We desire to be congregations and communities that...Listen to the voices of every generation, shaping us for ministry together.
Engaging the voices of every generation is a model of covenantal faith formation that is portrayed throughout scripture. We celebrate this at every infant baptism when we are reminded that God’s promises are “for us and our children, and for everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him” (Acts 2:39). Throughout scripture we also observe faith being shared between generations. Whether it is in the family setting in Deuteronomy 6, communal worship in Psalm 145, corporate discernment in Chronicles 20, or intentional mentoring relationships such as those between Moses and Joshua or Paul and Timothy, every generation is invited to participate in, and contribute to, the faith life and practices of the body.
Over its 170-year history, the Christian Reformed Church has lived into this value. We have prioritized faith formative supports for younger generations – including Christian education, Sunday school, catechetical curriculum and youth ministry – recognizing that youth are both the present and the future of the church. Our history also shows that these supports are the fruit and legacy of multiple generations, each providing a foundation where youth can grow in faith, and speak truth and love into the lives of generations following them. Along the way, we have learned that supports for younger generations are often faith formative for older generations as well (Proverbs 22:6).
As congregations, we desire to continuing growing in this milestone area. A variety of helpful resources from Thrive, Resonate Global Mission, ReFrame Ministries, World Renew, Calvin University, and more can be found at crcna.org/resources to help us work towards listening to the voice of every generation. We also have many stories in the CRC newsroom about congregations and ministries who have been doing creative things as they work towards this goal. Here are a few to get you thinking:
