Gary and Kim Shockley

by Gary Shockley

I think it’s one of the most challenging passages in the New Testament. In Luke 15 Jesus tells a very long tale about two brothers. One is dutiful, attentive, trustworthy, steady and predictable. He’s the older brother. He does and says the right things. He’s the “good” son. The younger brother, in comparison, is impulsive, restless, seeking, selfish, and unpredictable. He’s no good (compared to the older brother)!

 As the story goes the younger brother takes his “due”, skips out of town, leaves his brother to help the father, and squanders his life on all the wrong things. When he finally comes to his senses (hunger and hardships tend to help with that) he remembers the love and care he once enjoyed with his father. He plans his confession speech as he travels home but before he has a chance to utter a single word his waiting father hugs and kisses the stuffing out of him.  He manages to mutter part of his confession but his father, busy planning a party, has already moved past it.

 As the story goes the older brother resents his sibling’s return but mostly the lavish attention he receives from dear old dad. “What about me?” is his plea.  He broods while everyone else celebrates.

 I know I am speaking in generalities here but, in my experience, there are older brother and younger brother churches out there. Older brother churches tend to resist the efforts made to reach the younger brothers of the world. Older brother churches tend to protect the familiar relationship they have with the father and resent anyone who dares to suggest trying anything new to welcome younger brothers back into the fold. “They’re the ones who left. We’ve been here all along holding things together. This church was built on our sacrifice, our giving, our faithfulness. Why should we cater to them?” Older brother churches tend to lean toward practices that suit them, make them comfortable, endear them to the father, and keep the peace. Who can blame them?

 Welcoming younger brother-types is messy business! To be a younger brother church means we have to be careful of the language we use in worship. Words or phrases that are familiar to older brothers may not hold much meaning to younger brothers. “The ushers will come now to receive our tithes and offerings.” Makes sense to older brothers. Sounds like a foreign language to younger brothers! “Let us gather around the table to share in the body and blood of Christ.” Yep, we get that as older brothers. But how does that sound to someone who has never participated in communion? To be a young brother church means we may have to do many things that make the older brother types around us uncomfortable. Reaching out to younger brothers takes great intentionality, selflessness, and patience.

 Studies have shown that while church attendance, across the board, seems to be declining in North America an interest in spirituality is skyrocketing. There are a lot of younger brothers out there who are looking for something (we know they’re really looking for Someone!) and many of them are actually turning to the church. Will they be met by an older brother or will they find themselves face to face with a loving father? Depends on how we in the church act toward them!

One of the ways we gather in the younger brothers around us is to start new churches that intentionally reach out to them. These younger brother churches need mature Christians (older brothers) who will throw the party for them and welcome them back with open arms!

 My family visited a younger brother church where a woman in her eighties met us with us a cheerful, “Good morning! It’s great to see you!” as she opened the door to the worship space. The music pouring out of the room was rock-and-roll loud! Lights flashed around the room and videos filled the screens. The drummer was insane! He moved across the kit like nobody’s business. The place was full. The service was extremely user-friendly.

 When I left that day I asked the woman if she liked that style of worship and music. She explained to me how her church had almost died. She spoke about her young pastor who had a passion for reaching “younger brothers” and a unique ability to help his aged congregation catch that passion as well. They raised money, bought land, built a new ministry center and, one Sunday, walked together from the old church to the new. They were never the same again. She summed it up for me like this, “I had to learn that it’s not about me! Jesus wants to find his lost lambs (younger brothers). He wants me to help him!”  Now that’s a younger brother church (and woman) if I ever met one! 

Are you an older brother or younger brother church? Welcoming younger brother-types is messy business—but it is our business after all. 

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