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Illustration by Harriet Yakub
With so many faith communities struggling to attract and retain younger people, a new report from CoGenerate, Honest Conversations: Faith Leaders on the Real Work of Intergenerational Collaboration, offers a path to bring generations together again. Spoiler alert: The same old programs, events and traditional mentoring relationships won’t cut it.
The report from CoGenerate, a national nonprofit working to bridge generational divides in all pillars of daily life, is based on interviews with a diverse group of 42 faith leaders, ages 20 to 85, plus a national survey of 1,500 adults conducted by YouGov.
The central message is an urgent one for all houses of worship, seminaries, faith-based nonprofits, and interfaith organizations: Faith communities have the infrastructure and the spiritual mandate to bring generations together as a source of societal healing and renewal. But the task requires leaders to reckon honestly with power dynamics, embrace constructive conflict, and cultivate relationships that can weather difficulty and grow stronger through it.
Stakes are high. “The question isn’t whether faith communities should do cogenerational work,” said study author Eddie Gonzalez, “but whether they can remain relevant and life-giving without it.”
Survey data reveals a strong appetite for cross-generational connection and collaboration – aka “cogeneration.” Nearly half of religiously engaged Americans (45%) say they are more likely to participate in religious activities if offered the chance to build relationships across generations.
Most respondents to the YouGov survey say their faith communities are not doing enough to bring generations together. More than one-third (36%) say their religious community makes no effort at all to connect older and younger members.
When asked what their communities could do to improve intergenerational relationships and collaboration, the most common response was “I don’t know.” Respondents could clearly identify the gap but couldn’t imagine what might fill it.
Leaders interviewed for the report offered many examples of what isn’t working – assumptions that elders hold all the wisdom, that young people need to pay their dues, that conflict signals failure. And they offered myriad examples of what can work.
While stressing that there is no universal model for intergenerational engagement that works across all faiths and contexts, Honest Conversations includes ideas, practices, and case studies for inspiration, along with discussion questions and a conversation guide.
“Bringing generations together can revitalize faith communities, help solve the epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, and bridge all kinds of divides,” said Eunice Lin Nichols, Co-CEO of CoGenerate and co-author of the report. “The road may be bumpy, but the effort can lead to healing and spiritual renewal, both within the faith community and beyond.”
The report includes stories of:
In one Muslim congregation, simply creating space for frank dialogue made a dramatic difference. Imam Emeritus Shpendim Nadzaku of the Islamic Association of North Texas recalled how older members initially felt hesitant when youth spoke openly, but perseverance led to a breakthrough.
“Having the younger generations hear the sacrifice of older generations, to realize what each other’s struggles were and then recognize that in themselves, seeing heads nod, people tearing up and apologizing that they were so caught up in their own suffering and hardship that they were oblivious to the troubles the other had – it was priceless,” Nadzaku said.
Ultimately, the report delivers a hopeful vision. “Serious efforts to bring generations together begin with honest conversations,” Nichols says. “When leaders open the door to power-sharing and embrace constructive conflict, faith communities can transform the generation gap from a source of tension and alienation to a source of strength, relationship and belonging.”
Those interested in learning more are invited to CoGenerate’s live webinar on October 27 at 12:30pm ET / 9:30am PT, where the report’s authors and a panel of multi-faith leaders will share insights and answer questions. This virtual event (free, registration required) offers a chance to hear directly from sources and uncover human stories behind the data – perfect for feature ideas.