“inherited-tradition congregation”

For all kinds of reasons, many congregations have practiced a kind of generational segregation on Sunday morning. Some churches schedule Christian education sessions during worship so that families are split up during their hour at church. Some churches schedule different worship services for Boomers, Busters, and Gen X “audiences,” tailoring each

Congregations, and the leaders that serve them, need a shared vision for worship that is grounded in more than personal aesthetic tastes.

Encourage activities that prepare worshipers to be age-inclusive.

The “blended congregation” is one where a conscious effort is made to appeal to all the generations it encompasses.

Put more bluntly, the church is a franchise which provides religious services to its individual customers.

Avoid stereotypes. Surely you’ve heard the stereotypes about generational differences, and we all have a number of them floating around in our heads. “The children all prefer . . . “ “Twos are terrible.” “Youth all really like this better . . .” “Seniors always . . .”

Age-inclusive prayers are a must in age-inclusive worship.

“intergenerational” worship, while others prefer “multigenerational” worship. Throughout this book we have used both words and consider them to be roughly synonymous. Yet