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These days at FYI, and at other places, there’s a lot of talk about “intergenerational worship”. But what exactly do we mean by that term?
I quickly skimmed The Church of All Ages: Generations Worshiping Together
The book cites 3 types of congregations described by Jackson W. Carroll and Wade Clark Roof. First is the “inherited-tradition congregation,” which seeks to conserve its past heritage as a higher priority than adapting to new circumstances.
Second is the “blended congregation” in which the community tries to appeal to all the generations it encompasses.
Third is the “generation-specific congregation” which focuses on one generation.
As youth ministries, we tend to function often like “generation-specific congregation”. And yet more and more of us are longing to experience the “blended congregation” that includes all generations. That’s a tough dance to dance.
What has your church done to help your kids experience community with those who are older and younger than them? We’d love to know. We always curious to hear from you and learn from you.
Trackback URL: http://fulleryouthinstitute.org/2009/10/what-is-intergenerational-worship/trackback/
October 6th, 2009 at 9:06 am
I assume you’re familiar with Tribal Church by Carol Howard Merritt? Also she definitely is left-of-center on the political/theological spectrum, she is very interested in exactly these issues in that book.
October 6th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Actually, on the subject of CHM, her blog entry today connects especially well with the kind of thing FYI is involved in….