AN intergenerational church “intentionally brings the generations together in mutual serving, sharing or learning within the core activities of the church in order to live out being the body of Christ to each other and the greater community.” This definition gives a clear location of where our intergenerational relationships take place: within the core activities of the church.
Looking at a sample of congregational websites, parish profiles or church magazines quickly reveals that the activities of most congregations are currently divided by age. It is often called the ‘one-eared Mickey Mouse’ model: imagine a Venn diagram showing the relationship between activities for children and young people and activities for the wider congregation. It looks like a Mickey Mouse with one ear chopped off: the congregation is represented by the head, while the youth programme is represented by the remaining ear.