Intergenerational Ministry During Covid-19
Strandz have prepared some great resources, tips and tricks for intergenerational ministry during this time of Covid-19. The video below is great for helping kids to understand the moment we’re in, and is followed by the Top 5 tips for Intergenerational Ministry During Covid-19.
Intergenerational ministry may look a little different in lockdown, given the constraints of our ‘bubble’ reality. We know that many churches have been considering how they can be more intentionally intergenerational, in disempowering generational divisions and strengthening their communities for mutual serving, sharing, and worship. As we find ourselves separated into our own bubbles, churches have had to adapt and respond to COVID-19 in their own way. Many have migrated their current services and groups onto digital platforms, and Zoom and live-streaming have provided opportunities for regular corporate worship and connection - even if it is in pixels. And while we cannot fully evaluate the efficacy of these yet, for both our church leaders and parishioners, the digital age has provided us with tools that have made this season easier.
Here are some top tips to ensuring intergenerational ministry remains a core value of our corporate worship
1. Intergenerational worship is not about children
It is about all our generations present – from the youngest to the oldest members. If we want to move towards being intergenerational in who we are as a faith community, we need to engage the gifts and contributions of all ages. And that means we need to empower all to worship, to bring what they have, and to feel safe in doing so. Instead of providing something unique for every generation (one service for you, one group for them), perhaps consider how you use this season to disempower generational divisions by including activities, talks, and projects that could include everyone, regardless of the generation they are from. Creative ideas - such a daily challenge, photography competition, art project – can be for all ages, do not need to be solely targeted at children.
2. Being intentional
Intergenerational ministry does not happen by accident, or with the simple inclusion of a children’s activity sandwiched between the adult talk and songs. Allen and Ross describe intergenerational ministry occurring when “a congregation intentionally brings the generations together in mutual serving, sharing or learning within the core activities of the church, in order to live out being the body of Christ to each other and the whole community”. ‘Being intergenerational’ requires leadership from the top, and while we hold tightly to spaces, practices and mind-sets that are sacred to us, this season presents us with a new opportunity to prune and preserve the expressions of worship that are important to us all.
3. Small groups
As we gather in small groups – in our bubbles or house churches - be attentive to the different generations present. Are there a mix of ages and stages in the church services you are running? The opportunities for deep discipleship and support across the ages is a unique and wonderful one – let’s not waste it. It is a great opportunity to encourage old and young to pray for one another. We wonder if one of the best ways to connect with others is to share a meal with another family over Zoom/facetime. Arrange a time to meet online, and share food together - you might even want to cook the same dinner! You could also share your highs and lows, where you’ve seen God in your day, and pray for your friends in the other bubble.
4. Who are you muting?
One of the most powerful tools in Zoom is the ‘mute all’ function, when a host can silence all participants to ensure that the background noise and chaos does not distract from hearing the speaker. This has been one of the most useful tools for large meetings (we’ve certainly used it!), but it may be easy to mute and disempower some important voices during this time, too. Where are there opportunities for you to hear the voices of children, teenagers, elderly or marginalised people? Which voices are the loudest, and which voices do you struggle to hear? Access to internet and technology inequality will impact who’s voices we are able to hear in our midst, especially if the screen is so full of faces that we don’t stop to notice who is missing.
5. Get feedback
With the speed that Alert level 4 came in, there was a frenzy of activity to get services, ministries and communities online to ensure that everyone felt connected. In fact, there may have even be too much on offer, and some of us may feel overwhelmed. While we recognise the unusual circumstances around COVID-19, take time to talk to your church members and evaluate the changes you have made.
What is working well?
What hasn’t worked?
What are you learning about your church through this season?
Have all generations been included – who was missing?
6. Change can be messy
Don’t worry if things aren’t perfect and there is some degree of chaos. Adapting and changing to this new way intergenerational worship and faith formation will certainly be messy - and that is just fine! Experiment and expect imperfection, mistakes, and opportunities to unlearn and re-learn. Keep it simple! And expect to be handing out, and receiving, dollops of grace as you journey together towards a new way of being church. Learn from your mistakes and get feedback to find out what hurdles there are to people hearing, engaging, and taking part.
Be kind, show grace, be patient!
