What kind of paradigm does the church offer??

“In the corporate world, there are two types of partnerships (paradigms):

limited and unlimited.

"In the limited partnership model, the pastor is the general partner who brings the limited partners alongside of him."((Unlimited Partnership by Lloyd Reeb and Bill Wellons)

They have limited roles and virtually no risk but, as limited partners, they are expected to put their money into the organization. These limited roles happen mostly inside the church: small group leadership, Sunday School classes, missions, ushers,greeters, choir director, etc..

There are some areas where the limited partners have no role. An area of some concern among "Seasoned Believers" in many churches is the selection of worship music. The worship music and choruses are touted as "contemporary music". When you have 4 - 5 generations represented in the assembly and the praise and worship part is geared to the youngest group, it hardly represents "contemporary" music to the other 4 generations.

When have you seen the church hand out a questionaire asking you for your 25 favorite worship hymns and choruses?? A friend told me about a funeral he attended where the lady had been a member of large church noted for singing off the wall instead of from the hymn book. However, at her funeral, they sang "It Is Well With My Soul". My question is why didn't they play it when she could still sing it?

"In the unlimited partnership model, the pastor and/or others in leadership, come along side of individuals and help them realize how they can use the gifts and talents God has given them. This realization will motivate them to be purposeful ambassadors for God outside the four walls of the church. He wants us to make eye contact with the world.” (Unlimited Partnership by Lloyd Reeb and Bill Wellons)

Multitudes of this generation want to get out on the playing field. In the Metro Cincinnati area (five counties in SW Ohio, three counties in Northern Kentucky and one county in SE Indiana), the US Census Bureau estimates that there are 555,000 boomers who will finish their first career beginning January 1, 2008.

According to George Barna, Gallup and other researchers, they have estimated that two thirds of them are “unchurched” (that is attending church services less than twice a year).

If they are anywhere close in their estimates, that means there are some 374,000 “unchurched” boomers coming down the “refire” highway.

Whether they retire to the shelf or refire for God will be determined, in large part, by how we in the church receive them .

The Boomer Blogger