What do you picture when you think of church planting? Do you envision young 20-30-somethings gathering in empty strip malls, wearing frayed jeans and belting out loud music? Within your sanctified imagination, is there a place for older pastors and leaders in planting churches?

Recently, Richard and I visited The Villages, a beautiful retirement community of over 100,000 residents located northwest of Orlando, Florida. It is an astounding place with spacious homes, an abundance of recreational centers and golf courses, 2,200 clubs and organizations, thousands of electric golf cars, and sunshine. It is impressive.

On the edge of this community is a new church, established two years ago by a small group of people from the Evangelical Free Church of America. Our friend, Chris Holck, in his late 50’s himself, is the founding pastor. The church is growing in number and vitality as midlife and older people join its ranks. While enjoying refreshment found in community, this body is committed to reaching the lost and ministering to those in need. There are no disparaging remarks about aging.

I have long wondered where the Boomers are when it comes to church planting. I’ve asked the experts and come away feeling that this activity is only for the young. It was encouraging to read an article entitled “The AARP Generation Plants Churches,” by Dr. Earl Creps an Assemblies of God church planter in Berkeley, Calif. He opens his challenge:

Rather than boomers putting their ministries on cruise control, now is the time for them to take a chance on church planting, to finish their careers playing offense rather than defense.     -Dr. Earl Creps

Creps* reminds us of the advantages older people have in start-up experiences such as church planting:

  •  They can rise fast in social networks and get close to people of influence.
  •  They have to look for succession from the beginning and develop younger leaders.
  •  They have enough of the past to understand the future.
  •  They benefit from the energy of a new challenge.
  •  They may project a more influential example.
  •  They have survived more disappointments. They are not naïve.
  •  They have experience.

In the 1970’s, a boom of young men and women followed God’s call to ministry and filled our seminaries and Bible colleges. In the past years, they have pastored churches, served internationally as missionaries, written books, taught classes, and started para-church ministries. They are well seasoned and ripe for a new challenge in these “bonus years” of life. Could God be calling Boomers to plant new churches, reach new communities, and nurture the next generation of leaders?

Chris and Kathy are planting a church for Boomers in Florida. Are there other mono-generational churches to be planted in similar environments? Jim and Lynne (in their early 60’s) are helping plant churches in Sweden. Are there international opportunities for Boomers to plant churches? The possibilities are endless.

What do you think?

*Click here for Dr. Crep’s entire article.  Dr. Creps is the author of Reverse Mentoring: How Young Leaders Can Transform the Church and Why We Should Let Them, released by Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network in 2008.