Remember and reimagine church—together.

Many churches today face worry and concern over their collective future. One tragic consequence is that growing anxiety can turn inward on communities of faith. A subtle distancing and dividing can occur, often happening along generational lines. Us-versus-Them thinking morphs into Old-versus-Young. Instead of a culture of generation to generation, churches are shaped and formed more by a culture of generation versus generation.

Imagining All Generations offers a better, more faithful way forward by remembering our identity as the generational people of God. This volume features nineteen authors from around the world, providing fresh theological reflection, innovative practical wisdom, and a unified call for all churches to move into a more intergenerational future by answering four key questions:

• What theology and theory support an intergenerational vision of the church?
• What are researchers and practitioners learning about how to meaningfully bring together different generations in communities of faith?
• How can churches better share faith among various age groups within their congregation?
• How might we reimagine the worship assembly as a time and place where every generation brings a valuable contribution?

Wilson McCoy (MDiv, DMin) is a minister, author, professor, and church consultant. He serves on the leadership team of the InterGenerate Conference, a movement of Christians committed to bringing together all generations of the church. When not experimenting in the kitchen or listening to music, he loves spending time with his wife and two daughters. You can find faith formation resources and learn more about Wilson’s writing, speaking, and intergenerational consulting at his website: drwilsonmccoy.com.

“Imagining All Generations is an essential library of intergenerational thinking and practical ideas. Like any good library, it gives you the opportunity to explore, to delve, and be surprised, enlightened, and challenged. You might not agree with everything in it, but that’s a key strength of this book and the Intergenerate conference it is based on; they are evolving conversations between diverse perspectives on a common theme, the theme of how to bring generations together in life, learning, and worship.”

—Gareth Crispin, Commissioning Editor (Young People), Premier Christian Media, UK; adjunct lecturer and tutor at several theological colleges around the world; member of the executive committee of the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry

“Imagining All Generations is practical theology at its best. Rooted in Paul’s vision for an intergenerational church, this collection casts a beautiful vision not only for what the church could be but, even more, for what the church should be—a community that sees ‘every generation as a valuable and vibrant witness to the work of God in our midst.’ The various essays are a balanced blend of biblical studies, theology, church history, and social science research, all with a practical bent meant to spark our imaginations and transform our practices. This book is a gift to the contemporary church.”

—Heather Gorman, professor of New Testament, Johnson University; coauthor of Lunchroom Theology: Pushing Tables Together in a Fractured World (with Mark Nelson)

“Imagining All Generations casts a refreshing vision that calls us to intentionally engage the inherently multigenerational character of congregational life, not through age segregated coexistence but through age integrated, mutually beneficial receiving and giving. It equips church leaders to craft faith experiences that tie into God’s design for the younger and older to be a vital part of each other’s spiritual formation. The authors ground this vision in rich theology and current research and share best practices from exemplary churches.”

—Carlus Gupton, professor of Church Leadership and Director of the Doctor of Ministry, Lipscomb University, Hazelip School of Theology; publisher of LifeandLeadership.com

“I am thankful to the writers and the editor of this heart-stirring work. As an author I was struck by their individual and collective thoughtfulness, clarity, and interconnectedness of thought. As a pastor I was impacted by their individual and collective practicality, biblical exegesis, and heart for the church. Three values of the church I pastor are directly impacted by the insight I’ve gained about imagination, intergenerational discipleship, and intentional interconnectedness. The way we express these values in our local church henceforth will be significantly improved because I’ve read this great book. I commend it, without reservation, to all who would dare dream again about the church their church could become.”

—Darrell Hall, pastor, communication consultant, author of Speaking Across Generations

“If you are wondering what is happening in the field of intergenerational ministry, Imagining All Generations gives you an excellent roadmap. Wilson McCoy has assembled a wide array scholars and practitioners from around the world who report on their research, experiences, and liturgical experiments in this thoughtful and engaging book. From the theological and theoretical to the practical, the authors invite us to consider with them how we can best help our congregations become a people who worship and grow in faith with all ages together.”

—Robert Keeley, professor of education, emeritus, Calvin University; author of Helping Our Children Grow in Faith; editor of Shaped by God

“The essays in Imagining All Generations reflect the maturing and deepening of our understanding and practices for creating intergenerational communities of faith. Over the past thirty years the focus on intergenerational community, ministry, and formation has continued to grow in churches of all Christian traditions. Imagining All Generations reflects this growth. The essays on overcoming age segregation and developing intergenerational belonging, intergenerational discipleship, and intergenerational worship will be especially helpful to churches that want to begin or deepen their journey toward intentional intergenerational faith communities. There is so much wisdom in these essays as they illustrate the power of intergenerationality to transform our lives and faith communities.”

—John Roberto, author of Lifelong Faith: Formation for All Ages and Generations; founder of Lifelong Faith Associates

“While Imagining All Generations is the fourth book in a series that emerged out of the InterGenerate conferences, it undoubtably stands as an outstanding volume on its own two feet. Having been a part of the intergenerational conversation for over a decade and having written chapters for previous books in this series, I can confidently say that the depth of knowledge, practical wisdom, and formation innovation offered by this book is without equal. Just when you think the intergenerational conversation may be plateauing, pastor and intergenerational expert Wilson McCoy, offers this edited compilation for our enrichment and growth, all the while setting a new bar for how we think and practice intergenerationality in our homes and ministries. If you’ve valued the voices and theological imaginations from previous authors in this series, you won’t want to miss this collected treasure. It is truly a gift for anyone thinking about intergenerationality and Christian formation.”

—Jason Brian Santos, practical theologian; pastor of Community Presbyterian Church, Lake City, CO; author of A Community Called Taizé

“This work on diverse community has been shaped by a diverse community of voices sharing insights from research and practical experience in congregations. Readers are invited to an expanded vision of the church and an openness to the possibility that when we grow and worship together, we see and proclaim God’s Kingdom in more joyful, engaging ways.”

—Mandy Smith, pastor of St. Lucia Uniting Church, Brisbane, Australia; DMin cohort leader at The Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination; author of Confessions of an Amateur Saint and The Vulnerable Pastor

“During my first decade of work in children’s ministries, as a single adult, I was passionate about intergenerational ministry and worship because I knew community with all generations was vital to spiritual formation for all types of people. Now, as a mother of three young children, intentionally bringing them into worship, learning, and friendship with our whole church community is one of our family’s highest priorities and greatest joys. Building communities that welcome all generations takes intentionality! Imagining All Generations casts a beautiful vision for intergenerational communities where everyone thrives, and it offers research-based best practices and practical wisdom to build that vision into reality.”

—Robin Turner, founder of www.worshipwithchildren.com; coeditor of Children’s Ministry and the Spiritual Child: Practical, Formation-Focused Ministry

ISBN: 9781684263431

Pages: 240

Dimensions (inches): 6 x 9

Weight (pounds): .5