PRINCIPLE 33 |
The typical church is made up of a complex array of individuals of varying ages, different backgrounds, and unique spiritual needs. If the church tried to minister to all these people with just one agency or one type of meeting, many needs would probably not be met. By means of division and specialization, the church can provide a variety of ministries that will be meaningful and helpful to such a heterogeneous group.
The following two charts show some typical agencies along with the elements, or activities, they usually provide and the ages to which they minister. Of course, the names for the various departments and agencies vary widely from church to church. (In fact, some of our traditional names for certain meetings may not be the most appropriate, as discussed in chapter 27.) Also, the size of the church sometimes determines whether some of these agencies are feasible.
The charts are not meant to show the "right" way to organize the ministry of the local church as if there were only one way to do it. In any particular church there could be several effective ways to divide the ages and agencies. The charts are meant to show one way it is being done, not necessarily the way it should be done in every church. The first chart indicates the various agencies and the elements typically emphasized in those agencies. The second chart indicates those same agencies and the age groups they serve.
| Elements in the life of the church |
Family | Worship Service |
Sunday School |
Children's Church |
Evening Service |
Prayer Meeting |
Youth Group |
Clubs | Graded Choir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evangelism | X | X | X | ||||||
| Instruction | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Worship | X | X | X | ||||||
| Fellowship | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Prayer | X | X | |||||||
| Service | X | X | X |
| Departments and age or grade |
Family | Worship Service |
Sunday School |
Children's Church |
Evening Service |
Prayer Meeting |
Youth Group |
Clubs | Graded Choir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | |||||||||
| Senior, ages 60 & up |
X | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Middle, ages 35 - 60 |
X | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Young, ages 22 - 35 |
X | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Youth | |||||||||
| College and career |
X |
X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| High School, grades 10 - 12 |
X |
X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Junior High, grades 7 - 9 |
X |
X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Children | |||||||||
| Junior, grades 5 - 6 |
X |
X | X | (X) | X | X | |||
| Middler, grades 3 - 4 |
X |
X | X | (X) | X | X | |||
| Primary, grades 1 - 2 |
X |
X | X | (X) | X | ||||
| Beginner, ages 4 - 5 |
X |
X | X | (X) | |||||
| Nursery, ages 2 - 3 |
X |
X | X | (X) | |||||
| Cradle Roll & Toddler, up to 24 months |
X |
X | X | (X) |
Notice that the younger ages are more closely graded than the older ages. In the children's division, the departments cover only two years each, while in the adult division the departments cover many years. The departments for younger ages are more closely graded because children's abilities and needs change much more rapidly than adults'. The thirty-four-year-old is much the same as he was two years earlier. However, a four-year-old is remarkably different than a two-year-old, and this difference is largely due to the rapid development that takes place over the two year span.
In five of the departments (primary through high school) a person's school grade, rather than his age, determines what department he is in. This makes it more likely that school friends will be together and that reading level and class participation skills will be similar.
Nine agencies are listed at the top of the each chart. Of course, any of the elements can be found at times in any of the agencies. Each different agency is specifically intended to meet certain types of needs and thus to emphasize certain elements. The "X's" in the first chart indicate only the elements which each agency emphasizes.
Notice that the family is listed first among the agencies. God established the family long before there were any of the other agencies. Unlike the other agencies which are specialized and limited (since they are geared to specific needs and emphasize selected elements), the family is able to minister to all aspects of a person's life. The family can be more influential than all the other agencies combined. Yet, the family is often the most neglected agency in church planning. The upper case "X's" under the family are there to remind us that family life should include all these elements, and that it can do so in a very effective manner because of the personal, informal, and extended nature of its ministry.
Notice that all of the agencies include the element of instruction. Instruction, as described in chapter 27, is the most basic of all the elements and should be an important activity of every church agency. Notice that the Sunday school is typically the only agency which is geared to minister to all age groups. Notice also that there are more agencies designed to meet the needs of those in junior high and high school than any other age group.
By dividing up different ages, and by designing the various agencies to include different elements, the church is able to minister to a wide variety of individuals and their unique spiritual needs.
Adults and older youth are usually fairly realistic about their needs. A child will typically ask for what he wants, but more mature individuals are more likely to ask for what they need. Thus, it is often wise to let older youth and adults choose for themselves what topics they will study. For example, the Sunday school might offer several classes on different subjects and then allow each adult to elect which class he will attend. Even if the adult Sunday school classes remain organized according to age, at least the members in each class can be given some choice in selecting the subject to be studied.
If electives are offered continually, the social ties that have been built up over the years may begin to break down. In order to maintain these healthy social ties, the Sunday school can organize its adults by age for two quarters of the year, and by interest (electives) for the other two quarters. Age group socials can even be planned during the quarters when electives are being offered.
Both children and adults need certain things and want certain things. What children need and what they want do not coincide very often. So the leader will have to make sure that needs and wants are balanced. However, what adults need and what they want should coincide more often. So when the leaders let the adults choose, the adults will often get both what they want and what they need.