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Intergenerational Faith Formation


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Read Chapter Four
"Intergenerational Faith Formation for the Christian Community" for the complete presentation. 
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Integral to lifelong faith formation is the primacy of intergenerational community—relationships, and faith-forming experiences for developing and sustaining faith and discipleship in people of all ages and generations. When a church commits itself to building a culture of intergenerationality, it becomes a sign of and instrument for the full experience of the body of Christ by all ages and generations.

Churches with a vibrant intergenerational faith-forming community create a welcoming environment of hospitality and care that is conducive to promoting faith growth and mutual support across generations. They build caring relationships among the generations through worship, learning, ser- vice, and community events and activities. They create intentional opportunities for bringing the generations together to build relationships and engage in shared activities. They involve all generations together in Sunday worship, and engage all generations together in learning experiences that teach the Bible and the Christian tradition and form disciples of all ages in Christian identity. They nurture the spiritual life of all generations together through the community’s prayer life, rituals, and blessings. They engage all generations together in service to the poor and vulnerable, in the works of justice and advocacy, and in care for creation.
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Chapter Four describes four strategies for enhancing intergenerational faith forming:
  1. Designing all ages faith formation around intergenerational church events
  2. Transforming multigenerational events and programs into intergenerational experiences
  3. Transforming age-specific faith formation into intergenerational faith formation
  4. Designing new intergenerational initiatives
  5. Making intergenerational learning central to church life​
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Presentations at the 2025 InterGenerate Conference

intergenerate_keynote_1__roberto_.pdf
File Size: 2130 kb
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intergenerate_keynote_2__roberto_.pdf
File Size: 3036 kb
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intergenerate_2025_-_ig_learning.pdf
File Size: 727 kb
File Type: pdf
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intergenerational_learning_models_in_faith_formation.pdf
File Size: 74 kb
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Practices for Forming Faith Intergenerationally 

We have known for some time that a graded-level, schooling model of faith formation focused almost exclusively on children and youth, all by itself, fails to move the needle in the quest for effective faith transmission, i.e., passing faith to the next generation. Rather, a whole life approach that offers intergenerational programming and home/family learning options, along with age-specific efforts has a much greater chance of authentic and lasting faith transmission.
 
Research and other literature clearly indicate that intergenerational faith formation plays a crucial role in the faith transmission process, and every church should consider how to incorporate it in their faith formation efforts. This report can help. 

Download the article in PDF and share it with your leaders and colleagues.
Practices for Forming Faith Intergenerationally.pdf
File Size: 194 kb
File Type: pdf
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Application: Strengthening an Intergenerational Culture

Use the process outlined in Chapter Four of the book to build or strengthen an intergenerational culture in your church. Make copies of the two-page process  below to use with your church staff and your team. ​
Intergenerational Culture Building Process.pdf
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Video: Building an Intergenerational Church Culture
Exploring six strategies for being intentionally intergenerational from the Lifelong Faith book

Building an Intergenerational Church Culture from John Roberto on Vimeo.

This was a presentation given to the Minneapolis Synod of the ELCA.
Intergenerational Church Culture Presentation.pdf
File Size: 2272 kb
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Intergenerational Faith Formation Resources 

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Intergenerational Faith is our library of over 50 family and intergenerational programs that churches can download and easily adapt.
  • Christian Practices  (5 sessions)
  • Creed and Beliefs (6 sessions)
  • Jesus and Discipleship (6 sessions)
  • Justice, Peace, and Care for Creation  (5 sessions)
  • Moral Living (5 sessions)
  • Prayer (6 sessions)
  • Catholic Sacraments (6 sessions) ​

Generations Together: Caring, Praying, Learning, Celebrating, and Serving

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Faith is transmitted from generation to generation in extended families and intergenerational congregations. Every congregation can discover its intergenerational heart and soul, and become an intentionally intergenerational community that nurtures the faith of all ages and equips them for living as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today. When a congregation commits itself to building a culture of intergenerationality through its congregational life of caring, celebrating, learning, praying, and serving, each element becomes a sign of and instrument for the full experience of the Body of Christ by all ages and generations. Generations Together guides leaders in learning what this vision looks like in practice, and how to guide a congregation in envisioning and designing projects and initiatives to become more intentionally intergenerational. 
  1. Chapter 1. Generations Together: A Vision of an Intergenerational Church - John Roberto
  2. Chapter 2. Faith Development from Generation to Generation - Kathie Amidei
  3. Chapter 3. The Journey to Intergenerationality: One Church’s Story - Kathie Amidei
  4. Chapter 4. Outcomes and Practices of Intergenerational Faith Formation - Jim Merhaut
  5. Chapter 5. A Toolkit for Becoming Intentionally Intergenerational – John Roberto and Jim Merhaut
  6. Chapter 6. Welcoming All: Intergenerational Faith Formation for People with Disabilities – Sharon Urbaniak 
  7. Chapter 7. Leadership for an Intergenerational Church - Jim Merhaut
Download a free PDF of Generations Together from the bookstore

Articles

Article: Current Research on Intergenerational Faith Formation
intergenerational_faith_formation.pdf
File Size: 315 kb
File Type: pdf
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Article: Strategies for Intergenerational Faith Formation
intergenerational_faith_formation_strategies.pdf
File Size: 604 kb
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Article: "Principles of Intergenerational Faith Formation" - John Roberto
principles_of_intergenerational_faith_formation__roberto_.pdf
File Size: 148 kb
File Type: pdf
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Intergenerational Faith Formation: Practices and Approaches 
Download the Intergenerational Faith Formation Collection.
  • Best Practices in Intergenerational Faith Formation - John Roberto
  • The Importance of Intergenerational Community for Faith Formation -  John Roberto
  • Bringing the Generations Together: Support from Learning Theory - Holly Catterton Allen
  • Faith Formation across the Generations - Mariette Martineau
  • From Generation to Generation - Kathie Amidei
  • Intergenerational Faith Formation Today: Its Impact and Sustainability -  Jim Merhaut
  • Planning for Intergenerationality: Moving Beyond the Program - Jim Merhaut
  • Emerging Models for Intergenerational Ministries - Jim Merhaut
  • Becoming Intentionally Intergenerational: Models and Strategies - John Roberto
Intergenerational Ministry Toolkit 
​(Faith Formation Ministries, Christian Reformed Church NA)
This toolkit is designed to encourage and equip your church to cultivate a culture that nurtures faith in God and fosters deep relationships as all ages learn and grow, serve, and worship together.
​www.crcna.org/FaithFormation/toolkits/intergenerational-church-toolkit

Ten Ways to Be a More Intergenerational Church 
​(Faith Formation Ministries, Christian Reformed Church NA)
www.crcna.org/sites/default/files/ten_ways_more_intergenerational_church.pdf

Ten Ways to Strengthen Intergenerational Worship 
​(Faith Formation Ministries, Christian Reformed Church NA)
network.crcna.org/sites/default/files/documents/ten_ways_strenghten_intergenerational_worship_0.pdf​
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This website is developed by John Roberto as a service of Lifelong Faith Associates - committed to helping churches develop lifelong faith formation for all ages and generations.
John Roberto
 Lifelong Faith Associates
133 Old Towne Road, Cheshire, CT 06410
203-232-1129
​  [email protected] 
  • Home
    • About John Roberto
    • The Well Conference
    • KidsMin
    • THRIVE
    • LACongress
  • Thinking
    • Family Survey Report
  • Designing
    • Goals
    • Intergenerational
    • Family
    • Networks
    • Hybrid
    • Pathways
    • Playlists >
      • Digital Tools & Apps >
        • Learning Apps
    • Models
  • Library
    • Lifelong Faith Books
    • Lifelong Faith Articles
    • Lifelong Faith Journal
    • Living Well Book
    • Christian Practices Programs >
      • Caring for the Body
      • Celebrating Life
      • Discernment
      • Eating Well
      • Forgiveness
      • Keeping Sabbath
      • Managing Household Life
      • Participating in Community
      • Prayer
      • Reading the Bible
  • Digital Ministry Book