I think a good indicator of a healthy church is an intergenerational congregation. I mean that a healthy church will often have a good mix of people of different ages.

The old and the young need each other. The young bring energy and idealism. The old bring wisdom and experience.

The young bring new skills and perspectives to reach the next generation. The old often provide significant funding to the church and also have greater availability.

A church dominated by young people may lack the wisdom and tempering of age.

A church dominated by older people may struggle to take the ministry beyond the church walls.

One of the things that I think is really cool about The Company is that we see a truly intergenerational membership.

How old are the members of The Company?

Our full-time writing apprenticeship is open to everyone, but tends to attract college-aged writers. Some of our apprentices apply straight out of high school, some are in their mid-twenties. Some already have four-year degrees from a traditional college. But in most ways, almost all of them are truly young adults, still getting started in their adult life.

For obvious reasons, young adults are uniquely positioned to move for a school for two years.

In the past year, we’ve changed up the way we do Arche Year, and introduced our live coaching groups. This is where we see the most diversity of ages. Whether you’re “too young” or “too old” to move for the apprenticeship, you can join us online.

Some of our Arche Year students are young. Some even take the course as part of their high school homeschooling curriculum. But you’ll find Arche Year students of all ages, up to 75+!

Our coaching group attendees range in age from teenagers to retirees.

As part of our apprenticeship, we also provide book production services like editing and design. We get to work with people of all ages to refine their manuscripts.

How do we have writers of so many different ages?

I think the group works for writers of different ages because we’re very clear about our goal. What we have in common is a desire to write and publish our best work for Jesus.

That’s what binds us together. If you’re interested in doing that, age is just a number. God calls lots of different people to this mission!

There are certainly challenges with being an intergenerational group. There’s a reason that most writing clubs usually cater to a particular age group.

Some groups are dominated by retired-age people. Other groups are dominated by teenagers.

People in-between those ages usually have to shove themselves in somewhere.

I’ve been watching and participating in writing groups for 20+ years now, and I can tell you that it’s odd to see a writing organization where people of many different ages participate.

A truly intergenerational writers’ group

We’re not a church. But we are part of THE church.

Just like a church, each age group brings something important to the group. Young people bring energy, idealism, and a better sense of trends.

Older folks have perspective, have experienced more real stuff and know real things about stuff you might want to write about. Older folks understand that life is a long game (until it’s not).

We need each other.

Is there an age limit for The Company?

We get this question from time to time: is there an age limit for The Company?

Sometimes older folks see our apprenticeship and wonder if this is just for young people.

Sometimes younger writers see our emphasis on professional writing and aren’t sure if they’ll belong.

The answer is: you are very welcome. If you love Jesus and want to take your writing seriously, this is a great place to be, regardless of your age.

If you’d like to get started, you can become a member here.

I think you’ll find other people like yourself here, and you’ll benefit from being around people that aren’t like you.

A few safety considerations for minors

If you’re under 18, for your safety, here’s all we ask you to consider:

1. If you’re under 18, you’ll need to have permission from a parent to become a
   member of The Company.
2. If you’re over 14, and you have the maturity to engage with other adults, you are
   welcome to engage in all of our live meetings. Just recognize that you’ll share
   online spaces with adults. Please talk to your parents about their expectations for
   you.
3. If you’re under 14, please have a parent in the room with you when you attend
   any live online meetings.
4. Oftentimes our members will exchange information with each other, for lots of
   good reasons. Critique partners, book release teams, review swaps, etc. We
   typically encourage this. However, if you’re a minor, please talk to your parent
   before giving any contact information to anyone, every time. If someone wants to
   trade info, it’s OK to say no, and you can tell them you’re still a minor (they might
   not know!). They’ll understand. (If they don’t seem to understand, please tell ME
   right away. Email Brad at info@writers.company.)

A sign of a healthy organization

I think it’s really cool that we see a great diversity of ages here at The Company.

Of course some activities tend to skew towards one age or another. Some projects will just naturally be more interesting to one group or another. That’s perfectly fine.

We’re not trying to be for one age or another, or even trying to mix ages. We’re just following the inspiration of the Lord and loving his writers with great resources and opportunities. Whoever shows up, shows up. Whoever benefits, benefits. If something’s not for you, no worries.

Whether you’re 16 or 85, you’re welcome here. We appreciate everyone being respectful to one another, prioritizing the safety of our younger participants, and loving each other well in Christian unity.

It’s a beautiful thing. I feel so privileged to be a part of it.

Wondering if The Company is right for you? Send us an email at info@writers.company, and we’ll help you get connected.