Time: Late 20th century (yes, it was last century)
Place: Colorado Springs.
Occasion: A gathering of singles ministry leaders from all over the country sponsored by Leadership Network. Invitees were from both small and large churches. Like many of Leadership Network's events, it was designed to surface and share information about effective ministry.

During the course of the week, we heard some terrifically creative leaders share innovative ideas for ministry. We heard from those who struggled with the lack of vision for ministry with single adults on the part of their church's senior leadership. One haunting highlight of the week was the next to last day, when the young leader of a ministry that had experienced explosive growth addressed the challenges inherent in that kind of growth. Better than a car that goes zero to sixty in anything under "this will kill the hamsters under the hood" time, this ministry went from 200 to 1,200 in about two years. The ministry was aimed at young single adults - their "elder", the oldest person in the congregation, was 37.

Catherine and I happened to be the only ones with an open table the next morning for breakfast when the young leader came through the line. He slid his "color not found in nature" tray with eggs and Fruit Loops onto our table and asked if the seat was open. Of course it was! So it was that for an hour we sat with an "emerging leader". His stories of trusting God and stepping into ministry opportunities were exciting and refreshing. Then we began to ask him "futuring questions" - what would this ministry look like if it continued on this "arc". In other words, if they continued ministering to and focusing on a single age/life stage, what would the future ministry look like? What would it look like when he was (is) even older (HEAVENS!) than their lone "elder".

His answer: We've thought about it and don't care. I don't think it was terribly sinful or showed anything other than the absolute certitude that a person (hopefully) grows out of eventually.

The next morning, one of the emergent church leaders (we didn't know that was what this movement would become. We do know he's a "leader" because both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times have dubbed him that when he's been interviewed) drove us to the airport. We recounted the conversation of the previous morning and his answer was similar. Sort of "Huh. What does it matter?"

Which brings me to the ineluctable future - that thing which happens to all of us if we live long enough. Some of these young leaders are "aging out" - and it's come as a surprise. Check out An Upstart Church Movement Wrestles With Growing Older. Since reading the article I realized some of my initial thoughts on that conversation have crystallized.

1) If you build a ministry on anything other than God's Word and what he says ministry should be, it's bound to lead you into a quandary. "Relevance", no matter how well intentioned, is not sufficient to grow a Biblical, completely God honoring ministry.
COROLLARY: "Relevance" can help you draw a pretty big crowd. Making disciples may or mat not occur.

2) It is terribly easy to become what you're rebelling against. It's not inevitable, but it is something that must be guarded against. Want proof? Think of your church or denomination. Did it begin in reaction to something - an event or a person or a doctrine? Now look at where it is today. How much does it resemble that which it was started in reaction to? I thought so.

3) Every generation wrestles with "ossification" - hardening of the categories. This isn't the first generation that wrestled with it, nor will it be the last. The CURE: Staying in the Word. Some of the "youngest" thinking, most "future" oriented, exciting people I've ever been around have been those who were "chronologically gifted" people - in their 70's, 80's and even into their 90's they remain(ed) engaged and vibrant - and of, BTW, they were immersed in Scripture every day.

They were always thinking fresh. I want to be like that more than I want to be relevant or cool or anything else.

What about you?