One of the things I love about the church is the variety of its members. You will meet brothers and sisters who have walked with the Lord for many years and others who are newly converted. There are people from different ethnic backgrounds and personality types. The church is made up of all sorts. For this reason, a church is not to exclude people because of their age, personality or appearance. A healthy church will be a place in which redeemed people from various ages and stages in life (according to the Word of God) are welcome to fellowship and worship the Lord.
I understand that sometimes due to location and other particular circumstances some church congregations will be made up of a particular demographic. With that as an exception, no church should make this their goal or focus. The local church ought to focus on what God says they should. Throughout Scripture it is the assumption that the church functions like a family, in which its members have particular responsibilities to the glory of God and the benefit of the church.
It is wrong if a local church appeals to one demographic at the expense of another. Christians ought to see the fellowship enjoyed among the variety of God’s people as a precious reality and something that ought to be prized. Of course there is nothing wrong with enjoying the natural comforts and benefits of spending lots of time with people like you. But take time to look around in the church and notice the variety. God made it that way and it is there to glorify Him and to benefit you.
Consider the following picture and responsibilities of a healthy church:
1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior (Titus 2:1-10) .
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