Seven truths about how God sees you—loving you deeply, delighting in you, and never giving up, no matter your past.

Our culture is fractured along generational lines. Social media algorithms isolate us. Political movements polarize us. Even our humor and entertainment are segmented by generation. However, the divide isn’t just a sociological phenomenon. It’s an ecclesiological failure. Too often, the church mirrors the world’s divisions. What ought to be one body in Christ becomes a network of parallel, rarely overlapping ministries: youth over here, seniors over there, children down the hall, young adults off campus. None of these ministries is inherently wrong. Age-specific ministries can serve the church well. As a member of Gen Z, I’ve benefited from youth ministries and young-adult groups. But when age groups become the primary lens through which we see discipleship, they distort the church’s nature. The church isn’t a collection of age-based silos. It is a Spirit-wrought community of young and old, redeemed by Christ and bound together in covenant love. The church’s beauty isn’t in its sameness but in its holy diversity. And one of the clearest demonstrations of that kingdom diversity is when generations walk together in Christ. Mutual Partnership in Christ Like many younger men in ministry, I’ve wrestled with how to relate to those much older than me. I serve in a church where most staff and elders are a decade, if not multiple, ahead of me. At first, I wondered if I’d be taken seriously. Would they trust me? Would I connect with them? But I’ve found that God uses these age gaps to stretch and sanctify his people. The older men in our church haven’t just taught me doctrine and leadership; they’ve shown me endurance. Their wisdom isn’t theoretical. It’s lived out. One of the clearest demonstrations of kingdom diversity is when generations walk together in Christ. What I didn’t expect was that they’re encouraged by me too. The beauty of intergenerational relationships is that they aren’t one-way pipelines of spiritual benefit; they’re mutual partnerships in Christ. Many older saints long to see younger Christians walking in the truth. They want to know their own faithfulness still matters, that someone is watching and learning. People of older and younger generations offer unique perspectives and benefits in these relationships. I remember spending a night with an elderly, homebound brother whose wife was away for surgery. We didn’t do anything flashy. We talked, swapped stories, and prayed. That was it. But ministry is often just that—being present. That night was simple, but the Lord used it. His wife later told me how encouraged he was. It reminded me that the ordinary practices of life together in the local church are never small. They’re supernatural outworkings of the gospel’s unifying power. Pattern of Discipleship Intergenerational ministry isn’t a novelty. It’s simply what the Bible expects a church to be. Scripture regularly assumes one generation will instruct the next. Psalm 78:4 commands God’s people to “tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD,” and Titus 2 gives clear instructions for older men and women to model and teach godliness to those younger in age. Discipleship in the New Testament is life-on-life. And God intends for that life to be shared cross-generationally. Young Christians, these relationships are indispensable. You need concrete examples of perseverance. Hebrews 13:7 tells us to consider our leaders’ lives and imitate their faith. You can’t do that from a podcast. You need proximity. You need a covenant community. You need men and women who have followed Christ longer than you have, whose lives you can examine, whose counsel you can seek, and whose faith you can imitate. Older Christians need these relationships too. You need to be reminded that the Christian life isn’t something you age out of. Your example of faith, your endurance, and your prayers aren’t small contributions. They’re evidence that God keeps and sustains his people. But this vision isn’t merely for believers. It’s also evangelistic. The world idolizes youth. It prizes innovation over wisdom and relevance over endurance. Yet the church doesn’t operate that way. When a congregation intentionally brings together teens, young adults, parents, empty-nesters, and seniors solely because they share in Christ, it sends a powerful message to our culture. It demonstrates a unity that the world cannot create for itself. It shows that the gospel really does bring together those who would otherwise have little to nothing in common. An intergenerational church stands out because it appears unremarkable and supernatural at the same time. This is why Paul tells Timothy to entrust the gospel to “faithful men . . . who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). The gospel moves forward through faithful churches consisting of younger generations trained and equipped by older saints. And when churches embrace that calling, it not only disciples its members but also displays to the watching world God’s wisdom and beauty in his redemptive plan. Pursue Intergenerational Relationships If Scripture presents intergenerational life as the typical model for everyday Christianity, then we must discipline ourselves as local churches to put it into practice. People naturally gravitate toward those most like them. A church that wants to embody biblical community must resist that drift and choose patterns of relationships that reflect the gospel rather than personal preference. The world idolizes youth. It prizes innovation over wisdom and relevance over endurance. Yet the church doesn’t operate that way. For younger believers, this means taking real steps toward getting to know those who have walked with Christ longer than you have. Ask older saints how they came to know the Lord. Ask what sustained them in their sufferings. Invite their counsel when you face difficult decisions that require prudence. These are simple practices, but they shape the instincts of a maturing Christian. God has sovereignly placed seasoned believers in your congregation so you can learn from them in ways other resources cannot replicate. For older believers, the responsibility is just as clear. Seek out younger members and encourage them. Share what God has taught you through the years of following Christ. Pray with them. Show interest in their spiritual growth. Invite them to meet weekly to read through a book of the Bible together. In my experience, older saints are often unaware of how much credibility their lives carry. Even a brief word of encouragement from someone who has endured decades of hardship and remained faithful holds more weight than a thousand sermons. The most profitable relationships I’ve had are those with brothers much older than me. My pastor has become one of my best friends. He has poured into me, invited me into his life, and mentored me through all sorts of personal challenges. In addition to discipling me for pastoral ministry, he, more than anyone else, has left a massive imprint on me as a man. Many relationships with my peers are edifying; however, they’re rarely as influential as the relationships I share with my older brothers and sisters in Christ. So my exhortation to every Christian, young or old, is this: Seek out someone outside your generation and invest in that relationship, that the church as a whole might display to the world the unifying nature of the gospel, that individuals would be strengthened in their walk, and that God might ultimately be glorified.

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