Characteristics of intergenerational worship: intentionality

Intentionality in the Context of Worship

Many researchers and practitioners use the term “intentional” to define intergenerationality. For example, in the introduction to “All ages become”, Valerie Grissom defines intergenerational Christian practices as “intentionally shared rhythms and patterns of participation in the Christian community that foster relationships with God across all ages and help us honor God and each other with the goal of becoming more like Christ” (20). Others use the term “determined.” For example, GenOn Ministries uses the phrase “planned and targeted» to describe intergenerational contexts (“A six-step path to becoming intentionally intergenerationalAlthough researchers have not yet united around a standard definition of the term “intergenerational,” most definitions include “intentional,” “intentional,” or “deliberate.”

Intentionality in intergenerational worship is essential because the way worship is planned, prepared, and implemented always communicates ideas about who is welcome and who can lead. When we don’t do this intentionally, our worship can communicate messages that don’t align with our theology, what we believe about who is welcome and who can lead.

In “Make Me a People: Curriculum in the Church“, writes Maria Harris, “All institutions teach not one but three programs of study. THE explicit program refers to what is actually presented, consciously and intentionally. [. . .] THE implied careeron the other hand, refers to the patterns, organizations, or procedures that frame the explicit curriculum: things like attitudes or time spent or even the design of a room. [. . .] THE null program is a paradox. It is the program that exists because it does not exist; it is what is left aside” (68-69).

In the context of intergenerational worship, intentionality means proactively and deliberately exploring the explicit, implicit, and null worship agenda as it relates to age. Here are some examples of what each type of program might look like:

Explicit program

• A pew card that says “God put movement in children; don’t feel obligated to put it out in God’s house. All are welcome!” explicitly welcomes children to worship (see more in “Pew Cards: 4 Approaches to Communicating “Children Are Welcome”” on Building Faith).
• Vestry training on “Engaging all ages in worship” explicitly teaches church leaders how to more fully embrace intergenerational worship.

Implicit program

• Have adults fill all liturgical roles (acolyte, reader, welcome) implicitly make it clear that worship is reserved for adults and that young people are not capable of serving in worship.
• A table near the entrance to the sanctuary with worship materials for children implicitly communicates that children are welcome; he actually says: “We are expecting children here. »

Lousy curriculum

• When the images and metaphors of sermons are always adult-centered, the null The message is that children’s faith lives are irrelevant or that children are incapable of participating in a sermon.
• When youth perspectives are never sought in worship planning, null The message is that young people have no ideas worth hearing.

Intentionality tools: awareness and discernment

Historically, worship has been planned, prepared, and carried out for middle-aged adults. For example, in many Episcopal churches, the altar rail, where communion is distributed, is raised and accessible only by climbing a few steps. The worship space was not designed for seniors with walkers or wheelchairs.

The goal of intentionality is to become aware how worshipers of different ages can access, participate and lead worship, and then discern how God might call your particular community to respond. Although consciousness is an important tool for intentionality, it is insufficient without discernment. It is not always possible to make all the potentially fruitful changes that awareness might bring to light, but more importantly, it is not always wise. Attention often needs to be given to community buy-in, teaching the theology of intergenerational worship, and pastoral care of those who resist change.

A conscious, insightful, and intentional church leader can make a difference. But a community of conscious, insightful, and intentional worshipers can catalyze transformation.

Practical Steps to Increase Intentionality

Each church context is unique and there is no single “right” way to practice intergenerational worship. The list of ideas below is not prescriptive (nor exhaustive), but is intended to inspire your imagination to help worshipers connect more deeply as members of the body of Christ in a specific worship community.

Intentionality in leadership

• Collaboration: Consider who is responsible for planning the liturgy. Are there ways to open up this process to include the collaboration of more generations, on an occasional or regular basis? For example, by selecting hymns or writing the People’s Prayers.
• Reflection: It is common for church leaders to receive feedback from both the most satisfied and the most dissatisfied congregants. But what about everyone else? Look for opportunities to reflect together on the religious life of your community. You can use a combination of these questions: What did you notice during worship today? Where do you experience God in worship? Is there anything preventing you from experiencing God in worship? What are your dreams for this cult? (Thanks to St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco for the question “What do you notice?”)
• Embrace imperfection: When people with a wide range of experience levels collaborate, perfection is almost impossible. When leaders adopt a posture of grace, others are more willing to take on something new, from being an acolyte for the first time to baking communion bread.

Intentionality in the liturgy

• Timing: There is no universal general rule in terms of service timing (time or duration). The age of each community will likely dictate the time of day that works for most people and the length of service that seems manageable. Another aspect of timing to consider is consistency. People of all ages benefit from knowing how long something will last and having that duration be consistent.
• Invite all ages to move forward: Many church leaders have a practice of inviting children to move forward during a particular part of the liturgy, such as during the Eucharistic prayer or a baptism. An even more intergenerational approach is to invite anyone, regardless of age, who would like to get closer. Using the phrase “all people, regardless of age, are invited to come forward” invites a wider range of the faithful to engage more fully in the liturgical moment.
• Invite movement, under the guidance of the Spirit: In many churches I have heard the expression “stand as much as you can.” A phrase like “adopt a prayer posture when you feel led” or “stand if the Spirit prompts you” offers more freedom to worshipers of all ages.

Intentionality in preaching

• Illustrations: Think about who will connect with the stories, images, and metaphors you use in preaching. If possible, use a few different illustrations that might appeal to different generations to explore the same concept.
• Visuals: Objects or images offer visual learners of all ages a deeper point of connection with the sermon. Spotlights are a simple way to include visuals, but are not necessary. Consider including a picture in the bulletin or bringing a simple physical object to hold while you preach.
• Invite a response: Consider how you might solicit responses from the congregation during or after the sermon. This can be as simple as asking a question at the beginning of the sermon (for example, “What was the first prayer you ever learned?”) or more complex, like inviting people to turn to someone close to them and answer a question after the sermon. If you want to go further, Living stories is an example of a homiletic method designed to engage the congregation in the creation of community sermons.

Intentionality in music

• Repetition: Rehearsal is intergenerational because it offers anyone who cannot read the opportunity to learn music over time and participate in it. Any piece of music with a choir offers a repetition, as does repeating the same piece of music over several weeks (for example, an entire liturgical season).

Intentionality in space and materials

• Large print: Providing large print bulletins, prayer books, Bibles and hymns supports the participation of anyone with limited vision.
• Audio system: Using an audio system helps everyone hear, with caregivers trying to encourage children to whisper to older people who are hard of hearing.
• Aisle depth: In worship spaces with movable chairs, ensuring a walker and wheelchair move comfortably through the aisles supports worshipers with disabilities in participating in fellowship and peace.
• Altar position: Consider the location of the altar. Are the majority of the faithful able to see what is happening? enough during the Great Thanksgiving? Can wheelchair users roll up to the altar to receive communion? In many churches, the altar is immovable. But in some spaces, it is possible to bring a small table closer to the congregation and use it as an altar occasionally or regularly.

Do you have another idea for increasing intentionality in intergenerational worship? Let us know! Contact Sarah Bentley AllredProject Director, Roots & Wings: Intergenerational Training Collaboration.

The image shown is of Seraphin Nunez on Unsplash