Mixing Work with Play...Mixing Old with New

As most of you know, I have spent the last two days in Indianapolis. I was invited to join 20 other emerging leaders from around the country to talk about leading the church into the 21st century with relevance and faithfulness.

The last two days have been inspiring, challenging and complex. It is one thing to talk about leading newhope. It is another when we talk about leading the church universal. There is so much diversity when it comes to denominations, worship styles, ethnicity, and age.

I have been thinking a lot about ways in which we might encourage a greater diversity with regards to age in the church. I love the fact that we have lots of racial and socio-economic diversity at newhope. But wouldn’t it be great to have more age diversity, as well. I have been thinking about that in light of what I am doing this weekend with my daughter, Anna Grace. Let me explain.

I brought Anna Grace with me so we could stay the weekend and watch the New England Patriots vs. the Indianapolis Colts Sunday at 4 pm. Anna Grace is the biggest Colts fan I know and this is her 10th birthday gift from daddy.

Now for those of you who don’t watch professional football, let me just inform you that this IS the game of the season. Most people are calling it the Super Bowl of the regular season. Both teams are unbelievable, undefeated, have amazing quarterbacks, and coached by the best of the best! At 4 pm, we will be sitting on the 45 yard line, 18 rows from the field. Eat your heart out! With regards to age diversity in the church, allow me to make a point from the enemy team this weekend, namely the New England Patriots.

This season, the New England Patriots have the most effective offense in NFL history. Their coach, Bill Bellichick, is a seasoned veteran who has trained a young phenom named Tom Brady as his quarterback. Bellichick never smiles and has the personality of a wet rag, but he is a mastermind of a coach. Simply put, he is brilliant. The one area in which he always excels is in the area of bringing together the Old and New players in the NFL.

Not only has the coach invested the entire Patriot dynasty in Tom Brady, he drafted 2 of the most respected seasoned veterans in the NFL during the off-season. Junior Seau “retired” as a linebacker for San Diego and was done in football until he joined the Patriots. He is having his best season ever. And Randy Moss, who is almost old enough to draw a pension :>) and was a joke at Oakland last year, is catching passes and making plays like a fresh Heisman Trophy winner. Why are these veterans showing out like this? Because they have been well coached and are connected with a young winner like Brady!

Here is my point and how all of this relates to the church. It would be ridiculous for Tom Brady and Randy Moss to argue over offensive styles, pass routes, or who gets the most press time after a victory! The bottom line is the team. You have often heard me say that TEAM stands for “Together Everyone Achieves More.”

When it comes to bringing the Old and the New together in the church, we have to remember that we are all on the same TEAM! To be on a good team, is to forget about one’s self and strive to help the team succeed. If we are on the same team, namely the church, and our goal is to advance God’s Kingdom, and not protect our own reputation or build our own fame, than we are more useful to God!

Imagine with me a church full of children, teenagers, young single adults, married couples with and without children, empty nesters and retired people – all working together as a team to the glory and honor of Jesus Christ! Now friends, that is a biblical vision that jacks me up even more than attending this game on Sunday. (Trust me, that is saying a lot as I have NEVER been more excited about any sporting event in my life)

Please pray for Anna Grace and me – we are having one special Daddy/Daughter weekend together! If you can’t tell, I am crazy about my daughter! I am also crazy enough to believe that God can grow an incredibly relevant and faithful church full of both the Old and the New!