Whenever there’s a question about why something is happening, there’s almost always a researcher trying to answer it. Why are young adults leaving religion? Why are older generations suffering from the highest rates of suicide? Why are youth experiencing increasing anxiety and mental illness? Why are children experiencing a lack of socialization? Why are more and more people making money through a gig economy and start-ups rather than joining established corporations? Over the past two decades, a plethora of research has been done to answer these questions.
But for the questions listed above, research has produced a common thread – age segregation or the separation of people based on their age. An increase in age segregation and a lack of intergenerational relationships has contributed to the rise in every one of these areas. A quick Google Scholar search of “age segregation” will send you down a dizzying path of articles, abstracts, and analyses that most of us just don’t have time to read let alone study.
But I did.
For the last seven years, I’ve spent hours and hours of time pouring over this research and the answers to these questions with one goal in mind – to help the church recognize and identify the structures of age segregation in their faith communities and begin to build bridges between generations.
I asked different questions. I asked…
- “What would happen if we took all of the research on age segregation that has been done in society and applied it to the church?”
- “What impact does age segregation have on young people leaving the church?”
- “If age segregation is present in the church, are we experiencing the same consequences in the church as the larger society does?”
- “How does separating people based on ages and stages of life affect our great commission to ‘make disciples’ and to pass on our faith?”
And as I asked these questions, a pattern began to emerge in both the research that has been done and the application I was making to the church.
I was most interested in the impact that age segregation could be having on spiritual formation and discipleship within a congregation. Most books and articles I read about age segregation in the church simply stated that churches tended to be age-segregated. And that is easily observed by looking at how church buildings are designed, curriculum is created, and programs are run. But observation alone doesn’t mean that age segregation really exists.
Could parallels between society and church be found and if so, what could they tell us about how age segregation impacted discipleship?
The answer to that question is a dissertation…. Literally. That’s what I wrote my doctorate thesis on. So I am not going to bore you with it here suffice it to say…YES, there is an impact. And the impact is such that without spaces and places and ways for intergenerational connection that are intentionally utilized to facilitate meaningful relationships and given the tools and support needs for generational discipleship, our faith is not being passed on from “one generation to another” as Psalm 145 declares.
It is instead being shared only in echo chambers of those who look and sound and think like us. We’re not “passing” anything on because we aren’t in relationship with people who can be passed something.
If you’ve been following ReFocus Ministry over the last few years, you’ve seen a decided shift in the direction of intergenerational ministry. This is partly because of the research I was immersed in. It was partly because of my doctoral courses in spiritual formation and the practice of lifelong discipleship. But it was mostly because I became more and more convinced that this practice of separating the body of Christ based on age and life experience has had and continues to have a huge impact on our call to make disciples. And in the KidMin, Youth Ministry, and Family Ministry world, there are many voices speaking into the age-specific and age-sensitive spaces but not as many speaking to this important aspect of discipleship.
To be clear, I am not “against” age-specific programs and approaches, However, I am unconvinced that while it remains the most readily resourced and common approach to ministry, it is not the best approach. Everything I’ve read and researched over the past several years has led me to believe, more than ever, that we need each other – together, learning and worshiping and in relationships, growing as the body of Christ, in community. It may not be the easiest path forward and it may take a great deal of creativity and flexibility, but if it leads to the end result of connecting generations in meaningful relationships that lead to discipleship, mentorship, and lifelong faith formation, I believe it’s worth every bit of effort.
If you are interested in learning more about these topics and exploring ways to connect generations at church and at home, I invite you to reach out and let’s start a conversation. Send your questions, your frustrations, your skepticism, and your anticipation and let’s work together to build communities of faith integrated with one another and growing in a rich relationships of lifelong faith formation.
ReFocus Reflections Interview Series!
ReFocus Reflections features 30-minute interviews packed with practical tips, tricks, and resources on relevant topics for intergenerational ministry. Each episode brings you insights from esteemed guests including biblical scholars, practitioners, and ministers such as Kaitlyn Scheiss, Dr. Carmen Imes, Dr. Henry Zonio, and many more.
We are excited to invite you to sign up for our Patreon amount which gives you exclusive access to the full interview series as well as other incredible benefits.
We offer three tiers of membership, each with its own set of benefits:
- Basic Tier ($5/month): Access to all ReFocus resources, first dibs on free resources, roundtables, scholarships, cohorts, and webinars, plus access to the ReFocus Reflections Interview Series.
- Partner Tier ($7/month): Includes all Basic Tier benefits plus access to our Connect Generations Ministry Assessment Tool ($99 value – does not include follow-up coaching)
- Champion Tier ($10/month): Includes all benefits from the Basic and Partner Tiers plus an annual 60 Minute coaching session.
We are excited about all this new platform has to offer especially these phenomenal interviews with biblical scholars and ministry leaders.
Who do YOU want to hear from? Send your interview suggestions our way! Simply email christina@refocusministry.org with the name, contact info, and reason you think ReFocus followers need to hear from them!
LAST CALL: Fall 2024 ReFocus Cohort!
We are ready to put together our ReFocus Ministry Cohort for Fall 2024 and would love to have you be a part of this transformational experience!
*Who should join?* – ReFocus cohorts are appropriate for anyone serving in a ministerial context. The 12-week program includes weekly Zoom meetings, resources and materials for study, access to the Connect Generations Ministry assessment, and ongoing coaching for the participant and/or their church.
*Why should you join?* – If we keep doing what we’ve always done, we will always get what we’ve always got. If you are ready to think beyond the “church growth box” and move into the “make lifelong disciples” culture, this is the place for you. It’s not church as usual – it’s understanding the culture we are in, the practice of spiritual formation, and the formation of faith across generations rather than in siloed ministry areas.
*How to I join?* – Simply fill out the interest form linked here and we will reach out with more details and information on who to join this cohort!
About the Founder of ReFocus Ministry
Christina Embree is the founder and director of ReFocus Ministry. She holds a masters in ministry focused on Children, Youth, and Family Ministry and a doctorate in spiritual formation with a focus on age segregation and intergenerational ministry.
In addition to coaching churches of multiple denominations and traditions all around the globe, Christina serves as the Minister of Generational Discipleship for the Great Lakes Conference of the Brethren in Christ and as Next Gen pastor at Open Door Church in Lexington, Kentucky.
She is widely recognized as a speaker and author in the areas of generational discipleship, intergenerational ministry, and family ministry. As the mother of three children, she is familiar with the challenges of faith at home and pastoral ministry. She along with her husband Luke share a love for the church, their community, and the global work of peace and restoration through Jesus.
Interested in having Christina visit your church, speak at your conference, or coach your team?
Christina speaks on a wide range of topics related to children, youth, and family ministry with a unique focus on connecting generations for discipleship within your church. Her personalized approach allows you to pinpoint the needs of your community and gain the insight that you are looking for. Whether this is a volunteer team training and pastoral staff meeting or a ministerial conference, her experience and knowledge will help you determine the next step forward in creating lifelong disciples.
