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Connection between generations represented in a congregation is rare in a culture of age-specific ministries. It is good to receive age-appropriate Biblical training in each stage of life, but the Church misses out on deeper discipleship when it does not turn multigenerational settings into intergenerational communities.
Age-specific ministries, such as youth groups and children’s churches, have grown in popularity in the past 50 years, Holly Catterton Allen said in an interview with Theology in the Raw. Simultaneously, tensions between generations have escalated in society and within the body of Christ.
The social and spiritual benefits of intergenerational ministries can set Christians apart from the world’s conflicting views on generational relations.
Reciprocal Discipleship
In Titus 2:1-8, Paul instructs older believers to act righteously in order to set an example for younger generations. The book of Deuteronomy has a similar intergenerational thread throughout its chapters that points to a need for connection between age groups, according to presenter Alasdair MacDougall at the 2019 InterGenerate conference, a biennial meeting of Christians who seek to unify all generations of the body of Christ through intergenerational faith formation and ministry.
The need for intergenerational discipleship reveals itself today as it did in Biblical times. Nearly half of Christians born between 1946 and 1964 say they are not currently being discipled, according to data gathered by Barna in 2022.
At the same time, younger generations seek a space for tangible development of leadership and service skills as 3 in 10 young adults do not consider themselves leaders in any of their spheres of influence, according to Barna.
“Since learning the way of Jesus looks more like apprenticeship than formal classroom teaching, churches need people who have years of experience living the story and practices of faith walking alongside those who are new to the community,” wrote Johannah Myers in “All Ages Becoming.”
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When older believers teach the ways of Jesus and pass down stories of His faithfulness to younger generations, they also receive encouragement when young believers have opportunities to minister to the body of Christ.
“It [Reciprocity] implies there’s a balanced give and take, that is, a sense that what we have to offer each other is of similar weight and importance,” Allen, a member of InterGenerate’s leadership team, said.
When children speak and minister in a church setting, what they do should carry the same weight of importance as when an adult does the same thing, Allen said.
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Where to Start
Intergenerational ministry sounds daunting in a church culture of age-specific ministries, but small steps go a long way in cultivating relationships between a mixture of generations.
Omitting youth groups and similar ministries in an all-or-nothing approach is not the goal, but taking something that is already multigenerational and making it intergenerational is effective. Examples of this include changing seating arrangements for church meals, having individuals of different ages lead a prayer together and giving key roles to younger musicians during worship services, Allen said.
Church leaders can create a positive outlook on intergenerational practices early on by sharing their “why,” wrote Sarah Bentley Allred in “All Ages Becoming.” The common goal should be valuing what every generation has to offer, as each church community will have unique needs to address in order to stay unified and inspired.
More information and resources on intergenerational ministry are available in the books compiled from InterGenerate conference presentations.
Allison LaBrot is passionate about seeking out and sharing untold stories. She strives to make media an effective ministry tool through the skills she gained while earning her Multimedia Journalism degree. She enjoys music, L.M. Montgomery novels and getting second place in family “Jeopardy!” games.
