Northside Is an Intergenerational Church
“This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come …” (Exodus 16.32). One of Northside’s core values is to ‘keep it for the generations to come.’ All through scripture, God’s Spirit instructs us to teach our young, to commemorate important events for the future, and to pass along timeless knowledge and truth. God loves every generation, but He clearly wants us to prepare future generations for His glory.
What does that look like at Northside? Prayer Pals is one of the best ways for older Northsiders to walk alongside younger Northsiders, to celebrate current activities, but also to share valuable life experiences. Wichita WorkCamp is primarily a community service and outreach ministry, but it is also an opportunity for ‘old painters’ to show younger arms and legs how it’s done!
BLAST (started June 15 for 3rd-6th graders) is a new Northside ministry designed to pass along key ideas and skills relating to Christian service and fellowship. And here’s an announcement for our Bible classes in August: Intergenerational Classes (for one quarter). Hebrews 4.12 “For the word of God is alive and active…” The same scripture in God’s word can be studied and discussed by younger and older Bible students in the same class!
One of my favorite youth group activities is the Guys’ Retreat (and the Girls’ Retreat). This past Sunday-Tuesday, 32 men of all ages traveled to Tahlequah, OK. What change has been started by the Holy Spirit in those two days! Without any women in sight, the guys managed to feed and shelter ourselves … to work hard and play hard … to be (very) silly and to be serious. How can young men prepare themselves to live godly lives in today’s world? How does our God and Father expect men in 2022 to fight for His truth?
An intergenerational church is a lot of work, but God blesses the young as they listen and learn and the old as we teach and are renewed. To all Northsiders working in ministries across our generations, Paul wrote these words to the church family at Ephesus:
Ephesians 3.20-21 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”