As you know, I work among a large crowd of millennials and geezers and I love it.
One of the millennials I've worked with for the past few years graduated from high school last June and matriculated at Elizabethtown College, my alma mater in my hometown.
She has returned to the store to work a few hours over her Christmas vacation and our shifts yesterday began the same time so we had a chance to chat as we were waiting to begin work. At the same time, a geezer in our department, who attends the church she attended regularly through high school was with us and asked her where she attends church now. (The church they attend here is one of the UCC churches that split off from that denomination due to doctrinal issues.)
After stammering, she admitted that she doesn't go to church when she is at school.
We talked for a short time about churches in E-town, including the large campus Church of the Brethren, which she has no interest in attending.
And, there was a nanosecond when I considered suggesting that she give the Elizabethtown Church of God a try. But, I didn't.
The decision to say nothing was an instinctive, in the moment, thing. Since then, I've been trying to break that momentary impulse down. Here's what I came up with:
I've known the church fairly well in the past and, recently, it had a very gifted missional, uh, pastor but he's gone and nothing I've seen suggests his vision continues. And...
...based on what I know about the church, my millennial friend wouldn't find anyone her age in attendance.
I project a rather distinct notion of what being a Christian is on my work site mission field and I don't want to see that soiled. I have an opportunity to be Jesus in this young woman's life and, honestly and sadly, I don't trust a CGGC congregation to partner with me in my mission.
Oh, how I wish that was not the case. But it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment