Photo by Sarah Noltner

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, edited by Howard Vanderwell, this week. The book defines intergenerational worship as worship in which people of every age are understood to be equally important.

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.