• Creating natural ways for the generations to serve together.
• Honoring older adults by asking them to tell their stories.
• Educating the church body on the value of intergenerational ministry.
• Finding ways to make the worship service multi-generational.
• Encouraging affinity groups, rather than age groups, as a way for people to connect.
• Hosting strategic intergenerational events.
• Matching young people with older adults in mentoring relationships.

Download Resource HERE

“Many will hesitate when it comes to intergenerational groups.  I certainly understand the hesitation.  While I am a proponent of all types of groups, there are at least six very compelling reasons churches should consider them.” ~Rick Howerton

Fact #1: Intergenerational groups require moms and dads to be models and mentors. A healthy intergenerational small group is the perfect place for a child to see a multi-dimensional Christian life modeled by mom and dad.  A great group will cry out to God on behalf of one another, be on mission together, learn and live out God’s directives found in Scripture together, carry one another’s burdens, forgive one another, and the list goes on and on.

Fact #2: Intergenerational groups are the key to the next generation continuing to connect with a local church. Studies have shown that “five or more” adults investing time with a teen “personally and spiritually” is a vital factor in a youth continuing to journey with a local church.  There may be no more natural way for a teen to be substantially connected to five adults who invest in them personally and spiritually than by their being involved in an intergenerational small group.

Fact #3: Young adults long for and need older adults to mentor them. LifeWay Christian Resources did an extensive study of young adults.  Their interviews pointed out the following facts:

Young adults-

• have a strong desire for relationships with people who are more experienced at life.
• have an increased interest in learning from other people’s mistakes and experiences.
• have a desire for relationships that go beyond their own stages of life.
• have a desire to process hurts or frustrations with others who may have already experienced what they’re going through

Fact #4: Not-Yet-Adults add much to the small group experience. When children receive Christ, they are not then filled with a miniature Holy Spirit.  The same Holy Spirit indwelling every adult in a small group is also supernaturally at work in and through any child or teen, and God will use them in the lives of everyone in the group in profound ways.

Fact #5: Intergenerational grouping gives one-parent kids two-parent relationships. One-parent homes are norm.  In a one-parent home, one of two households exists: a mom and her kids or a dad and his kids.  Any child living in a one-parent home is at a great loss, as they are without a model of either the male parent or the female parent.  While group members can never replace a mom or dad, group members can be models and mentors to a child whose home is void of one gender or the other.

Fact #6: Intergenerational grouping gives older adults a chance to pass on their wisdom to the next generation. It is in living life that we learn life.  And those who have lived it the longest are often full of wise counsel.  The question is, “What is the most natural and effective setting to receive wise counsel from those who have lived more life than we have?”  There is no better setting than in an intergenerational small group.

What do you think about Rick’s 6 reasons?  

First and foremost, know your audience. Things that will work in New York City are not going to work in rural Georgia.  Often times there is even a large difference in culture and values from town to town.  Be a student of your community, observe what people talk about the most, attend events, and discover what is important to the community.  Incorporate those aspects into your mission, vision, and program.

Get to know the characteristics of the age group.  Brush up on Barna studies and national statistics.  There is plenty of information available that will help you to know the strengths of this generation and how you can use that to the ministry’s advantage, as well as the drawbacks and what you need to be prepared for.

Ask a group of young adults to meet with you.  Bring them into the planning process.  Ask them what they would like to see happen and what events their friends would like to come to.  Put them in charge of an area of ministry (no matter how large or small) to give them ownership.  Young adults need to get plugged in or else they will feel like they are not needed and they will not stick around.  Have this group of people invite their friends and help get the word out.

Do not name the ministry any thing churchy or use a word that’s hard to remember.  Most Greek or Hebrew words will fall into this category.  You want it to be something that is easy for people to recall and pass on to others.  Get creative and use something original.  It might take extra time, but it will be worth the effort.  Decide who you want to be and what you want to see happen and have the name be an extension of this vision.

Design an excellent logo.  Young adults are drawn to marketing.  Use all of the forms of media you can.  Create a Facebook group, join Twitter, start a blog, get a website, and saturate these pages with the logo and the information for the ministry.

Outreach Ideas for Young Adults

Live your life on purpose.  Be intentional wherever you are.  Get a job and get to know people.  Join a gym.  Volunteer somewhere that young adults frequent.  Have people on your team move into different apartment complexes and get to know their neighbors.  You never know who God will place in your path.  Keep close to the Holy Spirit and He will tell you when to speak and when to keep quiet.  Build relationships, listen to the perspective of others before you share yours, be a person of integrity, and care about what is going on in the lives of others.   This is the kind of outreach this generation needs.  As a whole, young adults do not respond to tracks, street evangelism, and even apologetics. Young adults are skeptical, suspicious, and like to find a reason not to like you.  Don’t give them that chance.

Bible Study Ideas for Young Adults

Many young adults have grown up not going to church or having any church involvement.  A lot of people in your ministry will not have a good understanding of the Bible.  Therefore, it is best to simply use the Bible to study the Bible.  Pick out a passage and prepare five to ten questions. Get together as a group and read the passage aloud.  Begin by asking the question – what stuck out to you and why?  From there, discuss the prepared questions.  Doing the study in this format equips people to be able to study the passage on their own.  Use this time to teach them how to use the study aids in their Bible.  www.biblegateway.com is a great resource.  It allows you to search keywords for Bible passages and read the Bible online.  www.blueletterbible.com is another great resource.  It has a Hebrew/Greek lexicon.  You can click on the original word and find out where else that word was used in the Bible and what it meant in those passages.  This is called a word study.  You can also teach them about following the references listed to unlock the history and/or a deeper understanding of that verse and passage.

Serving Ideas for Young Adults

Young adults are more likely to serve OUTSIDE of the church than IN it.  Cleaning up after a church dinner is much less appealing than cleaning up after an A.I.D.S. in Africa benefit.  Young adults want to serve, but they want to serve for something they care about and is often humanitarian related.  They are also more likely to serve at an event sponsored by the community because they are serving people who need to know Christ, not people that already do.  Find community events that align with your vision.  Cast vision to get involved in your community and ask them to volunteer at those events.  They will feel like they are giving their “precious” time to something that really matters.

 12 Things to “Know” about Young Adults
(As a vast generalization):

1)     They have a sense of entitlement.  Everyone has always told them the world was theirs for the taking and life has been pretty easy.  They expect things to be easy and go their way.

2)     They are flaky.  Until they feel truly committed to something, they have a tendency to go back on their commitments.

3)     They care about social issues.  People in this age group are more likely to give to humanitarian causes then tithing or things within the church.

4)     They are insecure.  This age group puts on a good front of self-assurance and self-sufficiently, but deep down they want to be known. They want someone to love them unconditionally.  They feel pressured to achieve the American dream.  When this does not pan out, they feel worthless.

5)     Their first instinct is to be skeptical.  People have made promises that they did not follow through with.  Morality has become a relative concept that one can chose to follow until a better option presents itself.  Young Adults have watched leaders fail and are leery of what people say.  Actions speak louder than words.

6)     They like Jesus, but not the church.  They view organized religion as a man-made creation.  They belief the church has distorted what Christ was all about.

7)     They are self-centered.  This period in their life is all about finding themselves, achieving what they want to, traveling the world, and getting ahead.  This perspective tends to lead them to neglect the things that their parents valued at this age, such as commitment to well…anything – church, a spouse, kids, a town, a job, friends, community responsibilities, etc.

8)     They are media driven – Via the internet they receive their information, connect socially, meet their significant others, find jobs, are swayed in their beliefs, etc.

9)     They are graphically driven – If your company does not have a good graphic, you will not randomly attract any young adult.

10) They want simplicity – Young adults are trying to figure out their future.  There are so many options available.  The world has been their oyster.  This often leads to a sense of overwhelm.  When they come to church, they want simplicity.  Their life is already too busy, too complicated, too confusing, and too stacked with possibility.  Simple seems more real and easier to connect with.

11) They have delayed adulthood – Their parents have remained helicopter parents, hovering over them to help out financially and emotionally at a moments notice.  If they do not feel like growing up, they do not have to because they can always move back in with their parents and/or receive financial assistance.

12) They are mobile – Do not expect them to be around long.  If you let this get to you, you will easily become discouraged.  Don’t worry, new young adults will always move in as others are moving out.

Check out more Young Adult Handbooks

I’m guessing all of us have said that to a teenager or emerging adult we know.  An article two days ago in 
The Wall Street Journal suggests that might not be the best approach to take these days.

Here are some excerpts from the article that I found particularly interesting:

“Eighty-two percent of those ages 18 to 29 (and 79% of those 30 to 74) believe there is ‘a generation gap’ in America, according to a Pew Research Center poll last year.

The gap was defined as ‘a major difference in the point of view of younger and older people today.’ That’s up from 60% of Americans in a similar poll in 1979, and it’s even higher than the 74% registered in a 1969 poll, taken at the height of the youth-rebellion movement. Back then, political and social issues created the gap between baby boomers and their parents.

Today’s youth cite generational differences in ‘perspective,’ ‘work ethic,’ and ‘technology’—which helps explain their reservations about their elders’ input.”

Here are some practical tips from teens and young adults on how to talk with them:

• Question your assumptions:  What worked in your youth might have little relevance today.
• Offer suggestions, not pronouncements:  Say, ‘you could,’ not ‘you should.’
• Welcome a dialogue:  Listen, don’t lecture; you’ll learn things and give better advice.
• Resist saying:  ‘When I was young…’
• Don’t belittle technology:  If you’re critical of social media, young people may dismiss you as a dinosaur.
• Accept your limitations:  The young understand the world today. Sometimes, the best advice is:  ‘Trust your instincts.’

At FYI, we are very committed to exploring intergenerational ministry and relationships; we continue to see its importance in our research.  This article reminds us all that we need to be aware of how we sound to the ears of young people.

[by Kara Powell, Fuller Institute, from www.churchleaders.com]

2. Renew your own spiritual heart. There are plenty of ways to do this, and it takes discipline and self motivation, but it is a must if you’re going to be at your best in the fall. Here are some suggestions: Read some of those books you’ve been meaning to read. Spend extra time in Bible study and prayer. Attend a conference that will nurture your soul. Spend time with other collegiate ministers sharing ideas and fellowshipping.

3. Plan your fall ministries. The more plans you make now, the less stressed you’ll be as the fall approaches. Evaluate the past year’s ministry while it’s fresh on your mind, and then thoroughly prepare for the fall, making as many detailed plans as possible so that you start the fall prepared and fresh.

4. Spend time with a small group of students. Fewer students are around in the summer, so find a group that is interested in growing and pour yourself into them in a more personal and deeper way than you have time to do doing the regular semesters. This will be a very rewarding experience for you and for them.

These are only a few suggestions to get you thinking about how to best honor God and make your summer a “Sabbath” experience. Above all, remember to keep it holy.

[by John Moore, from http://threadsmedia.com]