This month’s newsletter brings a deeper dive into the research from our Church Health Assessment. In a recent article on Mosaic, Dr. Suzie Macaluso reports on generational differences from 22 congregations and 3,566 persons who have participated in this survey. I hope you will take time to read it; let me offer three reasons why.

First, as Suzie has noted in earlier research reports, the reality is that many churches are becoming smaller and grayer; younger generations of adults are showing up less. However, the good news in Suzie’s report is that those younger adults who are showing up perceive themselves to be deeply involved. In my work with congregations, the important move is to encourage church leaders to more directly involve younger adults in the discernment processes of leadership – and be willing to take risks with initiatives that emerge when younger adults engage.

Second, since one of the significant generational differences that Suzie notes is in the area of worship, I want to offer a few observations about worship practices. As she suggests, the gap between young and old might be even more significant if our churches included more young adults; many have already signaled a disconnect by leaving. I would caution against the temptation to form a false dichotomy between a cappella and instrumental music, thinking that the answer is to bring in a praise band to “fix” worship. Mediocrity does not serve the purposes of worship any better with a guitar! Excellence is the significant factor here – not style.

Additionally, revisiting the purpose of worship moves the conversation beyond the debates about music styles, instead asking how our worship practices actually 1) praise the God we know as Father, Son, and Spirit, 2) declare the gospel story and 3) form the community to live holy lives.

Third, in the consulting work I do with congregations, I have seen in action one of the significant points of Suzie’s analysis: that in most churches it is the 45-54 age group who are the least satisfied. Older folks possess higher levels of satisfaction; they have been in the congregation a long time and their children are now having children. And although many younger adults have left these congregations, those who remain engage with a level of hopefulness. But the 45-54 age group feel discontent. My sense is that they are moving into an empty nest space, which brings two sources of concern. First, they recognize that the church as it is today is not a place where their adult children will want to return. Second, they experience a level of dissatisfaction that they cannot quite identify.

Maintaining a sense of realism is an indispensable aspect of good leadership. What we are learning through the Church Health Assessment brings elements of both encouraging and challenging news. My hope is that you will work with the reality of your context and ask what the hopeful and life-giving next step is for your congregation as you pursue God’s preferred future!