“InterGenerate is a veritable encyclopedia for those wishing to build capacity for the intergenerational church. These writers blend strong research with inspiring stories, and their solid biblical and theological foundations are embedded within ‘ministry-in-the-trenches’ experiences. Every church leader will find actionable wisdom in this collection.”
— Sydney Hielema, PhD, Faith Formation Ministries, Christian Reformed Church, Canada, and author of Deepening the Colors and Vivid

“Rather than living in isolated, peer ministry paradigms that no longer work, InterGenerate offers the church a bold, new vision of spiritual formation from cradle to grave. This book imagines the body of Christ as a series of intimate, joyfilled, intergenerational relationships.
— James Penner, Canadian youth sociologist and lead author of Hemorrhaging Faith

“InterGenerate signals an exciting and important shift in conversations around ministry for youth, children, and congregational care. Many of the authors have been on the front lines, working to shift congregational attention to an intergenerational focus. There is a lot to learn in these pages.”
— Andrew Root, PhD, Professor of Youth and Family Ministry, Luther Seminary, and author of Faith Formation in a Secular Age

Holly Catterton Allen, PhD, is Professor of Family Science and Christian Ministries at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Holly’s areas of academic interest are children’s spirituality and intergenerational ministry. Her passion for cross-age ministry emerged during the four years that her family worshiped with a church that met in homes on Sunday evenings in intergenerational small groups. Holly’s doctorate is from Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California, and her dissertation focused on children’s spirituality and intergenerational Christian experiences. Her most recent book (with Christine Ross) is Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community, and Worship. Holly is the chair of the task force that convened the InterGenerate Conference. 

Joseph Azzopardi is a PhD candidate at Avondale College of Higher Education in New South Wales, Australia. He has completed a master’s degree in Youth and Young Adult Ministry from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Joe spent ten years as a teacher, with classes ranging from kindergarten to high school; he also served as a school chaplain. He has pastored rural senior congregations as well as an urban young adult congregation. This broad background with various age groups, combined with his passion for practical Christianity, has led Joe to research the intersection of discipleship, well-being, and intergenerational relationships. With this research, Joe’s mission is to equip Christian leaders to cultivate disciples, rather than only members, in their churches. 

Chris Barnett serves at the Centre for Theology and Ministry in Melbourne, Australia, and is responsible for intergenerational ministry across the Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. His role includes a focus on consultancy, advocacy, resourcing, and training in relation to ministry with children and their families, with a strong emphasis on intergenerational engagement. Though originally trained as a pharmacist, Chris has extensive experience in congregational, regional, and denominational ministry, even acquiring a graduate degree in Bible and Ministry at Ridley College, Melbourne, along the way. He has a passion for assisting leaders, congregations, and regional groups in developing and implementing their vision for ministering to families with children. 

Joseph P. Conway, DMin, has served since 2011 as the senior minister with the Acklen Avenue Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, an intentionally intergenerational congregation. He also worked as a youth minister for over ten years with churches in Connecticut and Tennessee. His doctoral work focused on the ways churches can serve their local communities through the combined engagement of every generation. In his ministry, he seeks to stem the tide of loneliness and spiritual immaturity caused by age separation through a consistent, holistic intergenerational culture. Joseph holds degrees from Abilene Christian University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Fuller Theological Seminary and is an adjunct professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, teaching Bible, theology, and ministry courses. 

Rev. Melissa Cooper is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church and an associate with Vibrant Faith, providing ministry coaching services in intergenerational ministry, cross-generational communication, and camp and retreat ministry. She received her Master of Theological Studies degree from Boston University School of Theology. Melissa served for eight years in camp and retreat ministries in North Carolina and Florida, spending much of her career developing a model for intergenerational camping. She has spoken at various regional and national gatherings for the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on the topics of intergenerational ministry and cross-generational communication. She has also written curriculum for youth and children for Sparkhouse. 

Gareth Crispin is the minister for youth, children, and families at an Anglican church in Cheshire, United Kingdom. He is studying for a PhD in Family Ministry and Intergenerational Church at Cliff College, UK, where he is an adjunct lecturer for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. He is the coauthor of Together with God: An Introduction to Family Worship, and he copresents the monthly podcast Together with God, a series of conversations on faith, family, and today’s church. Gareth is especially interested in the relationship between church and family in the development of faith in youth and children. 

Karen DeBoer serves as Creative Resource Developer for Faith Formation Ministries. In that role, she creates and curates resources for topical toolkits on the intergenerational church, welcoming children to the Lord’s Supper, and children’s ministry. Her love for children led her to pursue an Early Childhood Education degree from Dordt College, and her love of words prompted her to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in English degree from the University of Waterloo. Karen shapes her work around the conviction that faith is nurtured when people of all ages feel certain they belong to God and experience that belonging within God’s family, the church. 

Lynn Barger Elliott, MDiv, is the associate pastor at Mayflower Congregational Church and an instructor in the Congregational and Ministry Studies Department at Calvin College. As a pastor, preacher, and professor, she strives to equip leaders to create environments where God’s people of all ages can learn from each other about living into their faith. She holds a degree in Philosophy from Wheaton College and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. Lynn, an ordained Presbyterian pastor, and her husband, Mark, have served intergenerational church communities for more than two decades across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, and Illinois. 

Darwin K. Glassford, PhD, is the executive pastor at Harderwyk Ministries and Director of Graduate Programs and Online Learning at Kuyper College. As a former professor at Montreat College and Calvin Theological Seminary, his research focused on integrating young people in the worship life of the church. His current focus involves helping churches take intentional steps to enhance their intergenerational ministry strategies. This focus is informed by his studies in educational ministries at Wheaton College and theological studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His doctoral research at Marquette University focused on the philosophical, historical, and theological foundations of education, with additional study at Covenant Seminary on the relationship between Christianity and contemporary culture. 

Nancy Going currently serves as Executive Director of Vibrant Faith Ministries, an organization with a twenty-five-year history of work with churches to recreate transformative Christian formation. She is involved with the Visual Faith Project, a research and praxis initiative of Vibrant Faith that allows leaders and churches to access the power of images for spiritual transformation. Nancy holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Covenant Seminary and a PhD from Luther Seminary, where she studied adolescent spiritual development. Prior to Vibrant Faith, Nancy served on the Children, Youth, and Family team at Luther Seminary. In addition, she is a twenty-year veteran of youth ministry and has written curriculum and articles on faith development. 

Amy Kippen is a Resource Specialist and a FAITH5 Coach with Faith Inkubators. She is also a full-time student at Luther Seminary, pursuing both a Master of Divinity and ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Amy’s fifteen years of experience in family ministry include leading a change from the “drop-off norm” to parent involvement every week at church and every night at home. Amy is a contributing author to the book Let’s Kill Sunday School before It Kills the Church. In both her congregational work and her role with Faith Inkubators, she has seen the power of visionary church leaders equipping and challenging parents to be the primary faith teachers for their children. 

Rev. Aqueelah Ligonde, an ordained clergywoman for the Presbyterian Church (USA), is an enthusiastic speaker and leader with a passion for today’s generation of youth, women, and leaders. She has worked with numerous organizations such as the Princeton Seminary Institute for Youth Ministry and Youth Specialties, and she serves on the Executive Board of GenOn Ministries, an organization dedicated to intergenerational relationships. Aqueelah holds a Master of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry from Louisville Theological Seminary, and she is a Staff Consultant with Ministry Architects. For over a decade, Aqueelah served as the Associate Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, New York. 

Wilson McCoy, DMin, has served since 2010 as the Associate Minister at College Hills Church of Christ in Lebanon, Tennessee. His responsibilities include working with young professionals, preaching and teaching, adult formation, and small groups. Before College Hills, Wilson served churches in Tennessee, Texas, and Brisbane, Australia. Wilson received an undergraduate degree in Bible from Lipscomb University and a Master of Divinity from Abilene Christian University. Wilson completed his Doctorate of Ministry at Lipscomb University, focusing on intergenerational spiritual formation. He endeavors to develop intergenerational rhythms in the life of his local congregation while training other ministers to do the same. 

Jim Merhaut is the Founder and Director of Coaching to Connect, a training and coaching service offered to individuals, organizations, and couples. Jim is a professional executive and life coach, as well as a leadership consultant and trainer, writer, retreat leader, and national speaker. He holds a Master of Science in Religious Education from Duquesne University. He has authored and coauthored nine books and dozens of other publications, including the Lifelong Faith book, Generations Together, and Families on a Mission. Jim has over three decades of church ministry leadership experience and specializes in intergenerational faith formation. He is also a professional musician and recording artist with singer and songwriter J. D. Eicher. 

Liz Perraud is the Executive Director of GenOn Ministries, a nonprofit organization that equips Christian communities for discipleship through intergenerational relationships. Liz has led training workshops, consulted, and preached throughout the United States and Canada for over fifteen years with GenOn. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Liz has written articles on intergenerational relationships and ministry for Presbyterians Today, The Presbyterian Outlook, Princeton Theological Seminary’s The Thread, Building Faith and NEXT Church blogs, and What Matters Now in Children’s Ministry. 

John Roberto serves as the Coordinator of Training Services and Project Coordinator for the Vibrant Faith Institute and holds a master’s degree in religious education from Fordham University. He works as a consultant to churches and national organizations, teaches courses and conducts workshops in faith formation, and has authored numerous books and program manuals on faith formation. His latest publications include Families at the Center of Faith Formation and Seasons of Adult Faith Formation. John is the founder of LifelongFaith Associates and the Center for Ministry Development. He was also the creator and project coordinator of the Generations of Faith Project, a project funded by the Lilly Endowment to develop intergenerational faith formation in Catholic parishes across the United States. 

Dawn Rundman, PhD, is the Director of Development for Faith Formation Resources at Augsburg Fortress, where she also serves as the Assistant Director for Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Relations. She holds a doctoral degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of Oregon. After six years teaching psychology at Concordia University, she pivoted to a career in church publishing at Augsburg Fortress. She has developed over 20,000 pages of curriculum and five Bibles for kids. She has also authored three children’s books and has written the “Preschooler Age-Level Insights” column for Children’s Ministry Magazine. She encourages parents, grandparents, and church leaders to embrace research on early childhood in order to help them nurture faith in babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. 

Dave Sanders earned a DMin in Youth, Family, and Culture from Fuller Seminary. As a tenured professor in the Christian Ministries Department at Judson University, he teaches courses on youth ministry and adolescent studies, as well as mentoring, intergenerational leadership, evangelism, spiritual formation, and intercultural missions. For over thirty years, Dave has engaged with church and parachurch youth ministry, specifically through involvement with Young Life staff positions. He served for fifteen years with Military Community Youth Ministries (MCYM) Club Beyond, ministering to military teens on NATO bases across Europe. Dave also directed two partnership projects between the American Bible Society and MCYM, a web-based engagement tool called RezLife.com and the I AM Military Teen Bible. 

Rev. Jason Brian Santos, PhD, is the Mission Coordinator for Christian Formation at the Presbyterian Mission Agency. In this role, he focuses on Christian education, camps and conferences, and ministering to children, youth, college students, and young adults. He also serves as the National Director of UKirk Collegiate Ministries. Jason is an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and holds a Doctor in Practical Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of A Community Called Taizé and After Paradise (forthcoming). 

Cory Seibel, PhD, is Pastor of Lifelong Faith Formation at Central Baptist Church in Edmonton, Alberta. Cory has devoted nearly two decades to exploring generational dynamics in the church and society. He earned his MTh degree in Applied Theology through Spurgeon’s College, London, and a PhD in Practical Theology from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. His doctoral research was supervised by Malan Nel, an internationally recognized intergenerational youth ministry specialist. Prior to joining the pastoral team at Central Baptist Church, Cory served churches in Virginia and North Dakota and taught at seminaries in South Dakota and California. 

Diane E. Shallue, EdD, is a deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with twenty-five years of service in congregational ministry in the Minneapolis area. Diane’s focus is Christian education with a particular passion for intergenerational ministry. Diane was an Adjunct Instructor at Luther Seminary for fourteen years. Although now retired from congregational ministry, she is currently an Adjunct Professor at United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia and Gettysburg.

Tori Bennett Smit, DEdMin, is the Regional Minister for Faith Formation for the Synod of Central, Northeastern Ontario and Bermuda with the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Throughout thirty-five years of ministry, Tori has advocated for children’s and youth ministries that prioritize intergenerational relationships in faith formation. In response to the present realities of the congregations she serves, Tori’s doctoral dissertation with Columbia Theological Seminary focused on specific forms of ministry that would best serve congregations with ten or fewer children. Tori uncovered five intentional practices of intergenerational ministry as the answer to this issue. She has written leader guides for Montreat Conference Center, Canada Youth, and Kergyma Bible Studies and serves as a trainer for GenOn Ministries. 

Linda Staats describes her foundation for nurturing faith across generations as being shaped first by parents, grandparents, and mentors who modeled a Christian faith, and second by a master’s degree in Human Development and the Family with a specialty in Marriage and Family Enrichment from the University of Nebraska. Linda brings a lifespan approach to discipleship, stewardship, and global mission through her service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She is a national speaker, workshop facilitator, curriculum writer, consultant, and congregational coach; she is also the developer of HomeGrown Faith (www.homegrownfaith.net). Linda’s career reflects her desire to connect people’s own holy stories with God’s story and to empower all generations to serve like Jesus. 

Jessica Stollings is a national speaker, author, and the President of ReGenerations, an organization that bridges generational gaps to build a better future (re-generations .org). Pastors, ministries, and churches across the country have built solutions around her ideas. Jessica’s passion for intergenerational connections grew out of her leadership roles in talent development and corporate communications for Alpha Natural Resources (a former Fortune 500 company) and out of her role as a nationally syndicated news reporter and producer for a Focus on the Family radio show. Jessica graduated from King University with degrees in English and Communication. 

Tammy Tolman is the founding pastor of an Intergenerational Creative Arts community in Australia, called “ICentral316,” among the Churches of Christ in Australia. Tammy has been actively involved in ministry to children and their families for three decades. She is the author of Piece by Piece and Exploring Intergenerational Ministry, and her “Discovery Learning Series” curriculum and worship music impacts children and youth around the world (www.discoverylearningseries.com). Tammy speaks and trains at conferences across all denominations throughout the world, and for thirty years, she has directed camps for kids and families. Tammy is passionate to see the family of God be empowered to grow and walk the lifelong journey of faith together. Follow her blog at tammytolman.blogspot.com.au. 

Rev. Dr. Olivia B. Updegrove is Minister of Family and Children’s Ministries at Disciples Home Mission in Indianapolis, Indiana, and part-time pastor at Independence Christian Church in Independence, Kentucky. Olivia is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She attended seminary at Lexington Theological Seminary and completed her doctoral work at Claremont School of Theology with an emphasis in preaching. She has worked with children, youth, and young adults at various stages of her ministry, and she has a deep passion for biblical education for all ages as a foundation for deeper spiritual growth. She has published three children’s books—What Is God?, Who Is Jesus?, and Where Is Holy?

Acknowledgments 

Foreword | Jason Brian Santos 

Introduction: Addressing the Two Intergenerational Questions | Holly Catterton Allen and Chris Barnett 

Prologue: Four Stories | Melissa Cooper, Amy Kippen, Aqueelah Ligonde, and Jim Merhaut 

Part One: Becoming More Intentionally Intergenerational

Chapter One | Why Now? | Jason Brian Santos

Chapter Two | Intergenerational Communities and a Theology of Accommodation | Gareth Crispin 

Chapter Three | Learning to Love Together | Darwin K. Glassford

Chapter Four | Generational Theory and Faith Communities | Lynn Barger Elliott

Part Two: Leading Intergenerational Change

Chapter Five | From Multigenerational to Intergenerational | Cory Seibel

Chapter Six | Intergenerational Principles and Three Stories | John Roberto 

Chapter Seven | Unlocking the Power of Intergenerational Leadership | Jesica Stollings 

Chapter Eight | In It for the Long Haul | Joseph P. Conway 

Part Three: Current Research 

Chapter Nine | Five Best Intergenerational Practices for Small Churches | Tori Bennet Smit

Chapter Ten | Well-Being, Discipleship, and Intergenerational Connectedness | Joe Azzopardi 

Chapter Eleven | All Ages Learning Together | Wilson McCoy

Part Four: Including Every Generation 

Chapter Twelve | Babies and Toddlers, Too? | Dawn Rundman 

Chapter Thirteen | Millenials and Screeners | Dave Sanders 

Chapter Fourteen | Welcoming Emerging Adults | Holly Catterton Allen 

Chapter Fifteen | Engaging the Elders among Us | Diane E. Shallue 

Part Five: Unique Ministries and Approaches

Chapter Sixteen | Exploring Intentionally Intergenerational Environments | Tammy Tolman 

Chapter Seventeen | Fairth Storytelling with All Ages | Karen DeBoer

Chapter Eighteen | Walking beside Each Other | Linda Staats 

Chapter Nineteen | The Art of Christian Relationships | Liz Perraud 

Chapter Twenty | Connecting the Generations through Visual Faith | Nancy S. Going 

Chapter Twenty-One | All-Age Worship | Olivia B. Updegrove 

Conclusion: The Intergenerationally Sticky Church | Cory Seibel 

Selected Bibliography

About the Contributors 

ISBN: 9781684261505

Pages: 272

Dimensions (inches): 6 X 9

Weight (pounds): .5