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Intergenerational Worship Summit invites churches to grow together in faith across generations

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By Alison Burdett

Around tables at Calvary United Methodist Church in Annapolis, participants compared colored cards representing their generations, from the Silent Generation to Generation Alpha, and introduced themselves not by their titles or ministries, but by the gifts they bring. One person shared a talent for organizing. Another loved decorating. Others spoke of music, reading aloud or simply listening well.

It was an intentional way to begin the Peninsula-Delaware and Baltimore-Washington Episcopal Area's first Intergenerational Worship Summit on June 27. Before discussing children's ministry or worship styles, participants were reminded that every person, regardless of age, brings gifts that help form the body of Christ.

Participants were soon asked another question: "What is one thing you know about God from your life?" As they paused to reflect and then listened to one another's answers, it became clear that every person in the room, regardless of age, had a story to tell about God's faithfulness. The conversations set the tone for a day centered on listening, learning, collaboration and discovering the gifts every generation brings to the life of the church.

The summit is one expression of Growing Together in Faith, an Area-wide initiative designed to help churches cultivate intergenerational worship through coaching, collaborative learning, resource development and congregational partnerships. Launched through a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., Growing Together in Faith seeks to create lasting cultural change by helping congregations become places where children, youth, adults and older adults participate fully in worship, discipleship and the life of the church together.

Rather than creating another children's ministry program or asking churches to adopt a one-size-fits-all worship model, the initiative encourages congregations to learn from one another, experiment with new practices and discover how every generation can contribute to worship in meaningful ways.

The initiative resonated with attendees like Deaconess Colleen Moskov, director of intergenerational ministries at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Easton. Because her ministry includes everyone from children in Sunday school to older adults through visitation, she came to the summit looking for practical ways to strengthen those connections. "I'm looking for how to connect those things in really meaningful ways," she said, "so every generation can grow in faith together."

Throughout the day, participants were invited not only to listen to presenters, but also to reflect, discuss and imagine how these ideas could take root in their own congregations. Before the keynote session began, they considered questions such as, "How does intergenerational worship look in your church now?" and "When different generations worship together, it usually feels..." Later, before departing, they were challenged to identify "one small action your church could take in the next month to strengthen connections across generations in worship." Those questions reinforced that the summit was intended to spark ongoing transformation rather than provide a single day's worth of inspiration.

The theological foundation for that work was established during morning worship by the Rev. Wanda Bynum Duckett.

In a sermon titled Catch These Hands, Bynum Duckett preached from 1 Timothy 4, reflecting on the relationship between Paul and Timothy and reminding participants that discipleship has always been rooted in relationships across generations.

Drawing from her own ministry journey, she shared how mentors had shaped her faith and leadership through prayer, encouragement and the laying on of hands. Now, as she prepares to follow a pastor nearly three decades younger than herself, she finds herself once again learning from someone in a different season of life.

"At any given time," she said, "we may be Paul the teacher, and at any given time we may be Timothy the student."

The church, she suggested, flourishes when every generation is willing to become both teacher and learner. Her message became the theological thread that carried through the day's keynote, workshops and conversations.

Keynote speaker Dr. Valerie Grissom challenged participants to rethink what intergenerational worship truly means. Rather than viewing worship as a program designed primarily for one age group, she described it as the shared work of the whole people of God.

"Worship tells God's story," Grissom said, encouraging leaders to think beyond attendance or programming and instead focus on participation.

Throughout her presentation, she returned to three guiding questions participants could carry back to their congregations: What did you notice? Who can you bring along? How can you remain open to the gifts already present within your community?

For Grissom, intergenerational worship is not about making every generation equally happy. It is about creating opportunities for every generation to participate in God's story together.

The afternoon sessions shifted from theology to practice.

During a mini learning lab on listening to children, participants reflected on times they had felt genuinely heard and considered what made those experiences meaningful. They then turned the conversation toward children, asking how churches might better listen to the voices, questions and experiences of their youngest disciples before designing worship for them.

Six workshops allowed participants to explore different aspects of intergenerational ministry, including crafting worship that connects across generations, youth leadership in worship, extending worship into the home, lament with children and youth, and practical first steps for congregations beginning the journey.

Anthony Rogers of Ministry Architects encouraged leaders to think less about pleasing every age group and more about forming disciples across generations. Rather than overhauling worship overnight, he challenged churches to begin with small, intentional changes that invite broader participation and build momentum over time.

The workshops resonated with participants of every age, including 10-year-old Rhys Filano, who attended the Starting Small: Designing an Intergenerational Element workshop. As one of the youngest participants at the summit, Rhys was not simply observing the conversation. He was contributing to it. Reflecting on one of the workshop activities, he described an idea that invited worshippers to build something together over time as they recognized the work of the Holy Spirit, illustrating how simple, interactive elements can engage people of every age.

For many attendees, the workshops transformed broad concepts into practical ideas they could imagine using in their own congregations. Liz Atwood was one of them. Rather than leaving with abstract concepts, she found herself imagining ways to use unconventional materials, such as Lego blocks or Play-Doh, to invite broader participation in worship. "It was fun," she said. "It's something we could use to get everybody involved in the church service."

Whatever their starting point, participants repeatedly returned to one central insight: intergenerational worship is not simply about including children. It is about recognizing that every generation bears gifts God intends for the whole church.

That conviction lies at the heart of Growing Together in Faith.

Over the coming months, participating congregations will continue learning through coaching relationships, collaborative cohorts and shared resources, testing ideas in their own contexts and learning from one another along the way. Churches interested in participating in the Growing Together in Faith CoLaboratory can contact the Growing Together in Faith team at to learn more about upcoming coaching opportunities, collaborative learning experiences and resources for implementing intergenerational worship.

As participants left Calvary UMC at the end of the day, they carried home more than workshop notes and new ideas. They left with questions they were encouraged to continue asking in their own congregations.

  1. What gifts are already present among us?
  2. Who might we invite into leadership?
  3. And what might God reveal when every generation has a voice in telling God's story?

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