Cory Seibel, PhD, presenter

Each generation

develops a unique

composed

of

.

• Interactive

• Active

• Reactive

• What events or

experiences most

significantly shaped

your generation?

• What music or

movies most closely

represent your

generation?

The complexity of intergenerational relations has been heightened by the fact that so many generations are living together at the same time, a result of the increased life expectancy of our population.

“[W]hat pleases one generation often doesn’t

satisfy the next generation, much less the third,

fourth, or fifth….generations have different

preferences for how they worship, learn, lead,

relate, do ministry, and interact with one another.

They have different personal preferences and

lifestyles, styles of music, and attire.” ~E. H. Hammett & J. R. Pierce, Reaching People under 40 While Keeping People over 60: Being

Church for All Generations (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2007), p. 30

Potential Points of Intergenerational Tension

Music Leadership

Sacred Space Mission

Appropriate Dress Programs

Segmented and targeted

groups of consumers with a

shared identification by age,

gender, race, socioeconomic

standing. ~G. Rendle, The Multigenerational Congregation: Meeting the

Leadership Challenge (Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 2002) 19.

“[C]ongregations

have been caught in

the awkward

position of being

‘impure markets’ in

a time when people

have come to

expect that attention

will be given to

their differences.” ~Rendle

DISCUSSION:

• Where have you seen

challenges arise

between generations

in the church?

• How have you been

personally impacted

by these experiences?

DEFINITION:

An ability to reflect and act with an

awareness of our own and others’

generational identities.

1. As leaders, we find ourselves confronted with

generational differences within the church.

2. As leaders, we have been shaped by a particular

generational experience that influences how we

perceive, feel about, and behave toward others.

To lead our churches

effectively, we likely

will need to discover

how to navigate the

generational dynamics

that we encounter

within our churches and

within ourselves.

These categories are derived from David Livermore’s Cultural Intelligence framework.

Generational

Artifacts:

Pop culture,

clothing, language,

organizations, etc. Generational

Values &

Assumptions:

Unconscious,

taken-for-granted

beliefs,

perceptions, and

feelings.

1. Becoming aware

2. Empathizing with the Other

3. Monitoring my internal and external World

4. Seeking information to confirm or negate my interpretations

1. Assimilate

2. Accommodate

3. Immunize

Perseverance GQ refers to our level of interest, drive, and motivation to adapt in intergenerational situations.

1. Preparation

2. Encounter

3. Transformation

As we accept one another “as Christ has accepted [us]”, we are provided “a new orientation”, one that “opens us up for others as they really are so that we gain a longing for and an interest in them.” This invites us beyond friendship “within a closed circle of the faithful and pious,” toward “open friendship” with those who are different than ourselves.

~ Moltmann, The Open Church: Invitation to a Messianic Life-style (London: SCM Press, 1978) pp. 30-31, 60-61

Type 1 Behaviours:

Those of the Other that

annoy or confuse us.

Type 2 Behaviours:

Our behaviours that

might annoy or confuse

the other.

Our new identity

in Christ calls us

beyond “clean”

identities that

group “us” over

against “them”. ~M. Volf, Exclusion and

Embrace: A Theological

Exploration of Identity, Otherness

, and Reconciliation (Nashville:

Abingdon Press, 1996), p. 126

This concept is inspired by Dan Sheffield, The Multicultural Leader: Developing a Catholic Personality (Robert D. Clements, 2005)

“The business of the body of Christ is to build bridges between the generations, and the wood used for the bridge is the cross of Christ.” ~ P. G. Hill. “”Youth and Family Ministry as Congregational and Community Renewal,” 162

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