“Intergenerational church” has become such a big buzzword over the years, which seems crazy since that’s really something the church should have been all along.
I may be dating myself, but I remember as a child attending church, we went to Sunday School class while our parents attended a class and then we all attended church service together. We knew the older generation in our church. We knew which ones had the candy to pass out after church and picked fresh green beans from the house of an older couple who loved the company.
It sounds like I was born in the 1800s but this is how church was running just a few decades ago.
Then things changed. Youth groups and children’s ministry started to run a little more separately from the rest of the “church,” and it started to feel like there were a lot more gaps between the generations. And I think there were some positives in some of the changes. I know many adults who began attending church because their child connected well in the youth group or they liked the children’s programs.
But I think it’s possible to hold onto what’s good about those things while still having a church community that can function well as a whole.
There are so Many Benefits to an Intergenerational Church Community
There is so much good that can come from the generations connecting together. The older generation is able to teach the younger generation. Communication is more open. Younger people realize that the problems they are facing aren’t really that different from those that the older generation faced. The older generation is able to see that not all youth are trouble makers or struggling and that they have a lot to offer.
Imagine how much better your community would be if there were more positive connections happening between the generations within your church.
Practical Ways to Build Intergenerational Community at Your Church
So, on that note, let’s dive into some practical ways you can help foster those intergenerational connections within your church while also caring for the building and grounds.
Disclaimer: I’m not giving any legal advice, insurance tips, or safety rules below. Make sure that you’re following all the rules you need to and using proper oversight to keep everyone safe. Ask questions to your professional team if you’re unsure.
1. Spring Cleaning Day / Church Deep Cleaning
Spring is around the corner and it’s a time when deep cleaning happens. There are so many tasks that need to be done inside and outside of the church that anyone can do or learn how to do. This is a great time to get generations working together, but it takes a little bit of intention.
The leaders of the different ministries can work together to pull this off.
As the facility lead, you can create a list of the specific tasks that need to be accomplished. Include details about what needs to be done, how many people can work on it, and what the best ages are. But then have the leaders be intentional about pairing up different age groups.
If you have a few regular volunteers from the older generations who help with cleaning tasks around the church, pair them with a few teenagers or older elementary students. They can lead the tasks and show how things are done properly. The younger volunteers can be the “elbow grease” to get the job done.
Or if you have some experienced adults who can handle the exterior clean-up, they can lead a group of youth in getting tasks done. Cleaning up downed branches and sticks, and raking up dead leaves are things that most people can do. If you have tasks that need a little more skill, like trimming shrubs or cleaning out the gutters, pair experienced adults with youth who want to learn.
Read Next: How to Run A Church Volunteer Work Day
2. Painting & Touch-Up Teams
When your church is used regularly, there are bound to be plenty of areas that need to be repainted or touched up throughout the year. While painting does require a little skill, it’s something that can be taught.
Build a mixed-generation team that meets at certain times monthly or quarterly to work together on these areas. This is a great way to keep things looking bright and fresh in the church building while also building multigeneration community within your church.
3. Grounds & Outdoor Maintenance Days
I shared above some examples of how this can be done for Spring cleanup, but outdoor maintenance needs to be done all throughout the year. Build a volunteer team of mixed age groups to accomplish these tasks.
Yes, it’s great to have the youth group jump in and do a service project together, but don’t miss out on ways to have the youth interacting with and learning from the older generations in your church.
4. Basic Repair & Fix-It Workshops
Things break. Lots of things break both within the church and within the houses of your congregation. Repair or fix-it workshops can be a fun way for adults with trade skills to teach some of those skills to the younger generation.
Not only can this be used to build connections and pass along skills, but you can also help serve people within the church with these skills.
I recently saw an article about how Repair Cafes and Fix-it Clinics are popping up around communities. People with specific skills are there, and community members can bring in things that need to be fixed or repaired. They work together to help each other out.
Imagine if every church were offering something like this within the community.
5. Facility Walkthrough & Knowledge Sharing
There is a growing problem within the facility management industry. The older generation is retiring and leaving with all the knowledge they have and there is a large gap being created by their absence.
You may have young men and women within your church who would be interested in stepping into facility roles if they only had some experience.
Get your facility experts and technicians to walk the building with people who want to learn. Point out what an A/C condenser looks like, what it does, and what type of regular maintenance it needs. Show them how to change the filters in air handlers and where the main water shutoff is and why someone might need to use it.
6. Classroom & Ministry Space Setup and Tear Down
Many churches have rooms used for multiple purposes throughout the week, which may mean constant setting up and tearing down of tables and chairs.
Many times, I see there are retired people who come in and help with this, which is great. But why not move these scheduled times, when possible, to the after-school hours and pair up the retired generation and students looking for service hours?
It’s one more simple way to help build those intergenerational connections within the church.
7. Seasonal Preparation Days
This is similar to the Spring Clean-up or Deep Clean Service Days. There are seasonal tasks that are done every year to get the church building and grounds ready for the next season or upcoming holiday. These are great opportunities to have your entire church come together and serve.
Putting up fall decorations, Christmas decorations or getting the grounds ready for an upcoming winter season. These all are times when you can build teams of people to help the church accomplish what needs to be done in a fun way.
8. Tool Safety & Skills Training Sessions
This is similar to the Basic Repair and Fix-It Workshops above, but can be even more basic. Have skilled adults teach others a skill they know. These can be simple skills.
There are a lot of people out there who don’t know the safe way to use tools or fix basic things in their house. This is such a great way for people to learn new skills, regardless of their age, and connect with others in the church.
9. Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment Care
At this point, I don’t think we need a long description here. You get the point. This is just one more way that people in your church can work together, across generations, to help care for the things in the church building while building community.
Clean the chairs. Dust the light fixtures. Tighten the screws on the table legs.
There are endless tasks that can fall here. Older church members may know what’s been done, when. This information and the how-to can be shared with the younger generation.
10. Service Projects for the Community
When you have these teams working well together, and skills are being shared, take it out into your community. Multigenerational groups can help people in your local community with yard clean-up, home maintenance, car repair, etc.
The more skills your church has shared among them, the better able they are to serve your local community. And when you help care about the basic needs of people, and they see your church being the hands and feet of Christ instead of simply preaching at them, they may be more likely to see what’s actually going on at your church.
More Than Maintenance: Why Serving Together Matters
When generations serve side by side, something deeper happens. Skills are passed down. Stories are shared. Younger people feel trusted and capable. Older members feel valued and needed. And the building itself becomes a shared project instead of a burden carried by a few.
These kinds of efforts don’t require a massive budget or a perfect plan. They start with intentions like inviting people of different ages to work together, learn together, and serve together. Over time, those small, practical moments build something lasting: a healthier facility, a stronger community, and a church culture where everyone understands that they have something to contribute.
Maybe intergenerational church doesn’t have to be just a buzzword. Maybe it looks like shared work, shared knowledge, and shared responsibility. Just imagine how this could spread throughout your church and community.
