2024 Note: The UUA's Lifespan Faith Engagement team is exploring a Whole Church approach to Multigenerational Ministry. Please stay tuned!
Many Unitarian Universalist congregations and communities are embracing multigenerational ministry. We are talking about a ministry that brings all of our people together, regardless of age; a congregational life where all are welcomed, included, and encouraged to lead and participate at any age. When we bring the ages together to minister to and with each other--children, youth, young adults, emerging adults, the middle aged, older adults and elders--we build a whole community, not fractured or siloed by age.
Multigenerational? Intergenerational? What’s the difference?
"Intergenerational" typically describes an interaction between people of two different generations: an adult teacher working with a child in a religious education class, a Baby Boomer minister offering pastoral care to a Gen X parent, a grandparent and a young adult engaged in a mentor/mentee relationship. We need these intergenerational connections as well as multigenerational connections (among three or more generations) to help our congregations thrive.
Learn More About Multigenerational Ministry
Multigenerational ministry is important for many reasons.
Everyone benefits from multigenerational ministry.
Multigenerational ministry can take many forms.
There are many ways congregations are implementing multigenerational ministry.
Call and Response
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Joy Berry Children Families SpecialistFrom Call and ResponseThe Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is pleased to announce they have hired Joy Berry as the Children and Families Faith Development Specialist, starting January 23. The position has been re-established as part of the Lifespan Faith Engagement (LFE) team to fully integrate the needs of...
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Parenting with HeartbreakFrom Call and ResponseI often go to bed during this pandemic wondering if my heart can hurt anymore. Then I wake up and see the news and my heartache continues. I wonder what to say to my children. What do I say to my little one, versus what I say to my teens about the state of our country?...
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American Willing to ListenFrom Call and ResponseAn old activist friend of mine, Fran Peavey, used to travel the world’s benches in the 1970s and 80s with a simple sign that read, "American Willing to Listen." We’d be looking at a different political landscape now if only more of us had. Flying home from a recent trip, I couldn’t reach any...