I want to make an argument for the benefit of the generations worshiping God together in the same local church. I have in my mind grandparents, parents, and children worshiping God together as a family. It is common that children might leave their parents and grandparents in search of a church that suits their preferences. We have all seen this happen. And while I would never want to make a law out of it, I think that the wisdom of keeping the generations together in local churches should be carefully considered.
Of course, there are valid reasons grandparents and parents and children should not worship in the same church. If that church is apostate or rejects the biblical patterns of church life, or is counterproductive to family unity, then it is wise for those with deeper convictions to part ways and attend a biblically-ordered church where the Gospel is preached and the Word of God is central. This type of situation would legitimately divide the generations in terms of their local church worship.
With these exceptions in mind, I want to encourage families to consider keeping the generations together in one local church, if at all possible.
We would do well to consider Psalm 92. In this 'Psalm or Song for the Sabbath Day,' we learn of how those rooted in a local church will flourish over time, bearing fruit and encouraging those younger than themselves of God's greatness:
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,
To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. (Ps. 92:13-14)
The picture here is one of longevity in the church, with the growing maturity of those older being a boon to those around them. Charles Spurgeon observes:
Fruit, as far as nature is concerned, belongs to days of vigour; but in the garden of grace, when plants are weak in themselves [due to age], they become strong in the Lord, and abound in fruit acceptable with God. . . . Aged believers possess a ripe experience, and by their mellow tempers and sweet testimonies they feed many.
Matthew Henry adds this:
Being planted in the house of the Lord (there their root is), they flourish in the courts of our God—there their branches spread. . . . It is promised that they shall bring forth fruit in old age. Other trees, when they are old, leave off bearing, but in God's trees the strength of grace does not fail with the strength of nature. The last days of the saints are sometimes their best days, and their last work is their best work.
While the rich blessing that comes from the older teaching the younger goes beyond the family unit (Titus 2:3-5), it should start there. In the Apostle Paul's last epistle, he rejoiced in how Timothy's life had been shaped by such an upbringing:
I thank God . . . when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. . . and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. 1:3a, 5, 3:15).
John MacArthur notes:
Timothy had the privilege of hearing the Word in the most marvelous manner through his family—because from childhood, or more literally 'from infancy,' he had been taught and had known the sacred writings. It was at the knees of his 'grandmother Lois, and [his] mother Eunice' (1:5) that he was led to saving faith, and it was in their lives that he first saw genuine godliness.
Lois and Eunice's example should be viewed as more than an isolated, heartwarming episode, as they modeled faithful obedience to God's command, 'One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts' (Ps. 145:4).
This generational vision is an integral part of how the church of Jesus Christ is to rebuild the ruins of a crumbling culture (Isa. 58:12): one generation is to teach the rising generation of who God is and what He has done.
Psalm 78:4-8 powerfully paints this picture:
We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children; (Ps. 78:4-5
The results:
That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments; (Ps. 78:6-7)
Other Psalms echo this theme.
In Psalm 22, a Messianic psalm with a double meaning, we learn that believers are to recount the great deeds of God to the next generation in the congregation, with hearts full of praise (Ps. 22:22, 25):
A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.(Ps. 22:30)
In Psalm 71:18, we hear the heart of a man who longs to communicate the sovereignty of God to the next generation in his old age:
O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
Now also when I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come.(Ps. 71:17-18)
In Psalm 79:13, we see the resolve of God's sheep to praise His name across the generations, 'We will show forth Your praise to all generations.'
These stirring declarations are more than just earnest sentiment; they reflect obedience to God's command which He directed to parents and grandparents:
Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. (Deut. 6:1-2)
Sadly, modern Christian culture has, on the whole, embraced the idea that the separation of the generations is a good idea. Most parents believe that they are finished with their role as parents when their kids turn eighteen, or when they get married or go out on their own.
These ideas are hallmarks of Marxist culture. The Marxist vision of the family is to fragment and divide the generations in order to indoctrinate for evil. Why? Because separating the generations into subgroups makes indoctrination easier.
But the Bible paints a very different picture. It is clear from Scripture that parents and grandparents have an ongoing role to play. God's vision for discipleship is multi-generational, and this guiding principle should not only encompass our personal family life (Deut. 6:5-8), but our church life as well, whenever possible (Ps. 92:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:2; Titus 2:5-8).
Here are some of the practical benefits that come when families worship together in a local church:
How should a family pursue this objective?
Multiple variables and complexities should be considered in order to make a wise decision.
Which parents do you go to church with? In most cases, families are divided geographically. One family might be a better choice to be near and go to church with than another.
Some families have unprofitable cultures that need to be avoided.
Some children may have manipulative or overbearing parents.
Some families may have a family dynamic where 'leaving and cleaving' make it helpful to be in different churches.
Further, it is not reasonable that all families will always be in the same town or state. In the providence of God, people move around for different reasons. They may be living in a foreign country.
Ultimately, the head of each household has to decide what is most beneficial to fulfill this biblical, multigenerational vision for family life.
While every situation will be different, I would urge Christian families to consider the great blessings that can come when families worship together across the generations.
If you can plant yourselves, together, in a church where sound doctrine is upheld and the sanctity of the family preserved, and follow God's will for your family, then do it.