Wendy Claire Barrie

If you are interested in intergenerational ministry, you’re going to want to sepnd some time with this seven-page report from CoGenerate . In Fall 2024 , they teamed up with YouGov, an international research and anylytics company, for a study of 1500 adults in the US about their religious/spiritual communities, their interaction with older and younger people, and their views on building connections across different age groups. The survey was nationally representative by gender, age, race, education and political affiliation.

As an organization dedicated to the idea that together, different generations can help one another and combine talents for the greater good, CoGenerate was curious about how this potential might be realized in faith communities, and how religious leaders might help them interpret the data they collected. The report synthsizes the research and conversations with more than 40 leaders, both lay and clergy, ranging in age from 20 to 85.

The path toward intergenerational connection and collaboration –

what we call cogeneration – isn’t about replicating successful models

from other contexts but about discerning which principles and practices

can take root in your community’s particular soil.

To help congregations have meaningful conversations about the study’s four key insights on
 culture, conflict, power, and relationship, CoGenerate has developed an excellent downloadable discussion guide with case studies. The question that I find myself asking most often is this:

How could worship, learning, service, and spiritual formation be designed so that cogeneration isn’t an add-on but becomes integral to community life?

I’m eager to explore this report in my ministry context, and to hear what excites you about the possibilities for your congregation.

Wendy Claire Barrie is Canon for Intergenerational Ministries at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, Washington.