Under One Roof: Building an Intergenerational Church

By William J. Smith Jr.

About the Book

This book acknowledges the need to identify and embrace todays generations. Under One Roof provides pastors, church leaders, and laypersons with insight for the cultivation of an intergenerational church. This resource offers the necessary tools, allowing each generation to be valued while keeping the church focused on its mission of kingdom building.

Book Reflections

Congregations interested in closing the generational divide will find Smiths book a must read. He gives keen insights for how to attract younger individuals and incorporate them into the life of the congregation with older generations. A great resource for leaders and congregations! (Dr. F. Douglas Powe, James C. Logan professor of evangelism and urban ministry and associate director of the Center for the Missional Church at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC, and author of New Wine, New Wineskins).

Dr. William Smith has emerged as a new and fresh voice in the intergenerational church movement. Using biblical models, historical research, theological reflection, and coupled with his own research, Dr. Smith creates an intergenerational ministry model that will help to close the generational divide within the African-American community. This book is beneficial not only to the African-American church but to Christendom in general. Every pastor and mainline church needs to have this book on their shelf. This is a masterpiece that will last for the ages (Dr. Lucius Dalton, senior pastor of Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and mentor at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524524364

William J. Smith Jr.

The Reverend Dr. William J. Smith Jr. (D Min, United Theological Seminary) is a senior pastor, teacher, preacher, and consultant who is committed to transforming the lives of God’s people. A Morehouse College Pastoral Leadership fellow and Calvin Seminary Preaching peer group leader, Dr. Smith currently serves as the senior pastor of the Second Missionary Baptist Church in Kokomo, Idiana, where the church continues to experience growth and spiritual development as an intergenerational church. Pastor Smith’s life and ministry are strengthened and supported by his wife, Dennine J. Smith.

Book preview

CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Preface

Chapter 1     This is My Story!—Building On a Solid Foundation

Chapter 2     Divided Under One Roof: The Problem Under The Roof

Chapter 3     Gaining Understanding: What do we mean by Intergenerational Ministry?

Chapter 4     It’s a Generation Thing: Who’s Under the Roof?

Chapter 6     We are Family: United and Working Under One Roof

Conclusion     Let’s Get it Started: Putting It All Together Under One Roof

DEDICATION

T his book is dedicated to pastors and other church leaders who strive to continue the legacy of the local church through hours of dedication and commitment. Keep preaching, teaching, and reaching. Rest assured, your labor is not in vain. Also, this project is dedicated to congregations throughout this country who strive to do their best in ministering to the needs of all: keep striving, thriving, and surviving. This project is in memory of my grandfather, Robert H. Sutherlin Sr. and grandmother, Betty L. Washington. I love you both. Thank you for believing in me and cheering me on from the celestial shores of heaven.

LET THE CHURCH SAY, AMEN!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T his book is developed as a result of my doctoral project at United Theological Seminary and through time spent presenting and sharing at workshops, and conversations with churches, and pastors. The feedback helped me realize that many pastors and churches need exposure to this information. In order to achieve the maximum and most efficient amount of exposure, I knew I had to write a book and share information gleaned from my years of research and experiences.

My heartfelt thanks to my professors at United, Dr. Lucius Dalton and Dr. Daryl Hairston; you helped me to realize this project. Thank you for your support and providing me a forum for critical reflection and fervent prayer. I am grateful for your unselfish support. Also thanks to Dr. Matthew Kutz, Dr. Anthony Chandler and Dr. F. Douglas Powe for encouraging me to take a leap of faith and go the extra mile in further research and development of this book. Thank you for being there to assist in my growth. Thanks Rev. Angelo V. Chatmon and others who have motivated, and encouraged me along this journey.

To my pastor, Dr. Joe B. Fleming of Third Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Virginia. Thank you for seeing something in me and investing in me constantly while encouraging me along my pastoral career. I didn’t see all that God was doing, but thanks for investing in this young preacher so I could realize this dream.

Special thanks to my wife, Dennine, the love of my life, who supported and encouraged me. Thank you for your love, patience, faithfulness, knowledge, presence, and editing skills. Your love and support have brought me to this point.

Thanks to my mother, stepfather, father, stepmother, mother-in-law, sisters, brothers, cousins, grandparents, uncle, aunts, and all of my remaining family members: you have been a blessing. Momma, you just knew I could do it.

Thanks to the Second Missionary Baptist Church family who understood and encouraged me continuously. I am honored and humbled to be your pastor. You have definitely assisted me in writing this book. Thank you for taking a chance on this Virginia preacher. What a privilege it is to pastor a church whose love and support as a congregation has embraced the intergenerational church concept. You are the true model of intergenerational church ministry in the making.

Thanks to the very first I team at New First Baptist Church, Taylorsville for your dedication and support. Your cheering sessions and words of encouragement were a blessing. Thanks Thompson-Askew family and especially to my sons Andre, Brandon, and Lamonte; you continue to teach me the importance of mentoring relationships and continue to keep me invested in the lives of a future generation. I look forward to your continual growth as you each take this world by storm. Thanks to my friends and prayer partners, Chaplain K. Madison Carter and Minister Will Wilson, you both are always there for me with listening ears and fervent prayers.

Finally, all glory, honor, and praise to God. I know that without God, nothing could have been accomplished. Thank you Lord. The best is still yet to come! This is the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

William J. Smith, Jr.

PREFACE

M any traditional churches face the dilemma of lacking the presence of younger generations. In order to address this deficit, this book presents a model that addresses the needs of all generations. The foundation of this book is as follows: for the survival of the church, all generations are a necessary part of the local body and have an important role to play. As Hezekiah Walker states in his song I Need You to Survive , We are all a part of God’s body. The church’s goal is to stand with me, agree with me. ¹ We must stand as individual parts of God’s body for the Christian Church’s survival. No generation is an island unto itself but must enjoy and needs the company of one another.

Pastors and churches are constantly exploring ways to grow their church, but many times that growth creates conflict from the existing generations. Church renewal and revitalization and strategies for church growth can offer a broad spectrum of resources and ways to integrate church generations, but sometimes they can be overwhelming.

The model presented in this book has been developed to help pastors and churches attract and embrace all generations within the work of the church. Providing support for generations is a hot topic, but many times it is unbalanced. Unbalanced in that it both looks at and focuses on older or younger generations. Education is key