The suspicions have now been confirmed by hard data. For years voices within the evangelical church have argued that we are not reaching the younger generation. In fact, many have taken notice that we are losing the few young adults that had previously dared to darken the door of a church. The research is pouring in, and with it an increased willingness to listen to the problem.

Why has this happened? What are we doing wrong? How can we fix it?

These are the questions that are now circuilating amidst pastors and church leaders. I do not question the veracity of the data, but I am concerned by the nature of our response. I am concerned that a passionate desire to reach the next generation has turned into an idolatry of youth. I am concerned that our response is more governed by fear than it is by prayer.

Reaching the young has become the answer. It is the answer to our fears. We fear that our church will die. We fear that our church will lose its relevance, which is in many ways a death unto itself. So, we focus our energies on cracking the code to reach this next generation. The answer to sustainability, to legacy maintanance, etc. is youth. The action, the energy and the revival can all be found in reaching the next generation.

The irony is that amidst a renewed interest in reaching the next generation another generation (or generations) has been forgotten. We are now ignoring the boomers. We are certainly ignoring the elderly. They have merely become those that we already “got”. They are faces we have seen for years, and while we are thankful for their continued support they are in effect old news. They are not where the action is.

These are merely some initial reflections. What are your thoughts? Have we actually turned a renewed interest in reaching the young into a form of idolatry? Are we now neglecting the older generations in an effort to reach the young?