Gender & Age Segregation at Church

[Hawkeye]

Hi Everyone

Just had a question for discussion, well several. In my Christian walk, I have noticed several trends regarding extra bible studies, discipleship classes, breakout groups, Sunday School classes, Bible classes, whatever you may call a smaller group setting in the context of a Sunday service (before or after)

Typically you have age segregation.

Example:

Sunday School Classes

Birth to 3, 4-8, 9-12 and 13- 18 "Youth"

19-30 ""Young Adults" "College & Career" "Young adult group"- It has lots of names. Some churches divide 20's & 30's into two sep groups...

30-40 "Adults"

etc etc.

And a lot of times you have gender segregation, Typically Children are not gender segregated- but in various experiences I have seen the gender segregation for teens and up, or ONLY for Senior Adults and everything in between.

My question is this: (well several)

1) How does your church divide up the small group classes/discussions/teaching session/whatever you call them?

2) Do you think this hinders a type of family environment that the church (little "c" not Big "C") as in, the collective body of Christ tries to portray?  In a family setting, you typically have both genders & various ages.

The Bible tells us in several places, that the older are to teach the younger. This seems pretty hard to do with age segregation.

I wonder how it would be, (and there may be churches that exist to do this) it would be if all classes involved multiple ages & both genders? It seems the dynamic would be such that you would have "moms"" "dads" "brothers" "sisters" "aunts" "uncles". 

As far as separating men & women, well in my personal experience- Women's only studies are "dumbed" down or watered down. I would much rather have mixed ages & both genders. It seems a more "well rounded" system.

Please discuss I'm curious about how others' churches do it, or what your thoughts are!

P.S. I'm not referring to women's/men's/youth conferences, or outside social gatherings (Ladies' lunch out, Men's prayer breakfast) etc.

[Omegaman 3.0]

I tend to agree Hawkeye, assuming that you implied having a position on this. Seems to me that there is a Bible, and there is a church (big C or little c). There was not ) originally a "Men's Study Bible, a Woman's Study Bible, and a Bible for children, and sometimes I think we do a disservice to segregate people unnecessarily. 

At the same time, people have different needs and different issues, different abilities to understand, and different levels of existing knowledge of the Word and different experiences in life.

At our church, there are women's Bible studies, and they tend to be on weekday mornings. Working people (people who work outside of the home, are left out, male or female. Personally, I would think that one could quickly exhaust most of the topics in the Bible, that are geared specifically for women. Those could be published in a short booklet form, and given away to women who are not Biblically up to speed, but . . . 
that would preclude women just getting together, which is what I think these things are REALLY about, building relationships, and there is a place for that.

I think the thing is, or could be, that people should teach and learn appropriately, and by that I mean you do not segreagate based on gender or age etc, you teach and learn, what is needed.

I would rather see beginning and advance, milk and meat, before handy dividers like gender. 

I think that two topics need to be addressed and driven home as prerequisites to most studies - Pride and Humility!

Why would I say that?

Pride. People with too much pride, can make poor teachers, even if they are really knowledgeable. Prideful people, turn others off, and intentionally or not, can humiliate others.

In good Bible studies, it is not always "I am the teacher, you are the student" I think it works best, when people can interact. Someone may have a question. The 'teacher' may not have the answer, or an answer, and often not the best answer. Often everyone in a setting, has something to offer, some insight that God has blessed them with. The teacher, who cannot himself (or herself) bring themselves to also ask question, probably has too much pride and maybe yet know themselves as well as they ought to know.

Humility. Humility allows a person to overcome the fear of asking a question, and is willing and wanting to learn. When a person is humble, they need not worry what others think of them, they are not defensive because they honestly understand and accept their shortcomings. Learning can be more important to them, that the impression they make on others.

So, I think a good way to look at the topic, is to not be rigid and do things only one way. Gather in groups that make sense, but ALSO interact across gender and age lines. Learn to appreciate others and be willing to help, and to accept help.

The church is some organization where people but in x amount of hours to get x amount of credit for showing up. The church is a living, breathing organism, and it's life consists of each part doing what it can for the benefit of all the parts.

There is no need to have in one way, or another, no need for ritual, habits, locked in procedures. We can adapt and grow as necessary in a way that best edifies the whole body, there is no reason that this cannot change from time to time as works best. There is (in my opinion) no formula for the best way for a church to be, other than to say . . .

it should operate in love, serving and being served, person to person, as a community determined to love and knowing God (and each other), and utilizing a learning style that focuses on the Bible.

[The_Patriot21]

depends. I think the church should focus primarily, on family yes-but on the same point, sometimes its good to get people in with people with similar experiences/commonality, such as gender, well because we all do see things different, have different experiences, etc. For example, men have different experiences with things then women do, we deal with things different, so its nice to be able to sit down with a group of men, and discuss things that quite frankly, our wives just cant comprehend. Thats not sexist, because it works both ways-there are things women go through that us as guys, just cant get. on the same note, someone who is single, isnt going to be going through the same things that a married person does. I think families should be together for the church service, for sure, but for sunday schools and bible study, a little bit of segragation is a good thing, and theres a lot of different ways churches do it and im not sure ones better then another as long as its working to serve the needs of their church.

[Hawkeye]

I can definitely see the merit of having skill/knowledge level classes. I mean, I know I have seen some kids who a re more Biblically knowledgeable than some adults, for example.

I also see the great benefit in having a set time (outside of church) for specific interest groups to get together (such as singles or women, or men). I just think it is taken to the extreme from time to time.

I can even see some separation of classes, but one thing I do have issues with is "Children's Church". I think Children should at a very early age be taught how to sit through "big church". It would be good for them to have some Bible teaching on their level, but this can be done through a Sunday school or such class before/after service, and even during the service- many churches have "Children's Sermons".

And even offering "milk" classes, there should be a GOAL to get the person into meat as soon as possible... as in, as soon as they are ready. 

[Ezra]

2 hours ago, Hawkeye said:

Please discuss I'm curious about how others' churches do it, or what your thoughts are!

According to the Bible (both Testaments) God's people gather together without any kind of segregation.  A lot of modern church practices are not really rooted in Scripture.

[Hawkeye]

22 minutes ago, Ezra said:

According to the Bible (both Testaments) God's people gather together without any kind of segregation.  A lot of modern church practices are not really rooted in Scripture.

 

22 minutes ago, Ezra said:

According to the Bible (both Testaments) God's people gather together without any kind of segregation.  A lot of modern church practices are not really rooted in Scripture.

very true. It's the very basis of why I somewhat reject the idea of traditional church.......

[The_Patriot21]

a lot of things today arent necessarily in the Biblical church, that doesnt mean they are contrary to scripture though. Sitting through a sunday service, in a building built for church, wasnt something you saw in the churches of acts. Doesn't make it wrong. Neither was singing hymns, nor taking the communion on communion "plates" and out of "plastic cups" doesnt make any of it wrong. There are things one needs to focus on yes, but on the same point sometimes we need to look past the legalism and see the point, is what were doing bringing glory to God? thats the bottom line. The format, is a lot different then the church in Acts-but whether or not its "wrong" depends a lot, on the focus and how its done. the format is different from one church to the next to. In some cases, its very wrong, in others, not so much.

[LadyKay]

My church use to do this a long time ago.  But not anymore. At less not with the adults. They do have very younger children in their own class and school age kids and teens in their own class. Because of their age they learn in different ways.  But as for adults, you can go to any Sunday school class that you like.  One of the classes is more like a serious in depth study of the Bible. Another one is a more easy going easy to understand class. And we do have a women's only Bible study class. I choice to be in the women's only class because I feel more at ease taking about things with other women then I would in a class with men. I like it much better being able to pick what class is right for you. Rather then being forced to go with your age group.

[CaringBrit]

4 hours ago, Hawkeye said:

Hi Everyone

Just had a question for discussion, well several. In my Christian walk, I have noticed several trends regarding extra bible studies, discipleship classes, breakout groups, Sunday School classes, Bible classes, whatever you may call a smaller group setting in the context of a Sunday service (before or after)

Typically you have age segregation.

Example:

Sunday School Classes

Birth to 3, 4-8, 9-12 and 13- 18 "Youth"

19-30 ""Young Adults" "College & Career" "Young adult group"- It has lots of names. Some churches divide 20's & 30's into two sep groups...

30-40 "Adults"

etc etc.

And a lot of times you have gender segregation, Typically Children are not gender segregated- but in various experiences I have seen the gender segregation for teens and up, or ONLY for Senior Adults and everything in between.

My question is this: (well several)

1) How does your church divide up the small group classes/discussions/teaching session/whatever you call them?

2) Do you think this hinders a type of family environment that the church (little "c" not Big "C") as in, the collective body of Christ tries to portray?  In a family setting, you typically have both genders & various ages.

The Bible tells us in several places, that the older are to teach the younger. This seems pretty hard to do with age segregation.

I wonder how it would be, (and there may be churches that exist to do this) it would be if all classes involved multiple ages & both genders? It seems the dynamic would be such that you would have "moms"" "dads" "brothers" "sisters" "aunts" "uncles". 

As far as separating men & women, well in my personal experience- Women's only studies are "dumbed" down or watered down. I would much rather have mixed ages & both genders. It seems a more "well rounded" system.

Please discuss I'm curious about how others' churches do it, or what your thoughts are!

P.S. I'm not referring to women's/men's/youth conferences, or outside social gatherings (Ladies' lunch out, Men's prayer breakfast) etc.

The Church i attend segregate the young from the old so they go off to their sunday school etc 

yes it does most churches though have a family service every so often im not sure on the church i currently attend though as its my 3rd week but only my 2nd week for a sunday

 

 

[LadyKay]

I came across this documentary on youtube. It talks a lot about age segregation in the churches.  I will post a link. 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2016 by George
Removed YouTube Link in this forum -- Reposted it in our Video Forum with a new Link.