Taking the first step to intergenerational

Image credit: GenOn Ministries Facebook page

As a Church we are always growing disciples of all ages. From the time we are young children through to the fulfilment of age, we are on a life-long journey of faith and discipleship that, as communities of faith, we’re called by God to nurture in each other.

Many churches will have heard something about intergenerational ministry over the past few years, but it can be difficult to know what practical steps to take to make this commitment come alive in your community.

An intergenerational ministry training program new to Australia supports communities to do just that. GenON Growth Groups for Intergenerational Ministry walk small teams of leaders from several churches through a learning process to develop their church’s own plan for doing intergenerational ministry.

A pilot Uniting Church Growth Group was held earlier this year with five Uniting Church communities from Victoria and South Australia. Run by GenOn Ministries in America, and originally developed for the American context, it was the first time the GenOn model had been tested in Australia. It was so successful that another is planned for the first half of 2023.

Melissa Neumann is the Intergenerational Discipleship Developer in the Synod of South Australia. Melissa is part of the Uniting Church team which has formed a relationship with GenOn Ministries and helped the Uniting Church pilot take place, along with Chris Barnett in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania and Jillian Ross in Queensland.

“Being part of a GenOn Growth Group gives your church a supported process to figure out the best steps forward for your context and encourages you to take those steps,” said Melissa. "There is no pre-determined answer or action – it’s a process for your church to go from ‘thinking about’ intergenerational ministry to ‘brainstorming ideas’ to actually ‘actioning something’ in your context.”

“Many who participated this year are sharing how the steps they've taken towards intentionally being more intergenerational in a particular area of ministry is starting to have a ripple effect across other areas of ministries. Others are beginning to consider how to include people from across the generations in various ways as this becomes part of the culture of the church.”

Rev Sam Joo is the Minister at Uniting By The Bay in Carrum, Victoria, and took part in the Growth Group with four others from the congregation. He says the process helped them feel proud of what they were already doing, and also recognise the need to create even more opportunities where people of various ages could engage and form strong relationships.

“Many UCA churches might be in the same boat where most members are aging, and Sunday Schools have now dwindled to a couple of children in the pews. However, it doesn't mean they have given up on ‘intergenerational’ ministries. It is still our goal to form cohesive communities across generations and cultures.”

“We found what we are doing now with a handful of children is much more intergenerational than when we had a lot more. So, our takeaway was to continue what we are doing, keep being intentional and focus on inclusive and relational community building centred on Christ.”

Designed for smaller churches with 100 members or less, the model invites church teams to form learning groups with other churches. Teams share mutual learning and support as they design their own paths to further develop intergenerational ministry in a chosen area – worship, study, service or fellowship. Read more about the process here.

The training is already leading to some great new initiatives. At Uniting By The Bay they’re experimenting with a creative children’s address in worship, inviting people in the church community to share their stories, interests, and faith journeys with other generations. At Kerang Uniting Church in northern Victoria, they’ve made their gathering space more interactive and begun an intergenerational Bible study.

Chris Barnett from the Intergenerational Ministry team in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania says the success of the Uniting Church Growth Groups exceeded his expectations.

“The generosity and adaptability of the presenters, the enthusiasm with which the participants engaged and the positive outcomes for each of the churches involved has been wonderful. I’m looking forward to many, many more faith communities being blessed through their involvement in the next series.”

A free introductory session to GenOn groups will be running next Tuesday 15 November where you can experience part of one of the sessions, engage with some of the key principles and consider taking part in the full program. Details to register are below.

Asked why other Uniting Church communities would benefit from taking part, Rev Sam Joo has three great reasons.

“It's an opportunity to share a more cohesive, comprehensive vision for your church community. Also, moving away from the ‘compartmentalisation’ of church ministries, we can discuss the holistic ministry of the church again. Most of all, it will be a great conversation starter for many congregations wanting to ignite or reignite their passion for this ministry.”

Watch an invitation to the introductory session from Melissa Neumann and register below

Register for the Growth Groups Introductory session

Tuesday, Nov 15, 10:00-11:30am AEDT
(When you 'Select Event' choose the Nov 14 option as this translates to 10am Nov 15 AEDT)

https://www.genonministries.org/collections/training-registration/products/workshop-registration

Discount code: IGP2022FREE