Andre Jordan “AJ” Wallace
Second-Year Student
Princeton Seminary
AJ, right, in an intergenerational Sunday morning ministry during his internship.
I had the joy of working at a church for the first time this summer. I held very little to no expectations about how the summer would unfold.
While I can say numerous things about the wonderful experience I had as a seminary intern, I want to share what I believe was one of the greatest lessons I learned this summer – the power of presence. More specifically, the power of people showing up in the life and ministry of a community across generational lines.
My summer was filled with various activities like church picnics, family ministry dinners and worship, youth events, teaching adult education classes, preaching, etc. -- you name it, and I probably did it. What I didn’t recognize for most of the summer was how much I was being loved and nourished by Christ through this community -- a community filled with two-year-olds who loved kickball and crafts, older folks excited to learn about doing justice, congregants who shared stories from their life, and so much more.
I can’t help but imagine that these intergenerational relationships are a way God desires for us to share life together and nourish one another. And amidst a time filled with loss and continued disruptions to life, perhaps it’s a way for joy to manifest as we establish new rhythms as the church.
Other IG Mix Articles, September-October 2021
Two Questions: Karen Ware Jackson
A Place, a Purpose, and an Invitation to Belong
Intergenerational Worship Leadership: Lots of Ideas!
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