ALL RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS GROW WHEN A CRITICAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCE A COMMON CHANGE IN MIND SET.

Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center
James V. Gambone Ph.D.

In almost every church in America there are five distinct living generations: people born between 1900-1931 (Civic Generation); 1932-1944 (Mediating Generation); 1945-1963 (Boomer Generation); 1964-1981 (Diversity Generation); 1982- present (Millennial Generation). When you add one generation to represent all of the saints that brought us here, and assign one generation for saints yet unborn, every Christian faith community symbolically represents at least seven generations.

. . . gather the people together, proclaim a solemn assembly; summon the elders, gather the children, yes babes at the breast; bid the bridegroom leave his chamber and the bride her bower . . .” -Joel 2:16

I was conducting a secular Intergenerational Dialogue with the five living generations in the world famous Mall Of America. In preparation for the event, I met with the manager of the Mall for lunch. After pleasantries, he cut right to the chase. “Jim, he said, “I think you’re pretty naive to think this intergenerational approach has any hope of really changing anything.” I asked him why he said that. He replied, “Look around. There are billions of advertising and marketing dollars being spent every day to convince people that they are part of a unique and distinct generation. Why do you think this kind of advertising works? It works because people who see themselves as a separate group are easier to sell.”

Over the past 11 years of doing intense intergenerational work throughout America, Canada and parts of Europe, these words from the manager of the world’s largest temple to consumerism continually come back into my mind.

My theology tells me that God intended to have all people share his unconditional love together not in a targeted market group that shares a special interest. But how quickly the Church has fallen into forming its ministries based on secular marketing principles.

“Youth ministries,” “family ministries,” “singles ministries,” “men’s and women’s ministries,” “senior ministries,” “people of color ministries,” etc. all divide today’s churches into neat, congregational market niches. We are told we need to invest in these kinds of ministries in order to meet the “diverse” needs of our faith community. Yet in spite of nearly thirty years of congregational growth advocates telling us that we need to fill congregational market niches in our mainline churches, attendance and membership continues to decline among all generations. Doesn’t this suggest something is dramatically wrong?

Thank God a growing number of churches are courageously following a very different philosophy. After two years of intensive study, an ELCA Lutheran church in Monticello, Minnesota named it’s first Director of Intergenerational Ministry. Two Pentecostal congregations were featured in the July 1997 issue of Christianity Today.

Dennis Sawyer, senior pastor of a midsize Seattle congregation called Church By the Side of the Road says, “We pay as little attention to age as possible . . . The Wisdom that used to be shared around the supper table, from older to younger, isn’t happening. So we need to make opportunity for this in the church . . . And when visiting parents come up or call me at the office and ask, “What programs do you have for teenagers,” I smile and say, “We have church!”

Pastor Warren Heckman of the Lake City church in Madison, Wisconsin heads a church of over 1,000 worshipers. On the essential question of church leadership, he told Christianity Today, “My goal for years has been that the Board Of Elders have an age span. Every year in the nominating process, I purposely steer things that way. Not that I neglect the Biblical warnings against choosing novices-but I’ve always believed there were young people who were worthy of consideration. Age does not automatically equal spiritual maturity.”

Many of us believe it is time to build a new and broad-scale intentional intergenerational religious movement in this country. It needs to be a movement about faith, revival, love, hope and opportunity. It needs to be different from all other movements that have come before. And it needs to be initially focused around breaking down the barriers between generations in our churches and church-connected organizations.

The mainline protestant denominations are perfectly positioned to lead such a movement because their congregations are generally 10 years older than the rest of the population. While some in the church bemoan this situation as a problem, it should be seen as an opportunity. The demographics in the church resemble what the rest of the population will look like throughout the first half of the 21st century. These older churches could take advantage of their aging membership and be in the forefront of offering a new model of intergenerational service and relationships as we approach the millennium.

Growing the Intentional Intergenerational Ministry Movement

All religious movements grow when a critical number of people personally experience a common change in mind set. The late Howard McClusky provided us with a challenge and an opportunity to change the way we look at our society and our religious institutions. Through intentional intergenerational ministry, our churches and church-affiliated organizations could become “faith communities of differents,” an interacting group of people occupying both adjacent and widely separated stages in the progression from the beginning to the end of life. It would be an association that would share a common belief system, and respect, caring and cooperation as basic, fundamental principles for living on a day-to-day basi

It is the differences and unique assets and gifts among generations in the churches that could make the wholeness of life more comprehensible. The differences also account for the common and compelling need generations have to learn from each other.

Some will argue that we have many differences in the church that need to be addressed first. There are racial, economic and political differences. While this is true, I believe the generational platform is the best place to start working because it is the most “inclusive” platform where we can address differences by first recognizing what we share in common.

While I will never be an African-American or a woman, I can sit down with another 57-year-old Baby Boomer-regardless of race, gender or nationality- and find things we have in common simply as a member of a generation. These commonalities may not seem initially as significant as racial, political or gender differences. But I propose that if we can truly understand and appreciate generational similarities across race, income, nationality and culture, there is hope that we can begin to appreciate much more difficult racial and cultural differences.

Once generations recognize their identity and realize the unique contributions they have to make, they can join respectfully with other generations to take on some of our pressing societal and spiritual issues. If we can break down the enormous barriers and isolation between generations in all of our religious institutions, the chances of breaking down other differences will dramatically increase.

Celebrating the similarities and differences between generations can also help congregations become respectful, caring and cooperative communities supporting the growing Intentional Intergenerational Ministry movement in America.

Practical Suggestions For Making Your Congregation An Intentional Intergenerational Community of Faith.

1. Lighting the Advent Candle

During Advent, set aside at least two Sundays where representatives from all the generations in the congregation light the Advent candle together. Always ask for a pregnant woman to join the group so she can represent the interests of future generations.

2. Passing On the Bible

Have your elders and older adults personally prepare a Bible for each young person in the church after their confirmation. Make it a ritual. Before they give it to the young person, have the adults tell the entire congregation what the Bible has meant to them and how important it is to pass the faith on from one generation to the next. Have each adult make a commitment to periodically check in with the young person to see how they are doing with their new Bible.

3. Family Fest For All Generations

Family Fest could be a series of five nights over a two-month period where the entire church family gets together. Make this a festive occasion with flowers and brightly decorated tables. In two hours, 5:30-7:30, you could serve a dinner, celebrate birthdays, weddings and anniversaries, and have singing, prayers, skits, an intergenerational exercise, story time and benediction.

4. Intergenerational Vacation Bible School

Blend as many ages as you can at Bible school. By making it intentionally intergenerational, you can literally make Bible stories come alive through role-playing and cross-age problem-solving activities.

5. Intergenerational Mission Trips

How would a mission trip look if the age range was six years to 86 years? Some churches are already doing this. Think of the opportunities for cross-age interaction and generational transfers if different generations spent time together. Intergenerational mission trips would look much more like the mission trips of early Christian communities.

6. Sunday School

Sunday School was originally created for orphan children without parents. Some Ministers are now saying that Sunday School orphans children who have parents. Sunday School should be promoted as a place where different ages can connect and learn from one another.

7. Retreats

Intergenerational church retreats are wonderful places to offer formal and informal ways for generations to get to know each other. An Intergenerational Dialogues ( www.pointsofviewinc.com) can take place during all-age retreats. Retreats are good places to begin intentional intergenerational ministry or to give a boost to what you are already doing.