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Team USA’s handoff in the 4×100-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics is often considered the worst handoff in relay-racing history. Christian Coleman and Kenny Bednarek attempted the exchange, but Bednarek left too early, forcing the baton to be passed outside the legal exchange zone, resulting in the disqualification of the U.S. team. Though this was a serious error, the relay team will have more opportunities in upcoming Olympics to try again. But when it comes to the handing off of the baton of faith from one generation to another, the stakes are much higher.
Scripture abounds with passages on the need for the church to pass the baton of theological orthodoxy (right teaching), orthopraxy (right practice), and orthopathos (right affections) to the next generation.
the parents teaching their children
Parents are commanded to faithfully instruct their children in God’s Word. For example, Deuteronomy 6:7 states: “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” But the call for one generation to instruct another is not restricted to parents alone.
the older teaching the younger
The older generation bears the responsibility to teach the younger generation. We read in a psalm of Asaph:
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done. (Ps. 78:2–4)
Three generations are represented here: the fathers of the author, the author, and the children. The terms “fathers” and “children” refer to generational relationships, but what is being taught? It is the glorious deeds of the Lord. Here are some ways that the church can carry out this command to bring forth a stable and godly succession in the church.
personal
One of the better predictors of a child’s longevity in the church is how well he or she is known by the adults of the congregation. Transgenerational relationships must be personal relationships, not merely information transfers or happenstance communication. Children should not just be known by adults but talked to, loved, cared for, and prayed over as well. Adult members should be encouraged to learn the names of the children in their church; they should pray for them and intentionally address them when they pass by.
One means of getting to know the children of the church is by working in the nursery or teaching Sunday school. Adults should endeavor to know the interests of the children and ask questions about their lives and activities. Caring for and about the next generation will help seal long-lasting relationships. Regular prayers through the church directory are also beneficial.
As relationships are built, trust will grow and opportunities will be presented for godly counsel and wisdom. Churches can provide opportunities for the older generation to engage the younger through camps, classes, sports, construction and service projects, and social activities. Some churches have paired older women in the congregation with younger girls to pray with them on a regular basis, building long-lasting relationships. Men’s bringing their sons to do church projects or home chores for widows is also helpful.
intentional
To guarantee, humanly speaking, qualitative relationships between our older and younger members requires intentionality. We read in Ecclesiastes that “through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks” (10:18). Applied in this context, we are instructed to be deliberate in the training of our next generation.
Each church should have a well-thought-out plan of what it intends the next generation to know, such as a curriculum that includes an overview of biblical history, a working knowledge of the books of the Bible, Bible memory, and Bible skills taught by the older saints.
We should never think of Sunday school as babysitting or mere entertainment; content should be biblical, sound, practical, and character building. Teachers who relay life experiences through a biblical worldview are both interesting and instructive. The teaching should be relevant, reaching the hearts the children and teens, equipping them for life.
perpetual
Church leaders should also work to maintain a perpetual ministry to the younger generation through preaching, teaching, shepherding, discipleship, and counseling. A one-off encounter won’t do; this generation—like all others—requires a consistent input of encouraging words and wisdom. Recall Deuteronomy 6—“when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise,” not just once, but perpetually. Long-term relationships allow the younger generation to witness the faithful stability of their seniors and find great encouragement through them.
Many have said that the church is only one generation away from extinction, but that is categorically untrue. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Although God has promised to preserve the church, He does not promise its flourishing without personal, intentional, and perpetual relationships. When the church obeys God’s commands to teach the next generation, we can pray and hope for His blessing on it—and our youth can then pass the baton to those who follow them.