Multi Generations of Families Built the Great Cathedrals?

Past Clare Eisenberg, Research Associate at Search Institute

As i of the few places where multiple generations from different families gather together (Azzopardi, 2018), religion communities are unique settings for relationship edifice. Plenty of scholars accept suggested that these relationships instill stronger faith in young people, ensure continued engagement in the congregation, or provide supports for families (e.k., Roberto 2007, Melton 2008).

Generally missing from these discussions, notwithstanding, are the voices of young people and documentation of the positive outcomes of multigenerational relationships that extend much further than the church, synagogue, or masjid walls.

Search Constitute is finishing a multi-yr study on religion-nurturing relationships within a diverse group of 13 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim congregations in Minnesota and North Carolina. This qualitative study explored the ways young people experience developmental relationships in their congregations. (Encounter box below for more details on the study.).

The 82 youth participants, ages 8 to 19, reported experiencing developmental relationships in their congregations with adults, elders, and peers in a multifariousness of roles including mentors, clergy, youth staff, other congregants, and family members. Youth made it clear that these developmental relationships not non only impacted their religion formation and memory. The relationships also made it easier for them to talk about faith with others, experience more confident and capable, make more choices aligned with their values, and take a stronger sense of agency as well as a deeper awareness of themselves in relation to others.

But maybe most chiefly, immature people reported enjoying and appreciating the opportunities for multi-generational experiences and human relationship-edifice in their congregations. In other words, non only practise immature people abound and develop through intergenerational relationships, they value and seek out these relationships.

"I like talking to youth, I like trusting and talking to the youth leaders. I similar learning from the actual adults, and I similar watching the childlike organized religion from the children." –Youth Participant

"Youth-friendly adults" and "adult-friendly youth"

Youth experienced faith-nurturing developmental relationships with a broad range of adults, elders, and youth within their congregations. Some of these "youth-friendly adults" had specific roles with youth, such as youth-facing clergy and staff, or volunteer mentors in the congregation. Others were congregation staff, family members, and people of all ages within the congregation. Youth reported developmental relationships in their congregations with pastoral or congregational care staff, friends' parents, and fifty-fifty "the adult female who sits behind united states." (Many youth also named their peers as people with whom they have faith-nurturing developmental relationships.)

Although adults—peculiarly those with formal roles—are often seen as the initiators of youth-adult relationships, these relationships are bi-directional. These adults are "youth-friendly adults," and the adults also expressed their appreciation for getting to know all the "adult-friendly youth."

"We take grandparents and the older people, nosotros have parents and those who mentor us, and we accept those who help forth, who are younger than you lot, and who are less far along in their faith." –Youth Participant

How do youth build multigenerational relationships in congregations?

"I talk to people who are eighty or so, and I talk to people way younger than me. I talk to everybody. It's like a family unit!" –Youth Participant

Informal fellowship fourth dimension

Youth often have opportunities to build relationships with people of different generations during informal fellowship time. Many spoke about meals together with the congregation community. Ane youth explained that although they are "unlike ages, unlike backgrounds, unlike everything," their shared organized religion provides "something to talk nigh and connect with" over meals. Another explained they promise "the older people in the community can bond with the teens" more often and that the elders could share stories and experiences from their younger days.

Intergenerational worship and holiday celebrations

Many youth brought up celebrating holidays equally an important part of their religious feel. One young person shared that attending iftar dinner during Ramadan was an opportunity to build relationships with people of all ages in their masjid, because everyone comes together to break their fast. Other young people provided examples of youth-focused worship services and youth-led worship services attended by all ages equally ways congregants connected across age. One congregation also provided multigenerational religious education courses open to people of all ages, encouraging youth and adults to learn together.

Family unit experiences

Participants shared examples of family-focused experiences through their congregations. These gatherings of multiple families allowed youth to get to know adults in the congregation exterior of their own families, or as one youth put information technology, "it's basically forming a relationship with everybody." Jewish youth specifically shared experiences with their chavurah, close-knit groups of family friends formed through their synagogues. These groups got together for meals, holidays, and other events outside the synagogue and likewise traveled together. I young person explained that traveling to Israel with their chavurah was "a really absurd bonding feel" because they "got to bond with the parents and the grandparents and the kids."

So, what can congregations (and other multigenerational youth-serving spaces) exercise to encourage intergenerational religion-nurturing developmental relationships among congregants?

This emerging inquiry reinforces the instance for intentional multigenerational relationship-building in congregations. Immature people's voices extend the importance of these relationships and offer some boosted starting points:

• Emphasize bi-directionality. Relationships happen between two or more people – encourage youth to be "developed-friendly" and adults to be "youth-friendly." Shift from a culture that has adults interim to or for youth to a culture that has youth and adults engaging with one another as equal contributors to the human relationship.
• Be intentional in making infinite and time for relationships. Create opportunities where multiple generations come together for fellowship, worship, celebration, service, and conversation. Encourage intergenerational storytelling and connecting.
• Value youth phonation. Give young people leadership roles, listen to their opinions and act on their feedback, and recognize them every bit active members of the congregation community.
• Call back outside the youth programme box. Include all adults and all youth in efforts to build intergenerational relationships, within and outside of youth programs. Remind adults that regardless of their role, immature people in the congregation value interacting with them. Remind youth that even if they practise not participate in youth programming, they can seek out relationships with adults in the congregation.

"We underestimate our role and our influence in the roles of young people and their faith formation. Whether or non we recollect we're involved, they're watching and listening and paying attention to what we're paying attention to. I think that that has been eye-opening to me and a reminder that what I do matters and what I say matters and how I interact with each one of them, it really matters." –Adult Participant

• Evaluate existing programming. Is the programming age-specific for a reason, or simply because "that's how it's done"? Are whatever age groups left out of programming? Consider expanding age-specific programs to include multiple ages wherever advisable.

We know developmental relationships are critical to youth evolution and atomic number 82 to a wide range of outcomes (e.g., Li and Julian 2012; Roehlkepartain, Pekel, Syvertsen, Sethi, Sullivan, & Scales 2017). This emerging research demonstrates that developmental relationships in faith communities are no exception, and intergenerational organized religion-nurturing relationships help immature people (and adults) thrive both within and exterior of their congregations.

Background on the Written report

Eighty-two youth betwixt the ages of 9 and 19 participated in focus groups or interviews. Youth participants were asked:

• Who were people in their lives with whom they had a positive relationship and who impacted their organized religion formation or spirituality?
• How did these people demonstrate in some way the elements of the Developmental Relationships Framework?
• How had they themselves inverse or grown as a upshot of these developmental relationships?
• What experiences had they had every bit part of the congregation?

Parenting adults, congregation lay leaders, and "relational exemplars" identified by youth also participated in interviews and focus groups to provide their perspectives on these topics. This project is supported by the Lilly Endowment. The consummate results of the study will exist released in the autumn of 2020.

References
Azzopardi, J. (2018). Well-existence, discipleship and intergenerational connection. In H. Catterton Allen (Ed.). InterGenerate: Transforming churches through intergenerational ministry (pp. 141-149). Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian Academy Printing.

Benson, P. L., Scales, P. C., Hamilton, S. F., Sesma Jr, A., Hong, K. L., & Roehlkepartain, E. C. (2006). Positive youth evolution so far: Core hypotheses and their implications for policy and exercise. Search Institute Insights & Evidence, three(i), 1-13.

Melton, G. B., & Anderson, D. (2008). From condom sanctuaries to strong communities: The function of communities of religion in child protection. Family unit & Community Health, 31(two), 173-185.

Li, J., & Julian, 1000. 1000. (2012). Developmental relationships equally the active ingredient: A unifying working hypothesis of "what works" across intervention settings. American journal of orthopsychiatry, 82(2), 157.

Roberto, J. (2007). Best practices in intergenerational faith formation. Lifelong Organized religion, one(3/iv), one-16.

Roberto, J. (2014). Generations Together: A Vision of an Intergenerational Church. Amidei, K. Merhaut, J. & Roberto, J. Generations Together: Caring, Praying, Learning, Celebrating and Serving Faithfully. Minneapolis: Search Institute.

Roberto, J. (2012). Our time to come is intergenerational. Christian Didactics Periodical, 9(1), 105-120.

Roehlkepartain, E. C., Pekel, K., Syvertsen, A. Chiliad., Sethi, J., Sullivan, T. G., & Scales, P. C. (2017). Relationships showtime: Creating connections that assist young people thrive. Minneapolis, MN: Search Plant, 1-twenty.

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Source: http://blog.searchinstitute.org/multigenerational-relationships

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