Divided

Our children sit through church. In fact, they always have. They were never sent to the nursery so we could 'do church;' they have always been included. Yes, at times it was difficult for them to sit quietly (especially one of them!) but the expectations were clear from the beginning. Our children now have a great respect for the church - for the community of believers of all ages. The Bible does not separate the church into ages - church for children, church for adults, church for teens, church for retirees. All followers of Christ are the church - collectively - together.
A couple of months ago I watched the film Divided. And I must say, the Leclerc brothers did an outstanding job of tackling the questions surrounding the rapid exodus of Christian youth from church and faith. The documentary follows Philip Leclerc as he travels around the country asking questions and interviewing people. It is not an opinionated piece showing one view point. The Leclercs simply ask questions, search out the answers and present the facts. And they measure everything with Scripture. The documentary shows us that age segregated church programs do not seem to be working. Could it be because they do not embrace the Biblical model of discipleship - the model God designed?
Whatever your opinion of age-segregation in churches, Divided will get you thinking. It will test what you know and what you think you know. It will help you understand why you believe what you believe. I highly recommend watching it! At the end you will be able to answer the following question for yourself: "Is modern youth ministry multiplying or dividing the church?"