Time to reform ‘ageist’ church, says CRE 2017 speaker 

God cares no less for the old than the young – and the church must take an ageing population seriously when it comes to mission and growth

That will be the message to next month’s Christian Resources Exhibition (Oct 17-19, Sandown Park, Surrey) from Rev Dr David Hilborn of St John’s College, Nottingham.

‘The generational distinctions we use today are relatively recent and specific to western culture,’ David will contend. ‘Scripture shows us that God’s people tend to go wrong when the young are set against the old.’

The biblical writers tend to see economic status, race and gender as of more concern to God than distinctions of age – and cut across generational lines.

‘In our pastoral care, we need to get these concerns into proportion,’ said David. ‘After some 30 years dominated by a generationally-segmented approach, recent mission and church growth thinking has recovered the importance of intergenerational Christian life and witness.’

In his seminar David will offer practical examples of intergenerational church and mission, alongside case studies of how it can be complemented by generationally-specific strategies.

CRE, the biggest annual exhibition of church-related resources in Europe, returns to Sandown Park for the first time since 2014. Special guests include Terry Waite and Dana, who will open the event, and Dave Gregory, Vice President of the Baptist Union.

• Millennials, X-ers and Boomers: Should Mission and Church Growth Be Generation-Based? Rev Dr David Hilborn of St John’s School of Mission (3pm, Wed 18 Oct). St John’s College Nottingham are on Stand S26 at CRE 2017.