Dr Holly Allen Highlights

Nicole Mugford shares her highlights from the Embracing Intergenerational Ministry training led by Dr Holly Allen in Adelaide.

  • Margret Mead – “The continuity of all cultures depends on the living presence of at least three generations.” This resonated with me because the conversation in the Intergen space is often aimed at the need to have children, teenagers, and young adults in congregations. But I heard from this discussion that it’s not about consecutive generations in one space but in having a wide range of people interacting together.
  • Holly Allen integrated some deeply academic and theological thinkers and concepts with really practical tips and activities.
  • A highlight was spending time discussing in tables about biblical passages and looking for who we connect to in the stories and how we could do this activity in a way that is intergenerational.
  • Taking the time to hear others’ stories is a key way to be intergenerational and is a way to bring strangers together. The emphasis on listening and noticing in story telling is one which goes across generations and gives us things we can learn for young to old.
  • Dr Holly Allen has a wealth of knowledge around children’s spirituality and resilience and trauma. I appreciated how Holly connected stories, reflecting God in the everyday of life and children’s spirituality in ways which connected with the secular world and could be used in out of church contexts, eg. public schools, sports teams, etc