--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Old churches must not simply stand as…" description: "\"Old churches must not simply stand as monuments to the past but as spiritual grandparents that have invested in the future by passing on their life to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/eddie-gibbs-56326_church_old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-mo_2750998.jpg" --- # Old churches must not simply stand as monuments to the… ![“Old churches must not simply stand as monuments to the past but as spiritual grandparents that have invested in the future by passing on their life to others and releasing their offspring to form new congregations. Church planting needs to be given priority by old-line denominations.” quote by Eddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/eddie-gibbs-56326_church_old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-mo_2750998.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/eddie-gibbs-56326_church_old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-mo_2750998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/eddie-gibbs-56326_church_old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-mo_2750998.jpg) > “Old churches must not simply stand as monuments to the past but as spiritual grandparents that have invested in the future by passing on their life to others and releasing their offspring to form new congregations. Church planting needs to be given priority by old-line denominations.” [Eddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-gibbs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Old churches should act as living mentors, investing in future congregations rather than just being historical monuments. **In simple terms:** Churches should nurture future believers. Key Takeaway Treat churches as spiritual mentors. Themes faith heritage future Mood hopeful strategic Type religious practical When to use this quote - church planting - intergenerational programs - denominational strategy Key Concepts community building spiritual mentorship Questions to Reflect On - How can old churches stay relevant? - What mentorship models work best? A Different Perspective Balancing tradition with innovation can be tough. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Congregation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congregation/) [Denominations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denominations/) [Grandparent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandparent/) [Grandparents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandparents/) [Monument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monument/) [Old churches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-churches/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“ADDRESSING DIVERSITY The way to reach the sheer diversity of the city is through new churches. New churches are the single best way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/addressing-diversity-the-way-to-reach-the-sheer-diversity-of-the-city/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“We began with a warning that we must be careful not to read the book of Acts as a strict rule book for church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/we-began-with-a-warning-that-we-must-be-careful-not-to-read-the-book/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Often when we think of church planting,” says Philip, “we think of planting worship services, and we think that once we have planted a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-c-middendorf/often-when-we-think-of-church-planting-says-philip-we-think-of/) [Jesse C Middendorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-c-middendorf/) > [“God allowed the difficulty of church planting to sift me, to bring the issues of my heart to the surface. I realized that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-hoover/god-allowed-the-difficulty-of-church-planting-to-sift-me-to-bring-the/) [Christine Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-hoover/) > [“A new church in the community usually leads existing churches to face this issue of kingdom-mindedness. New churches typically draw most of their new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/a-new-church-in-the-community-usually-leads-existing-churches-to-face/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Biblical church planting is evangelism that results in new churches.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-payne/biblical-church-planting-is-evangelism-that-results-in-new-churches/) J. Payne > [“Paul appointed elders in each church, giving them a certain amount of independence. He was able to do this because the natural church planting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/paul-appointed-elders-in-each-church-giving-them-a-certain-amount-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“We have seen, then, that it requires at least modest church planting in a city just to keep the body of Christ from steadily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/we-have-seen-then-that-it-requires-at-least-modest-church-planting-in/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [As to people saying a few idle words about us, we must not mind that, any more than the old church steeple minds the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/as-to-people-saying-a-few-idle-words-about-us-we-must-not-mind-that/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [I'm more inclined towards old churches and dusty museums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunny-ozell/i-m-more-inclined-towards-old-churches-and-dusty-museums/) [Sunny Ozell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunny-ozell/) > [Jesus was not a whisperer. No one ever saw Him close to His neighbor's ear, looking stealthily around lest some one should overhear what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-logan-brengle/jesus-was-not-a-whisperer-no-one-ever-saw-him-close-to-his-neighbor-s/) [Samuel Logan Brengle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-logan-brengle/) > [ The BBC is a perfect example of uncontrolled growth, \[occupying\] old churches and manor houses, the old Langham Hotel where Sherlock Holmes once met… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-safer/the-bbc-is-a-perfect-example-of-uncontrolled-growth-occupying-old/) [Morley Safer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-safer/) > [Suddenly, in the space of a moment, I realized what it was that I loved about Britain--which is to say, all of it. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/suddenly-in-the-space-of-a-moment-i-realized-what-it-was-that-i-loved/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [A landscape, torn by mists and clouds, in which I can see ruins of old churches, as well as of Greek temples - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-grieg/a-landscape-torn-by-mists-and-clouds-in-which-i-can-see-ruins-of-old/) [Edvard Grieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-grieg/) > [Take what the old-church found in Mithra's tomb, candle and script and bell, take what the new-church spat upon and broke and shattered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-doolittle/take-what-the-old-church-found-in-mithra-s-tomb-candle-and-script-and/) [Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-doolittle/) ## More by Eddie Gibbs > [Probably after Vietnam and Watergate, there was an increasing distrust of institutions, so that Jesus was still in, but the institutional church was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-gibbs/probably-after-vietnam-and-watergate-there-was-an-increasing-distrust/) [Eddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-gibbs/) > [The twentieth century saw the emergence of a Churchless Mission and a Missionless Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-gibbs/the-twentieth-century-saw-the-emergence-of-a-churchless-mission-and-a/) [Eddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-gibbs/) > [Emerging church leaders are not impressed by those who defend the Christian faith by promoting definitive answers to convince those who doubt the faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-gibbs/emerging-church-leaders-are-not-impressed-by-those-who-defend-the/) [Eddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-gibbs/) > [In all my eleven years of itinerant ministry I cannot recall any growing church which does not encourage small groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-gibbs/in-all-my-eleven-years-of-itinerant-ministry-i-cannot-recall-any/) [Eddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-gibbs/) > [Christians can not truly evangelize unless they are prepared to be evangelized in the process. In sharing the good news, people are enriched by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-gibbs/christians-can-not-truly-evangelize-unless-they-are-prepared-to-be/) [Eddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-gibbs/) [Explore all 6 Eddie Gibbs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-gibbs/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The minute you walk outside of your church on Sunday you're in mission territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-minute-you-walk-outside-of-your-church-on-sunday-you-re-in/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) [Browse all 9,430 Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Old churches must not simply stand as monuments to the past but as spiritual grandparents that have invested in the future by passing on their life to others and releasing their offspring to form new congregations. Church planting needs to be given priority by old-line denominations.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eddie Gibbs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-gibbs/old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-monuments-to-the-past-but-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Church" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-gibbs/old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-monuments-to-the-past-but-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/eddie-gibbs-56326_church_old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-mo_2750998.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/eddie-gibbs-56326_church_old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-mo_2750998.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/eddie-gibbs-56326_church_old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-mo_2750998.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Old churches must not simply stand as monuments to the past but as spiritual grandparents that have invested…” — Eddie Gibbs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eddie Gibbs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-gibbs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Old churches must not simply stand...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-gibbs/old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-monuments-to-the-past-but-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-gibbs/old-churches-must-not-simply-stand-as-monuments-to-the-past-but-as/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```