Bulletins - First Baptist Church of Huntersville West Virginia

Matthew 9:15–17 CSB
15 Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests be sad while the groom is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse. 17 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
God’s new work often requires a renewed way of thinking and living.
Jesus was facing religious leaders who clung to the old methods of Judaism.
It wasn’t that Jesus was saying the old ways were completely wrong - the heart behind them may have been but what Jesus is saying is He is showing them something better.
Old forms have a hard time containing new life.
The Pharisees tried to fit Jesus into their system.
Jesus didn’t come to patch it - He came to transform it.
Tradition becomes a trap when it outlives its purpose.
Only 31% of Millennials (typically those born 1981-1996) and 28% of Gen Z (typically those born 1997-2012) attend religious services
Over 60% of young adults who leave the church cite is as “irrelevant of disconnected from real-life issues.
Younger generations are less likely to attend unchanged congregations - valuing authenticity, service engagement, and adaptability to cultural communication styles.
More than 25% of congregations reported serious concerns about survival within 5 years.
According to Lifeway, churches are currently at 85% of pre-pandemic attendance levels - 68% of churches report reduced attendance rates post-pandemic.
54% of pastors say their church doesn’t prioritize training and developing next generation leaders.
The gospel demands flexibility for fruitfulness.
The new wineskins stretch as the wine ferments and the gas expands - if they weren’t flexible enough for growth they would burst.
Healthy churches and believers allow God to stretch their faith, methods and expectations.
Churches that contextualize without compromising theology - offering participation, authenticity, and community - retain for more young adults than those unchanged since the 1980s.
Rapidly growing congregations tend to be those that embrace “adaptive discipleship structures” - community based, relational ministry models open to creative methods.
Theological conviction without cultural awareness leads to disconnection. Churches that refuse to evolve in language and from, while maintaining gospel fidelity, lose engagement with new generations.
Churches that do not embrace change to reengage culture are not preserving orthodoxy - they’re preserving a model of ministry that no longer serves the mission.
Characteristics of Healthy, Growing Churches:
Willingness to adapt methods while maintaining message
Regular evaluation and adjustment of programs
Investment in new technologies and approaches
Focus on reaching new generations
Flexibility in worship styles and ministry formats
Isaiah 43:18–19 CSB
18 “Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old. 19 Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.
God is calling us to look forward to the new and not look back.
Probably the greatest example in the bible of why we shouldn’t look back… Lot’s wife.
Again, we can use the past and learn from it - Lot’s wife knew how horrible Sodom and Gomorrah were and even with a new, better life promised she could not help but long for what was.
It is God and His plan that drives what we do not necessarily trends - we want to be Spirit - led not trendy…
This doesn’t mean we should not look a trends in the data… here is some data from the census for Pocahontas County:
Population
23-24 estimated 7,855 - estimate for 2025 = 7,568 (the population is declining a little over 1% per year for the past few years)
Population density - very rural (duh right?) approx. 8 people per square mile (940ish square miles)
Median Age - 49 years old
Economic Demographics
Median household income - $41,200 (declined 1.15% from 2022)
Poverty rate: 20.8% (increased 2.36% from 2022)
Employed Population: 2, 461 (declined 4.28% from 2022)
Median Property Value: $139,400 (increased 7.64% from 2022)
Homeownership Rate: 83.1%
So what does this mean for us?
Aging population - nearly 25% of residents are age 65+ meaning churches should plan intergenerational outreach, care ministries, and youth retention strategies.
The declining population and migration trend - younger adults leaving for work/education, impacting leadership pipelines, the need for community outreach, importance of retention strategies, opportunity for innovative ministry approaches.
Economic strain - higher local poverty and lower income create needs for tangible compassion ministries.
The rural, scattered population suggests - potential for small group home meetings, need for decentralized ministry locations, transportation considerations for church events.
Cultural stability - still heavily Christian in identification, which offers receptive soil for revitalization efforts, though religiosity is increasingly nominal among younger adults.
Nuts and Bolts
I’ve used the term “intergenerational” but what does that mean. Intergeneration ministry refers to intentionally connecting and discipling multiple generations together - children, youth, adults, and seniors - in shared worship, learning, service, and relationship rather than separating each group into age-specific silos.
Some Core values and Practices of Intergenerational Ministry
Shared Discipleship Pathways
Integrates teaching rather than keeping it age-exclusive
Small groups mix youth and adults for testimony and mentoring.
2. Worship that Unites Ages
Involves children, youth, and elders in service roles (music, reading Scripture, prayer)
Encourages both traditional and contemporary expression in line with congregational identity
3. Relational Mentoring
Pairs older members with younger individuals or families
Encourages storytelling and life-on-life discipleship
4. Service and Mission Together
Multi-age mission projects, care ministries, or community outreach (e.g. youth serving alongside adults)
Examples
Family Worship Sundays: Every few week, everyone worships together with and interactive sermon
Prayer Partnerships: Senior adults adopt youth to pray for throughout the year
Shared Service Days: Men’s ministry, youth, and children combine for church workdays, home repairs, or local outreach
Testimony Nights: Every generation shares their stories of faith - a visual of Psalm 145:4 “4 One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts.”
Social Events: Events that are designed to include all ages, such as church picnics, movie nights, or sports days, which provide informal settings for interaction and relationship-building
Benefits for Church Health
Build unity across age lines and reduces generational divides.
Prevents “ministry silos” that isolate age groups.
Strengthens retention - young people who have relationships with multiple generations are 2-3 times more likely to stay engaged in church
Revitalizes aging congregations by giving purpose and investment in the next generation
I’ve also used the term “adaptive discipleship structures” - these allow the local church to hold tightly to biblical truth and mission, while holding loosely the methods used to make disciples. They help the church stay alive to the Spirit, engaged with its people, and relevant to its community.
What “Adaptive” Means
It doesn’t mean changing doctrine, it means changing delivery.
It recognizes that the forms of discipleship that worked in the mid-20th century (Sunday School, revival meetings, class-style teaching) often connect less effectively with today’s schedules, attention spans, and social patterns.
Adaptive churches ask: “How can we engage people deeply in God’s Word where they actually are?”, “What practices best help our people follow Jesus in this season and culture?” and “Are our structures serving the mission or are we serving the structure?”
2. Defining Discipleship Structures
These are the frameworks by which a church helps people move from unbelief to maturity in Christ: worship gatherings, small groups or Sunday school, mentorship or D-groups, service ministries, leadership pipelines
Traditional Baptist models often use static structures: fixed class formats, single teaching models, or life-stage silos
Adaptive structures reimagine the same goals (teaching, fellowship, accountability, mission) in diverse, contextualized ways.
3. Practical Examples in a SBC Context
Community Groups replacing or supplementing Sunday School: Home-based gatherings that follow sermon texts and encourage accountability.
Intergenerational small groups: Instead of age-siloed classes, youth and adults learn and serve together (Titus 2)
Missional Partnerships: Groups adopt local schools or food ministries for prayer, relationship, and service.
Digital Discipleship Tools: Scripture reading plans via apps, video devotionals for homebound members, etc.
“Third Place” Ministries: Coffee shop Bible discussion, camping trips, or community activity involvement.
4. What Adaptive Models Drive Growth
Churches with decentralized, relational discipleship see double retention rates among new believers.
Congregations that reevaluate structures every 3-5 years grow 30-50% faster than those with unchanged formats
Younger generations respond more to authentic relationships and active faith than classroom settings.
You are living out Acts 2-type discipleship - learning, breaking bread, praying, and serving together.
Let’s look at a few other examples
Community-Based Approach
Traditional Model: Church building-centered, “come to us” mentality
Adaptive Model: Goes where people naturally gather - homes, coffee shops, workplaces, online spaces
2. Relational Miniistrry Models
Traditional Model: Program Driven (attend class, complete curriculum)
Adaptive Model: Relationship-driven (life-on-life discipleship)
3. Creative Methods
Traditional Model: Sunday School, Wednesday night Bible study, standardized curriculum
Adaptive Model: Micro-groups (3-4 people) - digital discipleship platforms - workplace Bible studies - Parent-child discipleship tracks
This meets real needs - busy families need flexible scheduling - it is scalable - easier to multiply small groups that build bigger buildings - leadership development happens naturally - organic growth through relationships - lowers barriers to entry - matches how people already form relationships - uses technology appropriately - respects time constraints - values authenticity over performance
Key Features of an Interactive Sermon
Q&A Sessions:
The preacher pauses during the sermon to allow questions from the congregation. This can be done via raising hands, submitting questions on slips of paper, or through digital platforms where attendees can text questions.
Live Polling:
Using technology to conduct live polls on certain topics during the sermon. Attendees can vote or give opinions via their smartphones, and results are shown in real-time. This can guide the direction of the sermon based on the congregation's responses.
Group Discussions:
At certain points, the congregation might be asked to discuss a question or topic with their neighbors. This breaks up the monologue format and allows for personal reflection and shared insights.
Interactive Media:
Utilizing multimedia elements such as videos, sound clips, or interactive presentations that require audience input to proceed. This can make the sermon more engaging and memorable.
Role-Playing or Dramatization:
Incorporating short skits or dramatizations performed by members of the congregation that illustrate the sermon’s themes. This can be planned ahead or done spontaneously with volunteers from the audience.
Feedback Mechanisms:
Providing mechanisms for feedback after the sermon, such as digital surveys or feedback cards, to gauge the congregation's engagement and understanding of the topic.

Old forms have a hard time containing new life.

The gospel demands flexibility for fruitfulness.

God is calling us to look forward to the new and not look back.