Tim Challies wrote a great article on how many of today’s churches have such a strong emphasis on reaching out to the youth, while neglecting to respect and reach out to the elderly.

A clear picture emerges from the pages of Scripture. That God honors age above youth does not mean that God despises youth and that He honors all elderly people. But a person who has lived a long life of dedicated service to God, walking in the paths of wisdom, is surely worthy of higher honor than the youth who has only just begun.

And so we need to ask a question about the church. Does the church honor the Bible in honoring age, or does the church instead honor youth? Or are we a hard-faced church that does not respect the elderly?

I find myself somewhere in between this argument. As a young man myself, who needs the rod more than most, I can see the tremendous need for reaching out to the youth. Most churches you walk into these days are clearly lacking youth. Young people are not going to church. So, with a passion for reaching out to young people, contemporary churches have sprouted up with fresh, new ideas of how to “do church.” And it’s working. These churches are drawing in tons of young hearts and minds, and providing great community and fellowship.

A problem that can appear is that this can breed a kind of arrogance and pride within the youth, many of whom haven’t been brought down to the proper level of humility due to only a short walk with the Lord. With this pride can come a lack of respect for the elderly. It is not rare to hear a young person say that older men and women just don’t understand because they are ’set in their ways.’ What is so wrong with being set in your ways? After all, “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psalm 92:13-14). To a certain degree, I long to be set in my ways; a tree planted in the house of the Lord.

I think it is necessary for a church to reach out to the youth. But in doing so, we must maintain respect for those who have lived a long life of service dedicated to God. Young men need older men. I know I sure do.

You can read his whole article here.