1. Friends, Mentors, Heroes: Connecting with Other Generations
An intergenerational youth ministry approach views the roles of parents and the surrounding adult community as the primary influence in a student’s spiritual formation. As a result, intergenerational youth ministry programming is designed to create opportunities for spiritual growth across generational lines. (page 222)

2. Deuteronomy Again
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deut. 6:4-9; NIV)

3. Deuteronomy 6 -- OT
Principle #1 - Parents and the surrounding community of adults are expected to exemplify what it means to be fully-devoted followers of God.

4. Deuteronomy 6 -- OT
Principle #2: Adults, starting with parents, are commanded to be active participants in their children’s spiritual formation.

5. NT Principles
Principle # 1 - Jesus lived life as a fully devoted follower of God.
Principle #2 - Jesus’ spiritual formation was impacted by his parents and surrounding adult community.
Principle #3 - Jesus spoke of adults as active participants in a child’s spiritual formation.

6. NT Principles
Principle #4 - Paul was a fully devoted follower of Jesus
Principle #5 - Paul called his hearers to live and model a fully devoted life in Christ
Principle #6 - Paul’s own life and faith journey was shaped by adults.
Principle #7 - Paul spoke of parents and adults as active participants in a child’s spiritual formation.

7. Finding #1: Parents and adults are the primary influencers of spiritual formation.
Even though agents of religious socialization do not appear to be wildly successful in fostering clarity and articulacy about faith among teens, it remains true that parents and other adults exert huge influence in the lives of American adolescents-whether for good or ill, and whether adults can perceive it or not-when it comes to religious faith and most other areas of teen’s lives. (page 230)
Research shows…....

8. Research shows…....
Finding #2: Youth ministry programming is important.
In the absence of parental encouragement by example to attend religious services, religious congregations that offer teenagers organized youth groups—particularly those with full-time, paid, adult youth group leaders—seem to make a significant difference in attracting teens to attend congregational religious services. Well-developed, congregational-based youth groups with established youth leaders likely provide teens who lack parental support appealing doorways into and relational ties encouraging greater religious participation in the life of religious congregations. (page 231)

9. Research shows…....
Finding #3: Teenage spirituality is a reflection of adult spirituality.
The religion and spirituality of most teenagers actually strike us as very powerfully reflecting the contours, priorities, expectations, and structures of the larger adult world into which adolescents are being socialized. (page 232)

10. Practical Steps for Providing Intergenerational Relationships Between Adults and Students
The first step towards Intergenerational relationship building begins with a mindset change and you have already experienced that in your reading: Adults are the primary influencers in the spiritual formation of students!

11. Practical Steps for Providing Intergenerational Relationships Between Adults and Students
Take a second step. Communicate with other adults the truth(s) that led you to take the first step

12. Practical Steps for Providing Intergenerational Relationships Between Adults and Students
Take a third step. Actually, like a child learning to walk (step, stumble, fall and repeat until walking), the third step involves a few steps. Revision, Reorient, Repeat is a simple process designed to make intergenerational programmatic change move from stepping to walking to running.