StewardCASTlcms.org/stewardship

A monthly e-newsletter of LCMS Stewardship Ministry

StewardCAST April 2016 Page 1

Stewardship of the Retiring BoomersLast month, StewardCAST

introduced you to a book by Haydn Shaw entitled Generational IQ:

Christianity isn’t Dying, The Millennials Aren’t the Problem and The Future is Bright. In this fine work Shaw highlighted the reality that for the first time in human history, the local congregation will be made up of five generations. This will present both never seen before challenges and also underestimated opportunities for the church.

The challenge that faces the church is that each of these generations: Traditionalists (born before 1945), Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1980), Millennials (born 1981-2001) and Generation Z (born after 2001), have unique strengths and weaknesses. This is true of every generation within the church. But what makes this era so unique is that the oldest generations aren’t dying as fast. This is a good thing! But in previous times when a congregation only had three active generations in it, change was far less of a conflict because mortality took its course. New and younger leaders were required to step in the congregational breach because of the early death of the oldest generation.

Enduring Reality, Shifting ConsequencesWhile mortality is still a constant reality, its consequences are different today. People of all ages still die daily. Read the local obituaries daily and see the sometimes shocking number of people from all five

congregation during their working lifetime. The Baby Boomer generation introduced a craving for a more contemporary sound in worship and a quest for relevance in preaching and teaching than either the generation prior or following them. The higher rates of divorce in this generation also brought about other societal challenges with which previous generations did not have to contend. These are only observations and not meant to cast aspersions on an entire generation. It cannot be argued that this generation has introduced more change and innovation into the life of the church than any before or since.

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generational groupings that now rest from their labors. Despite this, the reality is people are living longer. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control the average man who turned 65 in 2013 had another 18 years to live. The average woman who turned 65 in 2013 could expect to live another 20 years. Think about the impact of this on the local congregation! The largest generation alive today will, on average, be living almost two decades longer than people their age 20 years ago!

There will be unique challenges that this will bring to the local congregation. It was the Baby Boom generation that ushered in what many may call a seismic shift in the local

It cannot be argued that this generation has introduced more change and innovation into the life of the church than any before or since.

April 2016 Page 2StewardCASTPHOTO: THINKSTOCK

Second Adulthood, Continuing Chances to ServeThis large, change-inducing, and longer living generation also presents a tremendous blessing to the Church. This blessing will be found in the combination of their retirement age and ever-increasing longevity. This time span is what Shaw refers to as the “Second Adulthood”, the nearly two decades between retirement and mortality which the majority of this generation will be blessed.

Consider that these Boomers have lived through the largest expansion of technology and productivity in the history of the world. They were an active part of the expansion that took place from 1980-2000. They also have their latent social conscience that was forged in their youth in the 1960’s. This means that as this generation begins to retire they have in their experience both success and a desire for legacy. This is why this retiring generation becomes a great gift to the Church from the Lord which needs to be properly stewarded.

For the Sake of Mission and MinistryThe leaders and laborers in this generation will still have health and vitality as they retire that can and should be tapped for

the sake of mission and ministry. But how does a congregation do this? First and foremost, there needs to be a resurgence in the teaching of sound, Biblical, baptismally rooted stewardship. It will also call for the formulation of a Theology of Retirement. The retired Boomer is no less baptized and no less called to be a steward of all of life and life’s resources than any other

generation. They face a call to faithfulness from the Lord. This Theology of Retirement needs to capture the fact that nowhere in the Scriptures is it faithful stewardship to sit on the beach, play golf and play with the grandkids every day. Shaw relates the story of a high powered executive that retired with the intention of playing golf every day and playing with his grandkids. After a time,

even playing golf every day became like work that had no meaning. Eventually this retired executive found a job as a Wal-Mart greeter, not because he needed the work but because he wanted to be needed.

What would it look like if the local congregation sought the people of Boomer generation and formed them in such a way that their fulfillment was found in working for the sake of the Gospel and the congregation that shares that Gospel? This generation has been given gifts by the Lord that He has purposed for the sake of the Kingdom of God! But this generation is different than the Traditionalists. The Traditionalist will see a bulletin announcement about help being needed in a certain area of ministry and they will volunteer themselves for service. Some Boomers might do this, but the vast majority of them will wait to be invited. This calls for Pastors and stewardship leaders to make a concerted effort to know the background and gifts of the people in their congregation in this age demographics. But understand, this is not a call to go back to the days of the spiritual gift inventories. This is a call for the Church to understand the human capital with which the Lord has entrusted to the local congregation. Use the gifts and experience of this generation in leadership and staffing.

This time span is what Shaw refers to as the ‘Second Adulthood’, the nearly two decades between retirement and mortality which the majority of this generation will be blessed.

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StewardCAST is published monthly by: LCMS Stewardship Ministry1333 S. Kirkwood RoadSt. Louis, MO 63122888-THE LCMS (843-5267)infocenter@lcms.orglcms.org/stewardship

StewardCAST may be reprinted with acknowledgment given to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

• President of the Synod: Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison

• Executive Director, Office of National Mission: Rev. Bart Day

• Author: Rev. Nathan Meador Pastor, St. John Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Wis.

• Coordinator: Robbie Clasen

• Designer: Lisa Moeller

How to Subscribe To subscribe to StewardCAST, register online at lcms.org/enews. Select StewardCAST from among the “Stewardship and Giving” newsletters.

Support LCMS Global Mission FundYour gift to the Global Mission Fund impacts people around the world and in our own backyard through acts of Christian compassion, wherever the need is greatest at the time the gift is made. Gifts are used exclusively to support Synod’s Witness, Mercy, Life Together work at home and abroad.

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Bridging the GenerationsShaw also points out that there is an affinity between the “Second Adulthood” of the retiring Baby Boomers and the concerns of the Millennial generation. In fact, Shaw emphasis that the key to reconnecting the Millennials will be the connection they will have to their Baby Boomer grandparents. This could be a tremendous blessing for the Church going forward that can only happen when the local congregation is a good steward of the Boomer Generation.

It will require effort, time and patience for this kind of generational stewardship to take place in a faithful Lutheran congregation. These Boomers are retiring out of the corporate world that does not necessarily function like the congregation does. The local congregation doesn’t have a seamless command and control structure like most corporations. There is inherent inefficiency in the ministry. But it is in the perceived ministry mess that great work is done by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel. Matching the experience of this retiring generation with the ever-growing needs of the changing five-generation congregation is the hard work. But it will be worth it.

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As those retiring Boomers find a legacy in their service, they will also be deepened in their discipleship. This will make the congregation and the Gospel work it does even stronger.

This will not be perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Traditionalists will still chafe at things that their succeeding generations will do. Generation X will still feel lost in the middle. Millennials will still have their search for meaning. But when the Church begins to use the gifts in the generations for the sake of the Gospel great things can happen.

… the key to reconnecting the Millennials will be the connection they will have to their Baby Boomer grandparents.