The theme of generations runs throughout the Bible like a golden thread that can be seen in five distinct but interrelated strands. 

Generational influence isn’t an add-on or something reserved for specialists. It is assumed to be a natural consequence of being a citizen of God’s kingdom.

1. God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:1-3, 22:15-18; Galatians 3-4)

2. Physical and spiritual generations through families (Psalm 78:1-8)

3. Seed and organic growth seen in Jesus’ parables (Matthew 13:1-43)

4. Christ’s investment in a few (training the disciples) 

5. Sustaining leadership (Paul’s training of future leaders like Timothy and Titus)

1. Abraham

God tells Abraham that all nations will be blessed through his descendants. The generational impact of Abraham is to bless the rest of the world!

‘I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore … and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed…’ (Genesis 22:17-18)

How will all nations be blessed through Abraham’s descendants? God intends to reveal himself through people who act like he acts; people who demonstrate God’s character because their character is like his. Abraham’s descendants weren’t ‘set apart’ to be an exclusive group in isolation. They were to be a people who were different (different good, not different bad) in order to reveal what God was like to the nations.

2. Families

Children in the Old Testament were inducted into God’s story. They were told who God was and they were told who they were through stories. 

Psalm 78:4-6 tells us:

‘We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done... 
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.’

In the Old Testament we see generational influence via the family. Your children and your grandchildren are a very real part of God’s intentions for future generations. Sharing with them your own ‘God stories’ and sharing with them the biblical God stories of old (I like The Jesus Storybook Bible very much for this) is at the heart of generational ministry. 

One of the challenges for me when I worked in student ministry was to make sure that I didn’t nurture other people’s children at the expense of my own. Generational ministry isn’t only a formal ministry activity somewhere ‘out there’. It is something very organic that takes place day to day in our homes.

3. Seed

A plot of land near my house has been left alone to rewild. After 10-15 years it is now full of oak saplings. This is because the acorns of a few trees have organically spread and grown. Similarly, in spring, the grass verges on our local main road are a sea of yellow because of the organic growth of the dandelions.

Jesus tells lots of agricultural stories (for example, in Matthew 13). The stories assume that organic growth takes place. A seed dies and generates more seed. A healthy plant bears fruit and reproduces. 

As you may have heard elsewhere recently, Isaiah 61 uses oak tree imagery.

4. Disciple making

I think that this is what most people think of when we talk about The Navigators and ‘spiritual generations’. Jesus shared his life closely with a few people in an intentional way in order that when he was no longer around, they would continue where he left off. 

‘As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world… My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…’ (John 17:18-20)

These verses contain three generations: Jesus, the disciples and ‘those who will believe’. 

Many of the intentional, ‘formal’ activities that we do as alongsiders relate to this strand, like regularly getting together one to one or in a small group. Features of this might include modelling a kingdom life, mentoring or engaging with some sort of content together (reading a book, listening to a podcast, etc.). 

Critically, we are thinking generationally – beyond an individual person to ‘those who will believe’, framing their discipleship in the context of family, relational network, job, etc.

5. Leadership

2 Timothy 2:2 says: 

‘The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.’ 

It is necessary to identify and train leaders so that the vision of generations remains clear and people are helped to live this out. This links to disciple making, but it is a distinct, more focused strand. 

Leaders are important but it is also worth noting that if you aren’t a ‘leader’ you are not disqualified from having a generational impact. One of the pitfalls of narrowly equating generations with only training leaders (and not all five strands) is that a lot of important work (such as family, jobs, relational networks, etc.) isn’t valued and we end up judging people who ‘aren’t leaders’ as somehow not as significant. 

If you are a leader, then step up and lead. If you have a different contribution to make, then step into that, however ordinary you might think it is.

What if we’re not seeing generations?

If generational impact is an assumed and natural consequence for citizens of God’s kingdom, then why doesn’t it happen in every case? I have some thoughts to share in a future blog post, so watch this space…

In the meantime, we can trust that generations are God’s idea and based on his promises. We are simply seeking to participate with him in what he has ordained. May God bless you as you make your contribution to his generational ministry, whatever that looks like. It has great value in Jesus’ kingdom.