Date: July 29, 2026
We more fully embody the body of Christ when all bodies, of all ages, are not only present in worship, but actively engaged and equitably valued. This belief inspires the work I am doing with Roots & Wings: Roots & Wings: Intergenerational Formation Collaborative, a Lifelong Learning grant initiative funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc.
In the spring of 2025, our Roots & Wings grant team conducted a literature review in part to discern the core characteristics, or “hallmarks,” of intergenerational liturgy. We identified five hallmarks: intentionality, relationality, dignified reciprocity, flexibility, and empowerment. We then created a toolkit to help church leaders, lay and ordained, reflect and assess the current levels of intergenerationality in their worship based on the five hallmarks.
A component of the toolkit is a survey to help congregations identify which hallmarks are especially strong in their context and which need more support. By participating in the Five Hallmarks of Intergenerational Worship Survey, congregations will help shape the wider understanding of intergenerational worship across the church.
The Roots & Wings team’s goal is to gather 500 congregational survey responses in 2026 and then re-assess them in 2029 to monitor growth across the wider church. So far we have just over 200 responses; we’d love to hear from you!
Sarah Bentley Allred (M.Div., ’19)
Project Director, Roots & Wings: Intergenerational Formation Collaborative