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Intergenerational Ministry

3 Intergenerational Easter Activities for the Young and Young at Heart

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This Easter, bring together young and old with these intergenerational activities to celebrate the risen Christ.

intergenerational easter

Reflect together on God’s power to bring life from death, hope from hopelessness. Any of these activities can be adapted for the home or the church. Get creative and relish new life that is all around us as spring comes into being fully once again.

Share with all of us how you’re celebrating with your kids this Easter in the comments below!

intergenerational easter

3 Easy Intergenerational Easter Ideas

We hear from so many of our customers their desire to cultivate intergenerational connection in their faith families. This brings me joy because this approach to ministry is so spot on. Yet, having been in ministry for almost ten years, I know how difficult it can be to find activities that will serve a wide range of ages.

I hope these ideas make intergenerational connections easy this Easter in your community! Let’s jump right in. Learn how to facilitate spiritual growth, relationship building and theological discovery for you and yours with these simple ideas.

intergenerational easter

Color together. We’ve got some really fun Easter coloring options this year. Looking for something super easy and relaxing to do? Snag some of our coloring sheets or posters! Use them in the home, during Sunday School or in worship. Consider putting together some discussion questions or pull from an Easter resource. Kids, both in body and heart, will enjoy this time together.

intergenerational easter

Go on a hike. Hiking is a fabulous intergenerational activity. Get outside together and search for resurrection in the natural world. As winter lifts and spring arrives. the Earth bursts with new life. It may be fun to collect the dead foliage and use it to make an art project. In doing so you’re giving new life and beauty to that which has ceased living.

intergenerational easter

Plant flowers. Gather seeds, cuttings or potted plants from a nursery, especially those that attract bees. Choose a location and dig in the dirt together. Do this at the church, in your neighborhood, at the homes of the elderly. Gardening is a wonderful intergenerational activity to welcome spring and give life. Discuss the Spirit of God at work in giving life to all of creation as you welcome spring together.

Easter Blessings

We hope you have a beautiful and rich Easter this year. And we hope that these three easy ideas help you form memories together while reflecting on the mysteries of God. And don’t forget! Tell us what you’re planning to do this Easter with your kids.

Intergenerational Ministry: 5 Reasons It’s Absolutely Essential for Church Health

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An intergenerational ministry is essential to church health. Read on and find out why we think it’s a must for a thriving community of faith.

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Also, if you’re in the market for great ways to foster intergenerational ministry in your church, take a look at our post here. How are you living out intergenerational ministry in your church? We’d love to hear in the comments below!

Intergenerational Ministry Provides Varied Leadership Perspectives

When your group of leaders has a diverse range of background and context, the same will be true of the wider church. And, as a result, your church will meet the needs of more demographics by way of intergenerational ministry.

This means your church will be prepared to potentially serve more people. And this will lead to a better retention rate of those coming through your doors. Additionally, people’s theological perspectives will be challenged and ideologies will be examined. Though this can cause some discomfort, it also facilitates spiritual growth and humility.

When building the leadership of your church, consider the age make-up at each level. Those invited to serve in a leadership capacity are more often than not, older adults. Each generation brings to the table a unique perspective. So, include a wide range of ages on governing bodies and ministry teams. Children, even if accompanied by a parent, can make fantastic leaders with creative ideas.

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Intergenerational Ministry Offers Fresh Ideas

Intergenerational ministry gives space for members of all ages to share what they hope for and imagine. First, when one age group is privileged over all others, things remain relatively constant. This is lovely and comfortable and nostalgic for that group. However, what has always been done is often not best for progress and church growth.

Each generation’s struggles are both unique and universal. As a result, commonality and difference are discovered when young, old, and all in between share their ideas together.

This is wonderful for several reasons. First, each generation learns something new. Second, creativity is given life. Third, never-before-imagined events are tried. Fourth, more people in the congregation take ownership of what takes place.

So, encourage all ages to share their ideas and give outlets for expression. Include individuals from a wide range of age groups in brainstorming sessions, for example. Alternatively, create mixed small groups or host a coloring night for all ages.

Ask children, youth, young adults, families, retirees, the elderly what they would love to see happen in the church. Will any church be able to give breath to all the ideas? No, yet some will make the cut. As a result, more people will feel valued and served.

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Intergenerational Ministry Includes the Marginalized

Many times, those not catered to in ministry have lost their voices. As a result, they don’t have a platform for sharing their hopes and needs. Therefore, the church isn’t able to see and hear the marginalized. This means they likely won’t stick around. And who can blame them for leaving?

Often, we speak of marginalization in terms of sexuality, gender, ability or ethnicity. Yet, marginalization happens around age, too. Routinely, faith communities exclude children, the elderly, single parents, and young unmarried professionals.

When practicing intergenerational ministry, the church hears and sees the marginalized. As a result, ministries transform to include those often left out of programmatic decisions. Also, more people connect to what the church has to offer.

God calls each gathering of Jesus followers to watch out for and cater to those on the edges. Marginalization almost always happens thoughtlessly. So, pay close attention to who your church includes most obviously. Then, stretch the boundaries.

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Intergenerational Ministry Creates Connections

We are communal creatures who have spent almost our entire history living in multigenerational groups. We thrive in this environment as we hear stories of where we’ve come from and who we are. Especially as families spread around the country and globe we lose this connection.

Churches, particularly those in suburban and urban locales, are a bunch of people from varied pasts and presents all gathering together.  As a result, one has the opportunity to know people one would never otherwise encounter if they’re a part of a church family.

When intergenerational ministry is done with intention, people from different generations make connections that would likely never occur outside the church.

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Intergenerational Ministry Fosters Spiritual Formation

Throughout scripture, faith is an intergenerational reality. The young and old learn from and care for each other. They challenge one another to release their assumptions, think differently, and to practice compassion. Even today, thousands of years later, we read the scriptures told and retold by our spiritual ancestors. It turns out that Bible reading itself is intergenerational.

In God’s family, there is no hierarchy of power. Consequently, no matter one’s age, we are all teachers and learners. We are co-creators with the Divine and with one another. God calls us to guide one another in love and humility, holding fast to the love of God as our rule.

How much deeper is a faith that is rooted in the experience of those who have lived before and in the experience of one’s own life? And how much value is in the life and developing ideals of a culture that has grown up after your own identity and perspective has hardened some?

We each bear God’s image. So, of course, we discover our connection to the Divine as we encounter one another. It’s as though we plant seeds in each other’s hearts and minds that give way to growth, beauty and even more seeds we can then plant in the world.

For even more reading about the value of intergenerational ministry head over here to the Fuller Youth Institute.

Your Guide to Hosting a Successful Adult Coloring Night at Your Church

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Do you want to host a successful adult coloring night at your church? In this post, we’ll profile a church that has used Illustrated Ministry’s coloring posters and hosted two successful adult coloring nights.

Adult Coloring Night at Church
Members of St. Paul Lutheran Church (Davenport, Iowa) color some Illustrated Earth Coloring Posters

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: Don’t have time to read this post right now? Want to download a resource guide that you can read later or share at your next staff meeting? Interested in three free coloring sheets? Click here to download your FREE resource guide and three coloring sheets.

I think it’s safe to say that the adult coloring craze is still a thing. Bookstores and publishers had predicted it would have been a thing of the past by now, but it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. It’s also safe to say that churches are generally a bit behind cultural trends, so it’s not surprising that I’ve just recently started to see more and more announcements about churches that are hosting adult coloring evenings. A few months ago, my mom told me that Book N Brush, the small bookstore in my hometown of Chehalis, Washington, was starting to host Coloring & Cocktails events. And it’s certainly not alone – bookstores and art studios and community centers around the country have begun hosting more and more adult coloring nights.

Now, if I’m being completely honest, if I had to choose between coloring at church or an event called Coloring & Cocktails…well, that’d be a tough choice. Or maybe your church has a more friendly alcohol-policy, and you can enjoy the best of both worlds.

But I digress.

Hosting a Successful Adult Coloring Night At Your Church: A Case Study

Adult Coloring Night at Church

A few weeks ago, I heard about a church in Davenport, Iowa that has hosted two successful adult coloring nights using our products, and I wanted to learn more about what they were doing that worked so well. I got in touch with their director of communication, Ann McGlynn, and she was kind enough to give us the who, what, where, when, why and how of their experience in hosting a successful adult coloring night at their church. With that, I’m going to hand it over to Ann, and let her share some of their church’s experiences with you.

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa • Adult Coloring Nights

With colored pencils in hand, a crew of adults ages 20-90, gathered together on a weekday evening to color. Starting with a short devotion centered on the story of creation, women and men spent about an hour and a half creating, snacking, and talking.

This coloring night has become a few-times-a-year event at St. Paul Lutheran in Davenport, Iowa. Using the Illustrated Ministry posters, it is a shared time of simple togetherness and meeting new friends.

St. Paul member Kit Whan suggested the church hold adult coloring nights. With a few supplies, a few cookies, an online signup for RSVP, and the posters, a beloved event was born. Approximately 30 people attended the Lenten and Illustrated Earth coloring events. Another adult coloring night is planned for Advent in early December.

Who attends the adult coloring nights? College students, people who regularly color as prayer time, people who say they don’t have an artistic bone in their body, artists and people who love anything to do with art. The age range really is from 20-90. Most attend St. Paul, others come after hearing about it from their friends.

What does it entail? A beginning devotion, coloring (with supplies provided, but some people bring their own tools), cookies made by an attendee who also owns a bakery, lemonade and ice tea, and about an hour and a half of time. We ask people to RSVP through our website. There is no fee and the church picks up the cost. We do not publicize outside of the church, but that could most definitely be done with a quick news release or flyer.

Where is it? In one of our church commons area, with round tables that seat about 6-8 people. The completed works are hung up in the same commons area for a couple of weeks.

When? An evening that works with our church calendar, 6:30 – 8pm.

Why? Togetherness. Fellowship. Getting to know others. Connecting with God through art.

“Adult coloring has become a beloved event at St. Paul. It’s a simple, easy, laid-back time that brings people with all sorts of different interests together. It’s particularly fun to watch people of all different ages interact and laugh with each other and share in each other’s lives,” said Ann McGlynn, director of communication, who helps coordinate the events.

Hands Coloring a Poster

Why does an adult coloring night work so well?

While I have been out of serving in full-time parish ministry for just over one year, the last seven years I worked in a church, one of the aspects that was always lacking was meaningful fellowship and community opportunities. Sure you could talk with people at coffee hour after worship, or there was the annual pancake breakfast the youth put on to raise money for their mission trip to Mexico, but it was always difficult to come up with fun and easy programs to bring people together and not add a huge burden onto the staff (who already have too much to do with the little time they have).

St. Paul isn’t the only church that has hosted an adult coloring night at their church, and they weren’t the first. But when you read the description of their event that Ann gave above, it’s easy to see why it sounds so appealing and why it has been so successful. People are being pulled in too many directions in their lives today, and honestly, the church often contributes to the laundry list of responsibilities, programs, meetings, groups and more that individuals and families have to deal with throughout the week.

And yet with these adult coloring nights, people are just asked to show up, to be present, and to engage in conversation and fellowship with one another. Yes, there is an opening devotion, and yes, someone has to figure out the cookies and lemonade. But it sounds like St. Paul has figured out how to put together a very successful adult coloring night without making it labor intensive or a frustrating experience to plan, and I’m excited that they’re already planning their third adult coloring night for Advent.

Click on the photos below to see some more shots from St. Paul’s Adult Coloring Night, using our Illustrated Earth Coloring Posters.

So, how do I host a successful adult coloring night?

Chances are high you have many people in your congregation who have already been to some type of an adult coloring activity, or at the very least, got an adult coloring book and some new colored pencils for Christmas last year or for their birthday. Figure out who those people are and start up the conversation about what it could look like to host an adult coloring night.

As you heard from Ann, you really don’t need to do much to prep for an adult coloring night. You’re going to need some colored pencils, crayons and markers (although, you should also encourage folks to bring their own as well) and you’re going to need something to color. I’ve included a couple free coloring sheets in the resource guide that you can download at the top or bottom of this post, and perhaps that will get you started. But one of the joys of this community experience is everyone being able to work to create something together.

That’s one of the reasons Illustrated Ministry started creating these large coloring posters. You can get many hands around each poster, each person getting to work on their own section. And that’s when the great conversations start. People huddled together, creating art together and engaging in each other’s lives in ways that they may not have before. We talk a bit about that in our video about why we think coloring is more than just a trend.

Of course, no church event would be complete without some food, so grab some lemonade, coffee or a more fancy adult beverage, if your church’s alcohol policy is a bit more lenient…and please check into it if you’re not sure…Illustrated Ministry cannot be held responsible for any trouble you might get into with your Church Board/Session if you don’t check. 🙂

Another thing I noticed was that St. Paul’s Adult Coloring Nights were based on a theme. They first did one during Lent, then they had a focus on creation with the Illustrated Earth Coloring Posters and now they will have another one for Advent. So, maybe you want to do something similar. Or find posters or coloring books all based on the same type of designs; maybe it’s animals and plants one time and mandalas the next time.

So, there you go. Get some coloring posters or books. Bring along crayons, markers and colored pencils. Get some food. Oh, and music. I always like a little background music for events like this. And think outside the box a little bit here. It doesn’t need to be Celtic Treasures or some other church music. I quite like coloring to Coldplay, The Martian Soundtrack, or anything by The Weepies. Actually, if you want some really great chill background music, be sure to check out Ásgeir’s album, In the Silence.

Alright, go host your own adult coloring night!

While there isn’t any one right way to host a successful adult coloring night at your church, I hope this post has given you some ideas to ponder. And now it’s up to you! Whether you use the free coloring sheets included in this post’s resource guide, you decide to look into some of our large coloring posters, or find your own materials, I hope you’ll consider how easy it can be to get adults together for a time of simply being together. And when you give people time to simply be together, you’ll be amazed at the new relationships that will form and the depth of conversation and relating with one another that will take place.

If you are looking for a few different large poster options that you could use, check out our links below. The only posters we have in stock to ship are our Illustrated Earth Coloring Posters. But the others are all available immediate via a digital download.

If you’ve hosted successful adult coloring nights at your church, please share your fun and creative ideas in the comments!

DON’T FORGET: Don’t forget to download your 16-page resource guide for learning how to host an adult coloring night at your church – you will also get three free coloring sheets.  Click here to download your FREE resource guide and three coloring sheets.

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Posted by Illustrated Ministry on Thursday, August 25, 2016