Leadership Magazine's online discussion forum - OutOfUr.org - has a post by David Swanson titled "Disarming the Boomers." A good article, but I found the most value in the comment by Nicholas van Oudtshoorn:

"the most important point: to build relationships with people. If you want people to trust you, you have to let them see your heart. In my experience (26 y.o. sole pastor), it's not that the older generation don't want to see the church do marvelous things. Most (with a few exceptions, of course!) do. Once you come to the point of sharing a vision (or, as David puts it, you see the future together), everything is possible. The older members of our churches are an incredible resource."

Never forget that most churches are filled with people who want - even crave - to be partners in a grand adventure of the Gospel. But too many are suppressed by pastors schooled in the latest church growth fad. Those pastor believe the lie that opposition to their vision of God's plans is sin, and that they (the pastor) has the authority to show them the door.

Instead, many of these people simply do not understand where you are going. They just have not caught the vision yet, and you haven't taken the time to ask for their insight about how to implement God's plan.

If you want to help your church regain its vitality, learn to listen.