Symposium on Faith Formation - Avon, Connecticut

On Wednesday, October 9 I packed my car and headed off to Avon, Connecticut to attend a symposium on Faith Formation.  

This symposium was pointed out to me by a fellow youth worker friend of mine in Alberta. 

Faith formation of all our church members has always been something that interests me, and this symposium seemed to offer things I had not experienced before.   

It would take about 7 hours to drive there, and the weather was wet and windy on the way up. 

I like historical plaques (just one of those things) so here's one for you to read if you like them too.  

Rest stop.  

So you know that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow thing? 

Not true...I drove up to the end of the rainbow (neat picture actually) and there was no gold.

All my childhood hopes and dreams dashed.  

  

Eventually the rain cleared and the drive was beautiful.  

The mountains were amazing.  

The colours were still evident on the trees too. 

Wonderful drving.  

I love driving. 

Very relaxing.  

A truck ramp on the hills to help trucks stop that have lost their brakes.  

Not a great feeling. 

I finally arrived at the Avon Inn.  

No connection to any Avon products apparently, but a beautiful place to hold a symposium nonetheless.  

The weather was very pleasant and warm.  

Hey, there's my cute little car.  : ) 

The inside of this Inn was stunning.  

Our room.  

I ended up sharing this with Ron, from Alberta. 

He wasn't coming in till late Wed night, so I ordered room service.  

The next day our symposium began.

It was open to 100 people, and filled up. 

It was put on by the Catholic church. 

They are much farther ahead when it comes to faith formation of children, which was the real focus of this symposium.  

The organizer and one of the speakers, John.  

We had to read one of his books as the introduction to the symposium.  

So, rooming assignments seemed to be fluid for this conference.  

I knew I was bunking with Ron (left, and yes he has the same name as me) but then Marc showed up and discovered his hotel booking was a month off and already passed (September)  so he was bed-less.  We took him in.  He slept on a cot.  Real cozy in this room.  : ) 

All meals were included in the symposium, once it began.  

A wonderful atmosphere.  

Amazing food as well.  

Just a sample.  Salmon, chicken, soups, etc.  

Gourmet chef and it was noticed.  

Marc giving his usual deer in the headlight look, and Ron, as always, checking his phone.  

All of us gathered together enjoying a breakfast meal I think.  I decided that this symposium I would branch out and meet some new people.  Not in my DNA to do actually, but I did and it was a rich experience.  

Many wonderful Catholic brothers and sisters with a heart to reach children with the gospel.  

So this was a symposium, NOT a conference. There is a difference.  At a conference you listen to speakers, take breaks, listen to more speakers, take notes, etc.  

Here we listened to a couple of speakers, but for the most part we met in smaller group and shared ideas about faith formation and used those ideas as the springboard for more discussion.  

I really liked this format. 

I hope to go to other symposiums. 

They are much more stimulating.  

Breakfast.

Yummy.  : ) 

A wonderful room to fellowship in over a meal. 

And the outside scenery was amazing too. 

Here's our group of youth ministry people doing a discussion on faith formation to teens.  

A great group to get to know.  

Each evening, the CRC contingent met for "debriefing"  : )  in the on site pub.  Quite loud actually.  

Before I knew it, it was time to head back home. 

In the rain AGAIN!  hmmmmm

Here's where Ron and I had breakfast before the symposium began.  A cute little place.  Great food.  

I love Dunkin Donuts, so had to stop there as well for a donut...or two.  

The rain eventually stopped and the drive home was equally beautiful. 

All in all it was a great and enjoyable conference.  
I will share my thoughts about faith formation and intergenerational ministry, and how we are doing at Calvin on this issue, in Calvin's CCE as a document.  
I have included it below as well 
(sorry about formatting issues).  
Feel free to interact with that document by emailing me at youthpastor@calvincrc.ca 

Intergenerational Ministries at Calvin CRC – So What? 

Prepared by Commissioned Pastor Ron. 

Introduction:

In October, I [Pastor Ron], attended a Symposium on Intergenerational Ministries and faith formation.  I blogged the event, but am posting this summary article as a follow-up to that Symposium.  Over the years of my ministry as a Youth Pastor, I have come to see that Youth Ministry involved the whole congregation.  In that it is really Intergenerational Ministry, with Youth Ministry fit into the framework.  Youth Ministry, isolated and insular is not holistic ministry.  It never has been, nor should it ever be.  As such, I put together these pages for you here at Calvin to read, consider, interact with and hopefully continue to move forward in with my help and that of our future Lead Pastor.   I have gleaned information from various web sites [and there are many now on this subject] from discussions that took place at the Symposium, and thoughts that I have come to adopt over the years as I continue in the area of youth ministry.  I hope you are blessed, encouraged, and challenged by what follows.  

Context:

Ø  Through God’s grace over the past 2000 years, the Christian faith has been passed on from generation to generation – right down to us. This has happened quite naturally through the centuries via the strength of the family structure, but in recent decades this pattern has been interrupted:

Ø  Denominations are experiencing declining membership

Ø  Children baptized in church have not always grown to adult faith maturity and retained active participation in the life of congregations.

Ø  For a time, churches observed people drifting away from church life during their teenage years but often they would re-evaluate their priorities as they married and raised their own children. Their faith was important enough to them to want their children brought up in the faith, so they would return to an active church life. However this trend is also diminishing. By the time children are on the scene, often the parents have been away from church for so long there is little lingering sense of their faith being important in their life.

Ø  When things get difficult in an organization (voluntary or employment) Baby Boomers stay and complain, Millennials just leave. Churches cannot afford to ignore the values of this upcoming generation.

Ø  Churches have been asking: what are the key factors in nurturing faith in young people? How is faith passed on from generation to generation? How do we help our children and youth grow to a mature adult faith?

Throughout Scripture there is a pervasive sense that all generations were typically present when faith communities gathered for worship, for celebration, for feasting, for praise, for encouragement, for reading of Scripture, in times of danger, and for support and service. . . . To experience authentic Christian community and reap the unique blessings of intergenerationality, the generations must be together regularly and often—infants to octogenarians.  (Allen and Ross, 84)

ü  In rural churches, intergenerational ministry happens organically in some cases.  Families are closely connected.  In urban churches this is harder to foster, but not impossible.

ü  The more I do youth ministry, the more I am convinced it takes a village to raise a child.

ü  We have segregated out our children and at times that is warranted, but often times it has worked against holistic faith formation.

What is Intergenerational Ministry?

There is advice for congregations and families on passing on the faith so that church members, children in particular, remain active and joyful in their faith. However, it does not advocate a program or a set of steps for guaranteed success in passing on the faith. Rather the approach is a mindset, a perspective, taking on our God-given role in God’s family as faith-nurturers for other people.

All the research clearly points us back to the family as the primary place where children ‘catch’ the faith.

“Understanding that the first third of life is a primary time for coming to faith, congregational ministry equips families to pass on faith in the home and in daily life”

Closely linked to the family is the congregation, providing both a support base for parents and grandparents as they pass on the faith to their children and grandchildren; as well as a place where children and youth and people of all ages are accepted, welcomed and encouraged to participate and live out their growing faith.

I would add here our rich history of Christian schools and how this is also linked to the family.   We have likened this relationship to a 3-legged stool [Home – Church – School]  and if all are working well we are providing holistic nurture to our children when it comes to faith formation. 

Key Concepts

To help set the focus for Intergenerational Ministry it’s recommends that families and congregations keep in mind five principles of nurturing faith:

Faith is formed by the power of the Holy Spirit through personal, trusted relationships, often in our homes. “While parents are key influencers upon the faith and values of their children and young people, non-parent adults also have a very important role to play. These can include other relatives, teachers or older Christians from their church who know and value them, youth workers and mentors.

The church is a living partnership between the ministry of the congregation and the ministry of the home.  “On the one hand, the faith life of the home both deeply influences congregational vitality and is a vital component of the collective congregational ministry. On the other hand, the Christian household needs the nurturing ministry of the wider congregation in order to live and grow faithfully.”

Where Christ is present in faith, the home is church, too.  “God is at work in the “little church” of the family – in that community of people who know more of our weaknesses and frailties than anybody else – to mold us as his people.” “God gives to us the most immediate opportunities for Christian love and service in and through our very own homes! In the household we have innumerable opportunities to serve, to forgive, to listen, to care, to encourage.”

Faith is caught more than it is taught. “The practices of faith – worship, prayer, fellowship, service, stewardship, fidelity and vocation – cannot be grasped in a classroom. They are caught through observing and practicing alongside others who are farther along in the journey of faith.”

If we want Christian children and youth, we need Christian adults and parents. “Forming faith in children and youth involves tending and developing the whole congregation as an interconnected, interdependent system of relationships, interactions and activities. No group or area of congregational life is unimportant to the whole-congregational endeavour of child, youth and family ministry.“ “Adult faith development is a particularly vital part of a congregation’s faith formation ecosystem. While much effort is poured into child and youth ministry in many congregations, adult faith formation is often assumed. But is that assumption a reasonable one?  If North American research is anything to go by, perhaps not!”

Do not forget your single young adults, widows and widowers when doing intergenerational ministry.  One element that came out for me during the IG symposium I attended was the talk about family, family, family.  I challenged that by asking what about single YA, etc.  Got some push back from that, but many saw this as a weakness in their churches as they implemented intergenerational ministries.  I believe it is. 

Where does one start?

Start by assessing the current conditions. The leadership needs to prayerfully and honestly assess current ministry practices and motives, including examining how deeply age-stratified ministry is valued among the leadership and members of the congregation and how open the church will be to change.

Begin with existing structures. Intergenerational ministry is context-specific and should be customized to fit a particular church’s history, culture, location, staff, and vision – it is not “one size fits all.” Churches that have been successful started with what they were already doing well in one of the ministries of the church, then asked, “Since this is already good (or even great), what would it take to move to the next level and use this to become intergenerational?” Identify key influencers in the congregation who already have an intergenerational mindset and enlist their help.

Establish Intergenerational Community as a Core Value Intergenerational is not something churches do–it’s something they become. The findings emphasize that becoming intergenerational is nothing short of a paradigm shift, and the whole church must value intergenerational relationships and community at a core philosophical level. This shift requires that all of the leaders of the church (not just the youth leader) buy into the value of intergenerational ministry and commit to changing the culture of the church over the long haul.

Keep Intergenerational Values in Balance with Age-Specific Ministry.  Establishing intergenerational community does not mean eradicating age-specific ministries. As important as it is to embrace intergenerational values at a core level, it’s also important to keep that in balance with age-specific ministry. We need to realize that exclusively age-specific ministry may be “working” to varying degrees, but has not proven sustainable for ongoing transmission of faith among young adults who have grown up exclusively in youth ministries. At the same time, all ages still need their own space to grow and develop at their own pace. Everyone needs to be part of a web of relationships that includes their peers AND members of other generations.

Be Intentional and Strategic.   Do not try to reinvent everything at once–start small and avoid big sweeping program changes, particularly before there is adequate ownership of the vision on the part of all stakeholders. Celebrate little wins. Tell stories of success to encourage the congregation and build momentum. A positive comment from a student about an older adult, or vice versa, is a win! An adult learning a kid’s name and saying hi to them in the fellowship hall is a win!

Consider ways to build relationships between all combinations of children, teenagers, singles, parents, empty-nesters and senior adults. Try integrating intergenerational relational opportunities in small groups, Sunday school, Bible studies, outreach events, mission trips, and special programs.

Hindrances that can prevent Intergenerational Ministry:

It’s only a method, not a value.  The area of greatest caution raised by all of the panelists deals with the failure to fully embrace an intergenerational paradigm at the core philosophical level. Too many times churches try to do intergenerational rather than become intergenerational. So often churches fail to keep momentum going and as a result, “intergenerational” is only a temporary emphasis or strategy, rather than a culture shift.

Generations lack understanding of each other.  Another common error is that churches often set up ministry opportunities that force youth and adults together without adequately preparing and equipping them for the experience. For instance, an intergenerational mission trip requires a lot of framing for the adults to understand that the goals and expected outcomes are going to be different when kids are involved. The same applies to trying to incorporate kids and adults into small groups together.

The congregation lacks understanding of biblical emphasis on intergenerational community.  Often members of the congregation are not aware of the strong biblical foundations of intergenerational ministry. But without a clear Biblical ecclesiology that drives older generations to invest in younger generations, intergenerational ministry will stall out.

Don’t start by immediately adding new programs.  In fact, some leaders have found that they can de-program various aspects of ministry in ways that open up space for kids/families to engage together. For instance, one church decided this year during Lent to consolidate all of their mid-week programs into one big community gathering.  They share a meal, worship together, then discuss content, pray, or serve together in small intergenerational groups.  Small, even short-term programming changes can often pay big dividends for churches and ministries.

With all this background information I can say that over the years Calvin has become more intergenerational in nature.  Have we adopted this sort of ministry as a core value?  Maybe indirectly, but not formally.  Should we?  That’s for a broader discussion I think. 

What is Calvin doing currently?

I can say that we do offer/do many good things that are intergenerational in nature at the moment.  Things like:

Ø  Intergenerational Mission Trips – we used to just offer youth group mission trips, but over the years we have incorporated moms and dads, grandparents, and others in the congregation. 

Ø  Youth and Seniors soup and buns and games after church – trying to mix the generations

Ø  Children’s times during church – specifically having children pray for those going out on mission work, or blessing them in the various ministries they are involved in.  (eg: Having children and Elders lay hands on Hannah as she prepared to leave for YWAM). 

Ø  We include our children during communion now.  They come up from Church School. 

Ø  Youth and adults in praise teams

Ø  Having youth in grades 9 – 12 partnered with an adult mentor in Calvin’s congregation.  We are into year 2 now of this.  We have made this a natural part of the youth ministry cycle.

Ø  Intergenerational Christmas Parties – again trying to mix the generations. 

Ø  Intergenerational Catechism – we used to hold this on Sunday mornings, but it has become dormant at the moment.  It could come back. 

In my time at Calvin, I have tried to slowly incorporate more intergenerational elements into the fabric of our faith community.   I think this has made Calvin a healthier place for faith formation and more appealing to those “church shopping” for lack of a better word.  The challenge has been to change our mindset when it comes to incorporating people into our faith community.  I think we have mostly thought of people coming into a faith community with the timeline of:  Believe [then] Behave [then] Belong, when the more natural flow could be?  Belong (we welcome) [then] Behave (we disciple) [then] Believe (people live out their faith, maybe for the first time in their lives). 

Syd Heilima has been hired by the CRCNA to work more on the elements of faith formation in the CRC and I look forward to hearing more from him. 

What can Calvin continue to think about?

However, there are many other things we can consider when it comes to concrete intergenerational faith formation within Calvin’s Faith Community right now.  Things like: 

Ø  A one day or weekend intergenerational Learning Opportunity day(s) in our own city.  We go out and serve in Ottawa (the same as we do with our Special Needs SERVE) and then come back and share a meal together talking about how these experiences have changed US. 

Ø  Profession of faith can be done differently. It can become a family event, and/or we can incorporate a mentor roll with existing mentors in our youth ministry model. 

Ø  Having seniors/adults come to youth group/Sunday School  and share their stories of faith and life. 

Ø  Having stories of faith and life communicated during our morning services, with our children still in the service. 

Ø  Volunteer intern positions in various committees in our church (eg: Ministry Board has one at the moment)

Ø  Having families greet on Sunday mornings, not just individuals.

Ø  Have families prepare elements for communion, under the leadership/guidance of the elders of the church.

Ø  Intergenerational Seder Supper [we used to do this]

Ø  Calvin’s APP – [Anonymous Pen Pal’s].  Stay tuned for this to surface in the new year.  : )

Ø  And there are many more…………………….

Concluding thoughts

There are many things that have been/could be considered to help make Calvin’s faith formation more holistic and assist in making our faith “stick” at all age levels. 

Has this been easy over the years?  Not always. 

Have we been successful all the time?  No. 

Are we a church that is simply doing intergeneration ministry, but not an intergenerational church?  I think we are moving forward, but still have a ways to go. 

However, the thing to keep in mind is to keep trying and to keep being persistent.   If you wish to discuss this issue further, connect with an elder, or contact me anytime.  I’d love to chat about ways we can make faith formation for ALL exciting and continuous.  

Commissioned Pastor Ron Hosmar