A congregation can start becoming more intergenerational by simply inviting one more generation to take part in any congregational event or activity. The authors of Intergenerational Christian Formation offer these simple possibilities for bringing different generations together.
1. Host a one-day intergenerational Sunday school.
Mix up the ages at various tables and ask each participant to answer questions about their Sunday school experience. What is their favorite part of Sunday school? What is something you are learning that surprised you: What did you learn that has changed the way you think about Jesus or the church?
2. Consider turning your Vacation Bible School into an intergenerational VBS.
Use the “rotation model” and create stations or stops around your church where different types of activities can be experienced. For example, stations could include storytelling, games, music, arts and crafts, mini-service projects, and snacks. Divide the participants into intergenerational groups and have them rotate between the different stations every thirty minutes.
3. Welcome a particular age cohort each week.
Announce to the congregation, “We are so delighted to have our (children, youth, young adults, families, or older adults, etc.) with us today. You bring such (hope, enthusiasm, energy, love, wisdom, etc.) into our faith community. We want you to know that you are (valued, cherished, loved, etc.).
4. Create a new Sunday school class that is explicitly intergenerational.
Invite grandparents, parents, and their children to participate in an experimental intergenerational education class. If doing a year-long class is too much for your church, consider doing a limited-time class that lasts for several weeks only.
5. Hospitality teams, greeters, and ushers can include all generations.
Kids love handing out bulletins and provide a genuine enthusiasm when folks are arriving at your worship service or formational gathering. Pair an older more experienced adult with children or youth.
6. Use different generations to collect the offering.
Pair different generations in teams to cover a section of the sanctuary.
7. Create an intergenerational worship prep team.
Lighting candles, making sure the pews or chairs are in order, and checking sound equipment are great tasks to include multiple generations.
8. Cleaning up after service is a great opportunity to invite several generations to work together.
The simple task of collecting papers, tidying hymnals or song books, and picking up general debris around the church is a simple way to serve the whole community while building intergenerational connections.
9. Assemble an intergenerational bulletin folding team.
If your church uses paper bulletins that need to be folded or stuffed each week, invite multiple generations to share in this important task.
10. Host an intergenerational service event.
The easiest to begin with will be things you can do at your own church. Cook meals for people in need, clean the inside/outside or the church property, or pack gift boxes for seniors in care facilities or at-risk children. Put people in intergenerational work teams. As you gather at the end of the day, invite participants to share something they learned while serving alongside one another.
11. Host a church event that will be of interest to various ages.
A picnic with intergenerational teams playing games; an all-age fishing day out; a ride on a local steam train; or a barbeque with a hoedown.
Taken from Intergenerational Christian Formation: Second Edition by Holly Catterton Allen, Christine Lawton, and Cory L. Seibel. Copyright (c) 2023 by Holly Catterton Allen, Christine Marie Lawton, and Cory Lane Seibel. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press. www.ivpress.com. The book is available at Intervarsity Press, Cokesbury, and Amazon.
Related Resources
- 5 Benefits of Intergenerational Christian Formation by Holly Allen, Christine Lawton and Cory L. Seibel
- The Benefits of Intergenerational Christian Formation featuring Holly Allen — Leading Ideas Talks podcast video | Podcast audio version | In-depth interview
- Why Making Your Church Multigenerational Is Worth the Effort by Chuck Lawless
- Intergenerational Ministry and the Small Church by Brandon J. O’Brien
