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Can we create a church culture in which the generations are celebrated together as one? Dr. Chuck Stecker believes we can. Dr. Stecker and his ministry are working to bridge the gaps between the generations so that the church begins to operate like the family God intended it to be.

Who is Dr. Chuck Stecker? Dr. Chuck Stecker is the founder and executive director of A Chosen Generation, a center for promoting intergenerational ministry.  A former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, Dr. Stecker served for 23 years, including three years on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon. He holds two doctorate degrees, and is the author of two books: Men of Honor, Women of Virtue: Raising Kids To Keep the Faith and If You Passed Your Baton… Take It Back. Dr. Stecker is also an ordained minister and formerly served with Promise Keepers for three years as the Regional Director of the South-Central Region, and serves as an adjunct professor at Denver Seminary.

Dr. Stecker has a passion to help churches return to the intergenerational communities that they once were. He and his wife work to create a culture where church ministries don’t silo church members away from one another, a key component in helping young people stay in the church after they age out of youth ministry.

Quotes:

“God called us to be His family, which means we should look like, act like, talk like, and treat each other like a family.” — Dr. Stecker

“When God uses the word ‘generations’ he uses it to unite us as all accountable adults. We use it on Earth to divide ourselves.” — Dr. Stecker

“When a young person ages out of youth ministry, they often have no place to go. That’s when they leave the church.” — Dr. Stecker

“Relationships with our own peers don’t necessarily help us grow. That isn’t where I’m meant to live.” — Dr. Stecker

“We need to create a culture where all of the generations are growing and getting stronger together.” — Dr. Stecker

Action steps:

  • “Intergenerational” means creating a culture where relationships are developed intentionally between generations for the benefits of all generations.
  • Our credentials are the people that are in our life and that let us be in theirs.
  • Passing your baton has nothing to do with the Bible. There is no end to the race. You can pass the baton of leadership, but should never step away from being engaged with God’s family.
  • Start using the term “generation” to unite our church families and not divide them into sub-churches.
  • Let’s move from transactional interactions with people to relationships. Relationships let people know you are available, that you will be there when they need you someday, even if they don’t need you now.

Giveway:

We’ve got FIVE copies of Dr. Chuck Stecker’s If You Passed the Baton… Take it Back. If you’d like to claim a copy, you must be a subscriber to the Bold Idea Podcast and send an email to info@boldideapodcast.com. Can’t wait to hear from you!

Resources mentioned:

Ways to get involved:

We look forward to hearing from you!