Not Your Grandmothers Church

Several years ago I walked into a friend’s office and he handed me a post card he had received the previous week and asked me what I thought. The card had been mailed to residents inviting them to a new church that was being planted in the area.

As I looked at the card, I actually felt anger and then sorrow. The front of the card had a picture of an elderly lady with her face contorted in a very unattractive manner. Above her picture were the words, “This is not your grandmother’s church.”

It took me a few minutes to process all that I was feeling at the time. I am sure the new church was well-intended. Yet, it did not excuse the leadership from sending out a very degrading postcard as an invitation to a new church that apparently would not be filled with a bunch of old people to drag it down.

I must confess that I did have this fleeting thought to find the leadership of this new church and grab them tightly as I asked them several questions. Questions like—“Who do you think built this city?” Who do think built the schools, businesses, libraries and hospitals?” Who do you think fought for freedom around the world in places you cannot even pronounce?” and “Who do you think wants to see this community filled with great churches just as much as you do?”

Sadly, in many churches it has become a church only for a part of God’s family.

I realized that in a sense the new church was right. We do not want a “Grandmothers or Grandfathers Church.” I do not want a church with teens or only college age.

Church should include grandmothers, teens, college-age, children and every age group in the community. Church was designed by God to function as a family. It seems that God intended for all of us to do life together.

So to the young leadership team that sent the cards to an entire neighborhood—I hope that your church is not just your grandmother’s church. But, I also hope you have some grandmothers and grandfathers in the church or you will miss a significant blessing from God.