All kids need close intentional relationships with adults; a need that is largely going unmet in our society. Churches and ministries offer a unique context for building social capital to help kids thrive.
Intergenerational is becoming a new catch word in youth ministry talk, but many wonder what it actually looks like in practice. This research brief summarizes insights from a leadership panel on both theory and practice of intergenerational ministry.
What does it mean to share a common faith language? Steve Argue from Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids shares in this 2-part audio resource from our Sticky Faith Learning Cohort.
What’s so bad about the kid table? Kara explores a theology of church and youth ministry that might challenge your assumptions.
Bill Cosby once tried to explain to a nine-year-old boy named Peter what Jesus meant in the Sermon on the Mount by turning the other cheek. “If somebody hits you, you don’t hit him back,” Cosby said.
A visibly confused …
While we have heard from a lot of churches who are in the initial steps of merging onto the road of intergenerational ministry, some wonder, “What do we do after those first few miles?” How do we make intergenerational youth ministry not just an experiment but a long-term part of our DNA? David Fraze explores a case study interview with pastor and author Tod Bolsinger.
Have our youth ministry practices and philosophies sold kids and families short by focusing on a too-narrow definition of “family”? Pulling from family ministry guru Diana Garland’s work, Fraze challenges us with some helpful reframing of our understanding of family in Christ and its implications for youth work.
Continuing our series on intergenerational ministry, Fraze explores Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton’s work in their Soul Searching research as it relates to the roles parents and other adults play in adolescent faith formation.
Challenging the assumptions behind most youth ministry models, Fraze researches the Old and New Testaments for a theologically-grounded perspective on intergenerational ministry as a core task of the Church.
What is the city’s greatest hope? While God works through all sorts of leaders, perhaps the greatest hope for the city comes from those who grow up in the city and and choose to stay there as indigenous leaders. Urban practitioner and researcher Jude Tiersma Watson explores the model of urban leadership development as a way to raise up leaders in your—and their—context.
