Being a Church for All Ages is about more then Sunday morning worship, but that might be a good starting point for you to consider. Why? According to some,

“Worship is the heart of the congregation.  Everyone has different interests, such as pastoral care or missions, but in worship you build community.  Children need to see themselves as part of a community of all ages who share commitments.”  (Carolyn C Brown)

“Unless churches make a point of planning inclusive worship services, people at both ends of the age spectrum often get left out of the songs, prayers and sermons.”  (Carolyn C Brown)

“Children and youth participate their way into faith.  They form their identities as Christians unconsciously, through the liturgy (work) of the worship in which they participate.  Understanding starts at the level of impression and awareness, and experience precedes rational understanding, so children are learning whether or not they are able to verbalize that learning.”  (Jean Floyd Love)

PLANNING OUTLINE

You do not need to be radically different from your usual order of service! Use that as a template as you move through these planning suggestions.

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE

Questions to consider: What is the main point or theme? What does it say about God? What does it say about us? How does it relate to people?

MAIN THEME

What is the main theme you are communicating?

MUSIC SELECTION

Are there songs known by children, youth and adults that you could use?

VISUAL

What visual elements could be included to develop the theme? This could include pictures/objects that are displayed at the front or around the sanctuary, PowerPoint images that are projected on the screen, or within a worship program/bulletin.

EXPERIENTIAL ELEMENT

What are the ways people participate in the service? Are there other ways you could invite participation?

SERMON

The sermon does not need to be ‘dumbed’ down for younger participants, however sermon delivery should be different!

• Consider breaking down the teaching into 5-7 minute segments with experiential elements coming out of each segment. This could include videos, response activities, discussion opportunities, movement, etc.
• Use simple language and define terms that may not be familiar to all participants. Even if not all participants can understand every sentence spoken there should be an opportunity to connect with the main theme in some way.

• Consider equipping parents of younger children ahead of time with tips for how they could help explain different aspects of the message.

When it comes to Intergenerational Worship I think it is less about how and more a matter of will. Will you choose to take up the challenge of critical reflection, planning and preparation required to engage all ages in worship? Will you take the risk to imagine and discover new ways of bringing everyone together in music, in telling Bible stories and prayer that engages all ages? If the will is there, let me offer some ways CBOQ Kids can come alongside you to develop the how.

Option 1:

Host a 2 hour Intergenerational Worship Seminar at your church. This practical, interactive seminar explores what it means to develop and plan intentionally inclusive worship experiences where people from young to old can experience God in meaningful ways together.

Option 2:

Assemble a team of volunteers interested in planning an intergenerational worship service and contact Tanya to book consulting time to work with your team on the development of this experience. This could include 1-3 sessions or ongoing consultation.

Option 3:

Similar to Option 2 but with the addition of Tanya’s direct leadership/involvement as needed to lead an intergenerational worship service.

If you are not quite sure if you are ready for any of these options but you are interested in exploring this further please email Tanya to begin a discussion of what your next steps may be.

RESOURCES

Stories of Intergenerational Worship from some of our churches:

Intergenerational Easter Experience

Intergenerational Experiences: Prayer

Intergenerational Experiences: Children in Worship without tears

Intergenerational Experiences: Dedicating Parents

Intergenerational worship at Highland Baptist