Presented By: Samantha Trimble

Written By: Steve Burger

Evangelical Covenant Church

Copyright 2013

Faith@Home is an international movement within the church that addresses the exodus of children from the church. We help local churches and ministries in continually shaping discipleship so that it is increasingly home-centered and church-assisted, as opposed to our more prevalent outsourcing, church-focused mindset. Faith@Home breaks down the walls of the church and works to be the antidote to the hypocrisy that has been turning our children away from the faith.

The Reality: Fewer than 10% of parents who regularly attend church with their kids read the Bible together, pray together (other than at meal times) or participate in an act of service as a family unit. Only 28% of churched youth have talked with mom about faith. Only 13% of churched youth have talked with dad about faith. Yet the same studies also show that mom & dad are the top 2 spiritual influencers of their children and any faith formation that happens at home is 2-3x more effective.

The Result of This Disparity: 69-94% of evangelical children are leaving the church shortly after they finish high school.

Intergenerational Ministry is not the goalFollowing the heart of God into the world

is the goalChrist established the Body of Christ to

this endThe Body of Christ includes all

generations, living, loving, caring, and ministering together in the world

We cannot fulfill God’s will in the world separately

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, (Rom. 12:3-4)

 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Mt. 19:14)

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 18:3)

Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”(1 Sam. 3:15-18)

Value organizationWhat do I belong to?What are my choices?What can the church do

for me?Right thinking

They are stealing my church

Focus: Organization and programs

Organized

Value people Who do we belong to? How can I engage with

others? How can we care for others?

Deeper relationships with God and others

Who has God called us to be?

Focus: Relationship and Community

Messy

Body

People don’t know each otherCreates factions and an “us and them”

mentalityLack of balance between peer and

intergenerational ministryIsolation of generations as mini-churchesChildren and youth lack bonding with the bodyYoung adults stepping out of the churchOlder generations feeling loss and isolationStifles presence, engagement, and voiceWe are not fully functioning as Christ’s body

The church’s job is to partner with parents by equipping them and joining in the journey of discipling our kids. (1 Timothy 5)

The authors of Sticky Faith, Kara Powell & Dr. Chap Clark, encourage flipping our adult to child ratios from 1:5 to 5:1, because their research has shown that another key factor that sets children up for lifelong faith is a strong network of intergenerational relationships with adult believers.

They, in fact, said that “The closest our research has come to that definitive silver bullet is this sticky finding: for high school and college students, there is a relationship between attendance at church-wide worship services and Sticky Faith….And while our research didn’t specifically examine the effect…on younger children, our guess is that it’s not just the teenagers who benefit from that inter-age connection.”

Intergenerational ministry is built through relationship

God’s transforming activity is present in every relationship

Shared intergenerational experiences lead to shared story and shared identity

Intergenerational ministry includes presence, engagement and voice

PresenceEngagementVoice

Who is present in our gatherings and ministries?

Who is missing?Who could be present?

We need to be intentional in our efforts to engage everyone

Foster an environment where everyone knows they are valued

Provide opportunities for everyone to question and explore their faith

Encourage the generations to minister together in fulfilling the will of God

Children: a need to participate and belongYouth: a need to be recognized, a need for

understanding identity, and roleEarly Adults: a need to belong to a community

that is making a difference in the world and is authentic in it’s relationships

Adults: Friendships, connections for children, meaning, purpose

Senior Adults: Assurance, constancy, care Every generation has a need to be valued and

loved

The Seven Learning Styles Visual (spatial):You prefer using pictures,

images, and spatial understanding.

Aural (auditory-musical): You prefer using sound and music.

Verbal (linguistic): You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

Physical (kinesthetic): You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.

Logical (mathematical): You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.

Social (interpersonal): You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.

Solitary (intrapersonal): You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

Giving voice to each generation?Engaging each generation?

Give Voice to each generation?Engage each generation?

Shared ExperienceShared StoryShared Identity

What experiences are currently being shared among the generations?

Where and how is the story being shared?

What is the current identity of the church among the generations?

2 Corinthians 3:18And we all, who with unveiled faces

contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-

increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Christian formation is our continuing journey of being transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ, experiencing and expressing love for God and others.

God’s Word: Illuminated by the Spirit. John 14:26

Relationships: United by the Spirit. 1 John 4:13

Outward Action: Directed by the Spirit. John 16:13

Worship: Ignited by the Spirit. John 4:24

GROWEncouraging interaction between

generationsAssess who is present, engaged and given

voice in existing ministryOffer shared experience leading to a shared

story and identityEncourage Faith-Life ConversationsOpportunities to share storyWorship togetherEncourage interaction outside the confines

of the church facility

Target Following the Heart of God into the World

GROW Greater awareness of the Spirit Greater sense of God’s heart and mission

Presence, Engagement and Voice Stronger community of faith and connection to the

worldShared Experience, Story and Identity

Lived out discipleship among the generations On going sense and reality of mission Stronger and broader identity in Christ