The Parent Cry

5"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6

Almost two generations of American young people have grown up without stable fatherly leadership. More than 17 years ago a Time magazine article stated: “Fatherhood in America is being crushed in the collision between private needs and public pressures. More children will go to sleep tonight in a fatherless home than ever in our nations history.” An article entitled “Parent Cry” in Ministry Today magazine in the January/February edition reports that almost two decades later trends continue to worsen: 60 percent of American young people are now raised without a father in the home, and in some communities children only have a one in five chance of growing to age 16 with the same two parents in their home.

One of the great challenges of being a pastor in an intergenerational church is embracing the emerging generations while not abandoning older ones. According to the “Parent Cry” article, more than 500 leaders from 54 nations addressed this challenge as they met for 15 separate events on five continents. One of the most prevalent trends that emerged from their conversations was the desire of new generations for spiritual fathers and mothers they can trust. They also discovered that there is a growing desire among leaders to provide mentorship to this generation.

In many ways, the prophetic promise of Malachi 4:5-6 is being emphasized by the Holy Spirit in the 21st century as the hearts of the fathers and children turn toward each other. This is certainly what God spoke to my heart ten years ago when I sought him in prayer to reveal how He wanted to build Every Nation Tallahassee (ENT) Church. I was encouraged after reading this article in Ministry Today to know that ENT is aligned with God the Father’s heart and will in the 21st century.

Why is intergenerational building so important? One reason is the older generation needs the zeal of the younger generation, while the younger generation needs the wisdom of the older generation. Both zeal and wisdom are vital components to fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations. It takes zeal to do missions, pioneer a church plant, or start a new outreach. However, it also takes wisdom to avoid unnecessary mistakes and embrace the process of seeing a new work come to fruition.

Today, churches must discover and replicate new models of spiritual parenting. The churches that take advantage of this unique opportunity to bring the new generations into relationship with God the Father will experience great success.

I do believe, according to Malachi’s prophetic promise, that when the hearts of the generations turn toward one another we can anticipate a supernatural blessing on our nation. I also believe that we can expect to experience another great awakening as a new generation in partnership with the older ones is launched to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. The article concludes by asking the question: What does this “parent cry” mean? It could mean that we are about to witness a fresh release of Holy Spirit power upon the 21st church.

Let is be so Lord!!!