in your church who are paying your salary and keeping the lights on?

You may have read Who Stole My Church? by Gordon MacDonald. But that was fictional. You have a real life dilemma staring at you, and you’re feeling tentative. Rattle their cage too vigorously, and these tithe-paying, hymn-loving tigers may slip out through a backstage door. Do nothing, and you risk losing the next generations.

A third of your instincts say “Let the tigers go.” A third of your instincts say appease them. And the best third of your instincts say, “Come, Holy Spirit. I need you.”

First off, while praying, get off the stage and into their cage. You can’t rattle the cage from the outside looking in. These older tigers may have a ferocious roar, but they won’t bite.

They need to know your heart. They need to know they aren’t simply an obstacle you’re trying to work around.They need to know you sincerely love and value them, not just for their past and certainly not just for their tithes/offerings, but for their present friendship, wisdom and serving potential as well.

Second, invite young leaders into the tiger cage with you. And like Paul’s endorsement of Timothy and Titus, entrust young leaders with full authority to both encourage and rattle cages (re-direct, correct, rebuke, challenge). Imagine the extra challenges these young leaders had, rattling cages of older men and women, in cultures where respect deepened as you grew older. They challenged older adults to live lives in the present that were worthy of respect, moving beyond their entitlement to respect by age alone.

Third, invite mature tigers to be a part of your planning teams, not just for whole church or older adult ministry, but for other specialized areas of ministry in the church as well, like youth and children. No age group wants to feel the insult of being unconsulted, caged in, irrelevant or blindsided. Changes that follow prayer and cross-generational collaboration are more likely to unify the whole body.

Finally, recognize that a cage is a lousy landing spot for any generation in the Church. It's not a biblical metaphor describing the body of Christ, the family of God, or our call to freedom. Specialized ministry by peer group has its place, but watch for jealous growls when over-emphasis creates cage/age envy. Rattle your own multi-generational cage mentality by giving more emphasis to intergenerational relationship and collaboration. Lead your tigers to freedom!

In our work with YES, 50+ adults easily appreciate the positive affirmation of the first part, 'YES! I’m Young Enough.' The tricky part is the re-directing call—'to Serve.' Now we're rattling cages (correcting, rebuking, challenging)! 

But once we reaffirm it’s Jesus calling us to be His servants, it becomes more about Him and less about us.

Orphan Fear

How many orphans are in your church?

Orphanos, the Greek word for orphans, appears only twice in the New Testament, once each in the books of James and John.

Pure religion is defined in James 1:27 as visiting orphans and widows in their distress, and keeping oneself unstained by the world.

The only other time orphan language appears in the New Testament is in John 14:18, coming from the lips of Jesus Himself. He addressed his adult disciples who feared being orphaned and reassured them that He would not leave them as orphans. He would come to them through the Holy Spirit to abide with and help them.

In simple terms we tend to think of orphans as young children and widows as older women. By traditional stereotypes most of us would be able to identify few, if any, orphans in our own church.

Because of adoption and our foster care system, we rarely give American children an orphan label or care for them in orphanages. We recognize, though, that the population of orphaned children here in the United States has not gone away. 

Millions of American children have been physically and emotionally orphaned by family dysfunction, addiction, crime, mental illness, abandonment, and the premature death of parents. 

Close to Home

This subject hits home because my father was orphaned as a child. His parents separated before his first birthday as his mother returned with him from America to her Norwegian homeland. Eight years later, his mother decided that she no longer wanted to bear the load of single parenting. My dad cried bitterly as his mother left him with his toothless aunt in the tundra of Northern Norway, deep within the Arctic Circle. (The beautiful Land of the Midnight Sun has dark, harsh and frigid winters as well.) 

Because I am the seventh of eight children, my dad was well into his forties when I was born, far removed from the days of his orphaned childhood. His life was a testimony to God’s redeeming power, transforming this young Norwegian orphan into a faithful husband, father and servant leader in his church here in America.

Along with his Norwegian accent, my dad had a strong blend of both humility and confidence. He was known as a successful building contractor and generous giver. He gave sacrificially of his time and resources, and his greatest joy came from blessing others.

Orphaned in Life's Second Half

Let’s look at orphans in a broader context, particularly in the realm of older adulthood.

In an ongoing survey of older adults conducted by CHAMPS, the Center for Healthy Aging, Ministries, Programs and Services, respondents list being alone and running out of money as their most common fears related to getting older.

Both orphans and widows deal with similar fears of separation, isolation, loneliness, and personal inadequacy.

Jesus promised that He would never leave or forsake us. Widows face the trauma of being left without a spouse. Orphans often contend with a dual sense of being both left and forsaken.

Adults in later years experience being orphaned in a variety of ways. Many transitional events in life, particularly loss or pending loss, have the potential to trigger orphan fear. Here are some of them:

• The empty nest 
• Marital separation or divorce 
• Loss of employment 
• Pastor/church transitions 
• Death of parents 
• Retirement 
• Loss of driving privileges 
• Physical disability 
• Major illness 
• Moving to a care facility 
• Death of siblings & friends 
• Child(ren) moving far away 
• Economic loss 
• Inability to travel 
• Death of a spouse 
• Death of adult children 
• Decade milestone birthdays 
• Diminishing sense of usefulness

Orphaned Again

Like most Americans in his generation, my dad officially retired in his sixties.

Within church life as well, my dad passed the baton to the next generations. Although he liked control, he didn’t appear to have an overly tight, possessive grip on the baton. As he experienced these significant life transitions, though, it was soon apparent that he was beginning to feel like an orphan again. He and many of his peers were experiencing orphan fear within the church.

If his work in business and the church were both finished, what would he now do with the measure of strength, wisdom, skill and experience he still had to offer? He wasn’t at the state of dependency where he needed to be visited in his distress. At his core he needed to be needed.

As with most persons blessed with a “driver” personality type, retirement for my dad did not come naturally. He always wanted at least one problem-solving project and one future trip in the hopper.

It’s easy to point to my dad’s lack of hobbies as a predictable recipe for restlessness. But where in the Bible does it teach us that hobbies are the answer to filling life with purpose and meaning?

He enjoyed his relationship with his growing extended family and his peers. But there was something missing in his experience within the church.

He wasn’t driven out by loud music. He wasn’t a victim of blatant disrespect. His prior contributions in the church did not go unnoticed.

But, unlike his family context, the church no longer seemed to seek his advice, encourage intergenerational relationship or value his continuing contributions apart from financial support.

For my dad his resurfacing orphan fear had more to do with a diminishing sense of usefulness. He didn't have the fear of becoming financially destitute. He and many of his peers were getting cues that their time was pretty much over, and the next generations were now doing their own thing. But he was still alive, relatively healthy, and still had so much to offer.

At this stage of life, he wasn’t going to force his way into helpful relationships. He wanted to be invited. In fact, he loved being asked for his guidance and counsel.

What many churches offer at this point in life is quarantined fellowship with peers. Fun, food, and fellowship are partial antidotes for orphan fear, building a framework for supportive friendships. But this ministry approach can also become an isolated, inwardly focused support group for aging orphans, short-circuiting life-breathing connections with younger generations.

Perhaps my dad expected too much from the church and too little from the Spirit, but either way, the promise of Jesus seemed out of synch with his fourth quarter experience in the church. In reality, he wanted the church to expect more of him. He wasn’t done.

My dad remained a member of his church to the end. He never became a widower, and thankfully caring pastors and lay leaders did visit him faithfully in his later years of more obvious distress, dependency, and dementia. But by that time a couple decades of opportunity had passed, and those early retirement years of quiet distress went largely untapped within the church.

Promise of Jesus

Orphan fear will surface in the strongest of Christians and in the strongest of churches. Jesus didn’t promise that our families, friends, or even His Church would never leave us. He promised that He would never leave us or forsake us and that the Holy Spirit would come to both comfort and equip us. And the equipping power of the Spirit does not expire at retirement. He continues to give comfort and equips us for new opportunities.

Like Jesus let’s respond directly to the orphan fears of adults around us! And may we rely on the Spirit’s presence to address our own fears as we grow older. He will never leave us as orphans!

Let’s revitalize ministry through as well as to the aging adults among us. Giving older adults the opportunity to enrich the lives of others may be the best gift we can give them. They want to be valued, useful, and connected to the full body of Christ. As Christ followers, they need to be engaged in making disciples.

God wants to fill these later years with significance, and He’s asking you to partner with Him. Please do your part in helping aging adults overcome their fears.

Orphan fear does not have to translate to orphan identity. Just look at the disciples. With the abiding presence of the Spirit, they moved beyond the fear and transformed the world. 

Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Throwing Grandma & Grandpa Under the Church Bus

How far do you pull away from an old friend?

In pursuit of election to political office, politicians sometimes need to distance themselves from former allies who could potentially steer their campaigns off course.

After a candidate’s customary re-posturing statement, media pundits love to measure and debate the distance of the distancing. He or she didn’t go far enough, went too far, or got it just right.

Bus metaphors are plentiful in this distancing dialog. On the polite end of distancing etiquette, moving symbolically to another seat on the same bus doesn't quell the public outcry. At the other extreme, throwing a former friend under the proverbial bus represents the ultimate in distancing jargon---but also the ultimate betrayal.

A Visit to Your Neighborhood 

Let’s quickly drive the bus away from the tired streets of politics to seemingly calmer neighborhoods where multiple generations from your church family reside.

In many families within your church, a very real and active faith in Christ has been passed down from generation to generation. Ask younger members of your church about persons of greatest spiritual influence, and chances are good that many will place a grandparent first on that list.

To be fair, others from both inside and outside your church share in the impact, but grandkids will still often point to their grandparents as having the most significant impact on their spiritual journey.

So how’s the bus ride for those in your church on the second half of their trip?

How’s church life for these graying sojourners who carry a biblical mandate to give testimony of God’s power, wonder, and faithfulness to the next generations?

As you look at these saints who often have top-seed influence rankings in their families . . .

• Does your church family recognize and celebrate the current value of these elder travelers?
• Or do your older adults feel they’re always being forced to take a back seat?
• How’s your MPG, Miles Per Generation?
• Are you secretly praying for Tom Brokaw to personally adopt the group he hailed as the Greatest Generation?
• Are you convinced this traveling band of hymn-lovers is conspiring to throw your church into reverse gear?
• Have you thrown them off the bus or, heaven forbid, under the bus? 

In a recent review of over 800 posted church leader positions on churchstaffing.com, just one position was listed that specifically targeted the second half or older adult population. And that lone position was unfunded, requiring the candidate raise his or her own support!

In an era when the Baby Boomer fleet has already pulled into your community in record numbers, this detour away from opportunity is surprising to those already working with this strategic fifty-plus population.

Churches invest readily and heavily in energetic children’s/youth pastors and programs because they are ministering to our future.

Forward-thinking church leaders rightfully see potential for positive ripple effects. Get these spiritually ripe kids involved, impact them for a lifetime, and hopefully influence their parents and friends to be an active part of your church family as well. 

And let’s face it…kids will not sprint to catch your bus if only older adults are onboard!

But in what direction is your bus moving to reach all generations?

The youth in Asia show incredible respect and care for the eldest among them. In contrast, many youth in America display attitudes of indifference toward the elderly and support euthanasia.

Not only do Eastern cultures read from right to left, their generational perspective appears to be flipped 180 degrees. Most churches in the Western world appear to think strategically from youngest to oldest. Eastern cultures think oldest to youngest.

Scriptural teaching on discipleship suggests it’s our Western church culture that is directionally challenged. Unfortunately, churches with tunnel vision for the young will often stop far short of reaching and equipping every generation.

With strong pastoral leadership, the bus going from Elder Park to Youngstown is better equipped for long-distance travel, more likely to reach its destination than the reverse route. While seeming to move more quickly at first, the Youngstown to Elder Park bus tends to break down when facing uphill challenges, never quite making it to Elder Park.

Let’s view this topic briefly from a higher plane; say from an Airbus at a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet:

"In case of sudden loss of cabin pressure, please apply your mask first before helping your younger children."

Does this mean that the children on the Airbus are less important? No, it simply means that all of you will have a better chance of survival if you move sequentially from older to younger.

Be intentional about ministry through these midlife and older stalwarts of faith, and make sure their vision extends intergenerationally all the way to the nursery.

By keeping the right sequence, we avoid either/or scenarios. Whenever possible, it should be both/and. We don’t have to neglect or marginalize the older to reach the younger! We need the balance of elder wisdom and experience combined with youthful energy and innovation.

A church bus with multiple generations represents a more complete cross-section of the body of Christ. Those traveling on it have opportunity for an enriching, cross-cultural experience, as long as they make room for relationships outside their peer group.

No matter which direction your bus is heading, tough uphill challenges will surface. You will at times face an overheated engine and overheated passengers. Open your windows on both sides of the age spectrum and allow for a healthy cross breeze of the Spirit. Prop them wide open and make sure every generation is on your bus and is breathing fresh air. Gain some downhill momentum for those uphill climbs.

It shouldn’t take a Bible scholar to convince us that throwing grandparents under the church bus is not part of God’s plan.

But what about our changing culture and the need to create new buses for different kinds of patrons?

In these changing times, it’s not just the young needing to catch a vision for a new church bus or an overhaul of your old one. Older generations need new buses to replace worn-out, unbiblical attitudes toward retirement, ageism, and age segregation. They need to dream with you about completely new types of vehicles to help your church fulfill the Great Commission by reaching younger generations and other cultures.

Here are some tokens of advice as you shop for a new bus or overhaul your existing one:

• Keep Grandma and Grandpa on the bus and involve them in the change process. Quoting I.W. Lynett, “The best way to cope with change is to help create it."  Don’t assume that older generations are universally resistant to change. They have experienced and adapted to incredible changes throughout their lifetime. Welcome their input. If changes are biblically sound and God-directed, patiently cultivate and expect their support. Read Gordon MacDonald’s Who Stole My Church? for wonderful perspective on engaging your older generations in the change process.

• If your church has retreated from venues where intergenerational influence used to occur---Sunday school, Sunday night services, prayer times at an altar and midweek children’s programs---be sure you have created new venues that encourage strong intergenerational connections on a spiritual level. Teach your kids to respect, cherish, and learn from these older friends. Teach them the value of engaging in conversation with peers of their grandparents and great-grandparents. Create prayer partnerships. Have your young people help capture their spiritual legacy on video or through creative writing.

• Equip your older adults with fresh tools to help them communicate more frequently with their grandchildren. Teach them computer skills, email, text messaging, Facebook and even Web 2.0. Twitter? Well, let's not go too far!

• Invest in second half or senior adult leaders who have the energy and drive to move your adults to new paradigms of ministry. Don’t perpetuate social clubs or fun, food, and fellowship paradigms that fail to capitalize on their broader potential for outreach. Balance your budget. Investing fifty times more on children and youth than on second half adults is not a balanced budget.

• At your next board meeting, move the needs and potential of this fastest growing segment of our nation’s population to the front of your agenda. Talk about access for physically challenged adults, not just to “the service” but to valuable opportunities for serving and intergenerational influence.

• Stop endorsing methods that drop older generations off the church bus prematurely.

• Create new bus stops for both the old and young in your community to get on board. When you think about attracting new riders, resist the tendency to think only of young riders.

• Start thinking strategically from oldest-to-youngest rather than youngest-to-oldest. Change your vocabulary. Make sure no generation is left behind! 

We know it’s not about distancing ourselves, fighting over who deserves the best seats on the bus, or deciding which generation we can throw under the church bus. It’s about all of us drawing closer to God, one another, and the destinations He has mapped out for us.

Don’t do it just because millions of Boomers are entering their retirement years or because it’s your fast track to church growth.

Do it because it’s the right thing to do. Do it because God calls you to value every age group in your church, from the oldest to the youngest.

Do it because you really do love and value Grandma and Grandpa, their great-grandkids, and everyone in between.