This November we completed our 16th Lifeway Women Leadership Forum and it was the best ever according to attendees! I always have a blast being with these leaders and hope you will attend next year! Click this link to find out dates.
We asked attendees to share their ministries that have been planned or have already been successful at connecting the generations. I will share those in several blog posts so you can see what is working. Please tell us what you are doing to connect the generations.
Linda shares this great generational idea:
This year our Women’s Ministry theme “A Refuge for Generations” is based on Psalm 145:4. Our fall dinner featured a panel of women representing the decades from their 20’s to their 70’s. We had a moderator (our women’s ministry director) who asked each of them questions based on information provided by the participants in advance and gave them an opportunity to share how they had seen God work through the circumstances of their lives. The event was for women 18 and up. We’ve had women of all ages tell us how meaningful this evening was to them and that it was the best one ever. Thank you for the opportunity to share.
And Kay shares this brunch idea:
We had our Christmas Traditions’ Brunch November 5, 2011. Our ladies decorated tables (on Thursday and Friday) with their favorite tradition and we had ladies in their 20’s to ladies in their 70’s decorating a table. On Saturday, our speaker was one of our own young mothers who is in her early 30’s. Last year’s speaker was in her 60’s. In attendance yesterday we had girls as young as 11 and ladies in their upper 80’s. Our youth hand bell choir played as we viewed the tables. Our special music included a mother and her two daughters – one in her 20’s and one in her early 30’s. Involving all these different ages in preparation and in the program draws all ages. This event is one of my favorites!
What great ideas! Watch for more ideas coming soon!
Helpful Resources:
Women Reaching Women, Revised and Expanded version, Chris Adams
Lost and Found, Stetzer, Stanley & Hayes
Context, Threads by Lifeway
The Millenials, Thom Rainer & Jess Rainer
Respect: Meaningful Ministry with Baby Boomers in your Church and Community, Craig & Gandy
Essential Church, Rainer & Rainer
Simple Church, Rainer & Geiger
www.lifeway.com/womenreachingwomen
The Barna Group on-line, http://barna.org
Gen Trends, http://www.gentrends.com/
Scouting the Divine, Margaret Feinberg
No Other Gods, Kelly Minter
Interrupted, Jen Hatmaker
Sacred Roads, Heather Zempel
The Tough Sayings of Jesus, Michael Kelley
What Do You Do With Your Wait?, Mike Harder
Connect the Dots, Mike Hurt
unChristian, David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons