Intergenerational Worship – A Primer

Thanks to Sarah Bentley Allred from Building Faith for sharing this Great Idea – and full-blown resource – in her November 05, 2025, article: Hallmarks of Intergenerational Worship: Dignified Reciprocity.

Allred identifies ‘five characteristics or “hallmarks” of intergenerational worship: intentionality, relationality, dignified reciprocity, flexibility, and empowerment‘.

In her article, Allred:

  • defines these terms;
  • offers tips for building them into the relationships, systems, and leadership of worship;
  • suggests ways to ‘address generational power imbalances’;
  • offers practical steps to increase dignified reciprocity.

Please read the full article here.

For an example of highly engaged intergenerational worship, I encourage you to view any given Sunday of worship at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis.

A major bonus to developing a culture of intentionality, relationality, dignified reciprocity, flexibility, and empowerment in order to more fully engage all ages, is that this same culture and these same strategies open up equitable engagement for all peoples often left on the margins of our shared times together!

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Interested in developing more intergenerational worship, shifting the congregational culture around young people – and their full participation and leadership – in worship, and/or decision-making and resources for more intergenerational worship? Please contact Rev. Emily Meyer!