Age Segregation versus Family Integration at Church

By David Wheaton, host of The Christian Worldview radio program

“Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

On a typical Sunday morning for church-going families across America, Dad and Mom and their two teenage kids arrive at church at which point they all go their separate ways.

Dad and Mom head over to their “POT” (Parents-of-Teens) class to have coffee, hear some teaching on raising kids, and socialize with others in their same period-of-life demographic.

16-year-old son Johnny immediately disappears downstairs to “The Bunker”, a tricked-out teen cave complete with billiards table, video game consoles, and elevated bandstand with microphones, amps, lighting, and all the trimmings where he will “hang out” with other high schoolers and the YP (Youth Pastor).

13-year-old daughter daughter Susie waves good-bye and heads upstairs to “The Attic” where all the other 6th, 7th, and 8th graders assemble every Sunday morning with games and skits and short lessons about being a “tweener.”

It’s anyone’s guess whether the family will reconvene to attend the main worship service together, but if not, they will “meet by Door 2 at noon” to head home.

It is said that “Sunday morning is the most racially segregated time in America” but has it also become the most age segregated as well? Austin Duncan, pastor of college ministry at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, will join us to talk about the pros and cons of age segregation at church and the growing movement called the “Family Integrated Church (FIC)”.

Listen to the Christian Worldview archived radio program about this topic.