Who We Are
Christianity began as a revolutionary theological, political, cultural, and social intergenerational faith movement that challenged traditional discriminatory gender leadership paradigms. The Lord Jesus and his contemporaries were young adults in their 30’s or 40’s and in our contemporary classification of generations, they would be considered Millennials. They had a scattering of support from persons like Nicodemus, who were members of an older generation, who in our times would be considered Baby Boomers or even members of the Great Generation. A casual reading of the scriptures reveals Jesus’ affection and affinity for younger people who in our times would be regarded as members of Generation Z and the Gen Alpha Generation.
With the passage of time, the leadership, liturgy, language and look of Christianity, has become predominately the province of persons who belong to Baby Boomer and Great Generation classifications. Across the Generation Ministries will focus of the message, methodology, and means for enhancing spirituality, theology, worship, prophetic witness, dialogue, mutual communication and learning, for implementing the Lord Jesus vision when he said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember I am with you always to the end of the age.”
Vision Statement
Problem/Rationale
Despite bursts of innovation and pockets of vitality, the first decade of the twenty-first century witnessed a slow, overall erosion of the strength of America’s congregations, according to the Faith Community Today series of national surveys of American congregations. Conducted in 2000, 2005, 2008 and 2010, the FACT series shows that the decade brought:
1) a continued increase in innovative, adaptive worship,
2) a surprisingly rapid adoption of electronic, technologies,
3) a dramatic increase in racial/ethnic congregations, many for immigrant groups, and
4) a general increase in the breadth of both member-oriented and mission-oriented programs.
5) an increase in connection across faith traditions, and a twist in the historical pattern of religious involvement in support of the electoral process
However, the decade also saw: a steep drop in financial health, continuing high levels of conflict, and aging memberships. The net, overall result: fewer persons in the pews and decreasing spiritual vitality. We need multigenerational faith communities for so many reasons, but our culture conspires to keep the generations apart and isolate them from each other:
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We are more age-segregated as a society now than perhaps ever before.
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Younger generations of adults are more transient and mobile than previous generations.
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Older generations have moved out of the neighborhoods and into retirement communities or age 55+ neighborhoods, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities, often not in the same town or state as their children or families, while children are further segregated in schools.
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In many of our congregations, the adults go into the sanctuary on Sunday morning, the children go into our Religious Education programs or the basement, and the youth come at an entirely different time or on a different day.
We need these multigenerational connections! The separation in our culture causes us to miss the insights, history, and perspectives of each generation. When contact with multiple generations decreases or is non-existent, we become less in touch with one another's physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. And in turn we are diminished by the separation.
BACKGROUND
Our services are fun, relaxed, and usually last around an hour. They are intentionally designed for wherever you are on your spiritual journey. You will hear messages and teaching that is practical and relevant to everyday life. We celebrate what God is doing in our lives as we grow stronger in who we are in God.
A. The need for a multigenerational praxis of the spiritual development as the foundation for life, ministry. self-understanding and vision casting.
B. A deeper spirituality is the foundation for identifying and living out the vision God has for our lives that is greater than any vision we can have for ourselves or others can have for us. Across the Generation Ministries will help individuals, congregational leaders, and churches define and cast God’s vision that goes beyond cultural, familial, and traditional norms and constraints
C. Across the Generation Ministries also recognizes the critical need for the management of economic resources that either enable vision or hold vision hostile.
METHODOLOGY
Across the Generation Ministries will accomplish these goals through.
A. Weekly Bible Studies and messages on various social media platforms.
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B. Sometimes the Bible Studies will consists of podcasts with various guest presenters whose perspectives with enrich and grow the vision of those who will view and log on.
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C. Devotional and books, at discounted prices, by New Seasons Press (the publishing division of William D. Watley Ministries will be available to those who support Across the Generation Ministries
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D. To expand the vision and life experience various international trips that will have implications for the development of faith and culture will be offered through FACE (Faith and Culture Excursions), which is an extension of William D. Watley Ministries.
E. Once a year in the fall, Across the Generation Ministries will sponsor a conference that will include workshops and dialogue between elder statespersons in the faith and those who are younger in the pastorate and others who need fresh insights in the development of the faith.
Across the Generations Mission is helping individual, congregational leaders and pastors grow spirtually and enable the vision that God has for their lives. We accomplish this by using a multigenerational approach to reach people far from God, restore God’s vision for our lives, and reproduce this mission in others.