A House Divided: Bridging the Generation Gaps in Your Church by Bob Whitesel & Kent R. Hunter. (c) 2000 by Abingdon Press, Nashville.



With 85 per cent of churches in America declining, a key reason is the inability to attract younger generations. The authors feel ther is a lack of understanding about "the emotional inersections where the generations meet" and a need for churches to come up with a clear, workable strategy that will build churches where the three generations share "one roof, one leadership team and one church name."



Disturbing trends: younger generations ceasing to attend church; the older generations, who foot most of the bills for churches' activities, are dying out and will be gone in two generations; the church has not assimilated the current younger generation as it has previous ones.



Some reasons why young people are not joining in:



***Some churches make them feel "second class" because they don't have a long history with the congregation.



***Leadership positions are not opened up to younger and newer members. The younger generations will not work toward common goals if they are not allowed in to the planning and decision-making processes.



***Younger generations feel that churches are offering programs and ministries aimed at older generations.



The situation can be complicated if the older generation feels:



--treatened by younger members who do not value their opinions and beliefs;



--their traditions and procedures are viewed with disdain by the younger generation.



The authors broadly define three generations: Builders (and their forebears) who were born prior to 1946; Boomers, who were born in the 19-year time span after 1946 (1946-1965); and Busters or Gen X, born since 1984.