Becoming Intentionally
Intergenerational
"As a child of the church, I feel included and loved. I like doing things at my church because they include children in almost everything. It’s good to have friends my age here as well as friends younger and older. We help each other love and serve God.”
What is intergenerational ministry?
Intergenerational ministry nurtures Christ-centered community by bringing together two or more generations in planned and purposeful settings, where all are mutually invested.
Why is intergenerational Christ-centered community essential?
Studies have shown that intergenerational community provides:
- Affirmed value, regardless of age
- Response to God’s call for faith to be shared in community
- Decreased isolation for all ages
- Support of families
- Welcoming and inclusive environment
- Practice in caring for one another
- Understanding and unity as a congregation
We recommend a simple and foundational 6-step path for becoming intentionally intergenerational.
1. Discover
what it means to be a Christ-centered
intergenerational church
Contact GenOn to begin the conversation.
Review our Why Intergenerational page.
Hold an Intergenerational Checkup Session.
2. Evaluate
to become more
intergenerational
Contact GenOn to begin the conversation.
Share your findings more broadly with the congregation and continue to pray for guidance.
3. Learn
from GenOn’s resources, training, and guidance
Learn about best practices, new ideas, and resources available for your chosen ministry area.
Explore GenOn’s key tenets: Christ-centered relationships, biblical process for calling leaders, and balanced ministry.
Continue to pray for wisdom and discernment.
4. Pilot
an intergenerational gathering
As a team, brainstorm, ideate and sort ideas for piloting an initial intergenerational gathering
in your chosen ministry area.
Create a journey map to list action steps, develop a timeline, define leadership roles and more.
Hold a pilot intergenerational event, while seeking additional leaders and congregational support to launch more regular intergenerational gatherings.
5. Launch
regular
intergenerational gatherings
Implement steps to launch from your journey map including feedback from the congregation.
Pray for fruitful gatherings that create an arena for intergenerational Christ-centered relationships to flourish.
6. Sustain
intergenerational ministry for church-wide transformation
Continue to invite new people into leadership.
Implement steps for equipping and empowering leaders to sustain intergenerational ministry.
Stay in contact with GenOn for ongoing support through custom conversations, training, and resources.
