In this section you’ll find information and ideas for building on what your congregation is already doing to provide opportunities for people of all ages to “know and be known” by each other, both in small group gatherings and large group settings.

Small Groups

Beautifully chaotic. Simple and sweet. Profoundly moving. When we asked people to describe their intergenerational small groups, these were the phrases they used again and again. Here’s what else they said:

“It would be easier, and maybe I would even learn more intellectually, if I was part of a group that was closer to me demographically. But I don't think I would grow as much spiritually.”

“We see [our children] expressing their faith more openly and honestly and also growing as leaders and disciples of Christ.”

“Even the teens come when they aren't busy doing other things because they know it’s a place where they are loved.”

“We have openly struggled with our faith and testified to God's faithfulness in our lives. This group has been an incredible gift to me.”

Christian faith-based intergenerational small groups are as unique as the people who form them and who are formed within them. But what they have in common is a desire to be God’s family to and with each other. Many also include the following during their time together:

• a meal or simple refreshments
• icebreakers (lighthearted questions that all ages can answer)
• music (adults, teens, children may take turns leading and/or selecting songs)
• Scripture reading or a Bible story (perhaps using a children’s Bible storybook)
• discussion/conversation (for which the children may or may not be present)
• prayer (which often includes praying for each other)

Wondering what an intergenerational small group could look like? Meet eight of them here:

• a group that’s been meeting for over 20 years
• a new group that just completed its first year
• Sardines, a small group that was named by its younger members
• a faith-based book club with members in their 20s through their 80s
• Connections, a diverse, multifaith group that’s reaching out to refugees
• a group in transition after meeting for several years
• Learning groups that meet after the worship service at First CRC, Denver, Colorado

Looking for tools to help cast a vision for intergenerational small groups in your church? Read the post 6 Compelling Reasons for Having Intergenerational Small Groups and check out Effective Intergenerational Small Groups, a bundle of resources available for purchase from SmallGroups.com and which contain introductory articles on intergenerational faith formation.

More Ideas

• Faith5 is a simple five- step family devotional guide that can easily be adapted for intergenerational small group use. One small group member told us that the “sharing highs and lows” part of Faith5 has been particularly meaningful in their group when children and teens are present, especially at their Christmas gathering when they use it to reflect on the past year.
• This blog post contains A Simple Format for Including Children in Small Groups. 
• Storypath is a useful site when searching for appropriate children’s picture books to read instead of or in addition to Scripture.
• The #talkjustice blog features ideas, information, and questions to jump-start conversations with children (and all ages) about issues such as racism, hunger, disabilities, and more.
• The Faith Storytelling toolkit contains ideas for sharing faith stories with all ages. One of the great tools you’ll find inside is Story Starters, a list of open-ended conversation questions.
• What’s Old Is New Again: Experiencing Community at Kitchener CRC describes how a church with 800 attendees developed intergenerational geographical communities. 
• Visit our Intergenerational Learning and Growing board on Pinterest for many inspiring ideas.

Large Groups

Church picnics and potlucks. Funerals and weddings. Mid-week ministry programs and worship. These are examples of events in the life of a congregation at which two or more generations gather. In each of these events there are opportunities, both planned and unplanned, for building relationships and nurturing faith.

In this section you’ll find resources you can use to build your own intergenerational large group experiences, including free intergenerational events on the Lord’s Prayer and the Lord’s Supper. You’ll also find stories about the ways in which CRC churches are being intentional about large group learning and growing across generations. We hope their ideas inspire you as they have inspired us.

Articles

• In addition to describing the benefits of intergenerational learning, the online resource Faith Formation Across the Generations includes a list of eight practical ways to integrate intergenerational learning into what your congregation is already doing.

Books

• Learning God’s Stories Together explains the whys and the hows of all-ages learning. It also includes 20 Bible story sessions designed for such groups.
• Conversations on the Go: Clever Questions to Keep Grown-Ups and Teens Talking includes non-intrusive questions to help adults and teens engage in meaningful conversations.
• You’ll find 40 wonderful ideas for intergenerational learning, worshiping, gathering, and growing in faith in the book Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community and Worship.
• Messy Church is a form of intergenerational church (especially for those who don’t already belong to another form of church) that involves “creativity, celebration, and hospitality.” Learn more in the video Introducing Messy Church.

Curriculum

• One Bread, One Cup, One People is a free downloadable intergenerational event on the Lord’s Supper.
• WE is a series of intergenerational events from Faith Alive on Advent, the covenant, Easter, creation, the exodus, the tabernacle, and more. Learn more by watching the WE Overview video.
• The Lord’s Prayer is a free downloadable intergenerational event that includes ideas for stations on each section of the Lord’s Prayer.
• GenOn Ministries offers excellent resources, curriculum, and support for intergenerational ministry in churches of all sizes. Their signature program is LOGOS.
• Faith Inkubators designs resources to help congregations “create a time and space where people of all generations come together in faith.”
• This Intergenerational Advent Event from the Reformed Church in America includes ideas for worship.
• With Two Intergenerational Christmas Participation Stories you’ll discover two ways to engage all ages in a telling of the Christmas story.
• Illustrated Ministry creates and sells jumbo-sized posters that are perfect for group coloring (during which some of the best conversations happen!).
• The Intergenerational Activities Sourcebook includes excellent icebreaker questions, a Getting to Know You card game, and activities for all ages.

Ideas

• Check out the igen conversation starters in 12 Questions to Get Intergenerational Groups Talking from BuildFaith.org and this article from the Fuller Youth Institute.
• The Washington Post shares an inspiring story of how a group of teens is building relationships with seniors by tutoring them in how to use technology.
• Here’s how to plan an igen event where people of all ages use Legos to explore Bible stories together.
• Creating Mixed Seating at Intergenerational Events provides a fun and easy idea for seating people at intergenerational events.
• Look into the way this church invited all ages to its intergenerational events.
• Generators: 20 Activities to Recharge Your Intergenerational Group (from the Search Institute) is packed with activities for groups of all ages.
• Visit the Faith Storytelling toolkit for ideas on telling faith stories in intergenerational settings.


• How might you use the ideas in this Collaborative Art Project with Teens in your setting?
• College Students Need Your Church, and this article describes how you can meet that need. So does this one.
• Visit our Intergenerational Learning and Growing board on Pinterest for many inspiring ideas.

Stories

• All Nations CRC in Halifax, Nova Scotia, celebrates the new year with an intergenerational event that includes fun, fellowship, and an interesting game.
• Watch what happened when Rosewood CRC in Bellflower, California, invited the whole church to attend a “relationship-building experience for the entire church family.”
• “One Generation Will Call to the Next”: Seniors Share Faith Stories details how the youth leaders at Jubilee Fellowship Christian Reformed Church in St. Catharines, Ontario, arranged for youths to visit living rooms and hear faith stories from older generations.
• At Abundant Grace Dinner Church an intergenerational meal is integrated with a time of worship. At Destination Church in St. Thomas, Ontario, community members gather for a weekly Stone Soup potluck dinner. People are invited to bring an ingredient of their choosing with them and together the group makes a meal.
• Interest groups (gardening, cooking, fishing, running, etc.) provide great ways to connect the generations. Reading groups offer another: The Congregation That Reads Together: A Book Basket Enhances Adult Ed.

Webinars

• 10 Steps Toward Intergenerational Youth Ministry describes ten specific practices that serve both youth ministry and the intergenerational church in strengthening their faith formation work.
• Visit Practical Resources for Churches for a selection of recorded webinars on topics related to the intergenerational church.

Photo by Peter Dutton/Flickr