Peter Menconi, The Intergenerational Church: Understanding Congregations from WWII to www.com. CreateSpace, 2010.
Referenced in: Generational Issues in Churches
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This volume is self-published by Pete Menconi, who ministers at Greenwood Community Church in Denver. He addresses this reality:
“America and American churches are experiencing a quiet but profound transformation. For the first time in human history five (with the ongoing addition of a sixth) generations are living side by side. How these generations relate to each other over the next years and decades will determine the course of America and American churches.”
In the first half, he provides one of the most interesting and current descriptions of the five groups (plus one that is upcoming) that comprise the generational landscape of most congregations:
GI Generation: Born between 1906 and 1924, this generation has been labeled The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw and others. They have also been called the Heroic Generation and Civic Generation because they were the primary age group to suffer through the Great Depression and win World War II.
Silent Generation: Born between 1925 and 1943, this generation also has been called the Builder, the Beat, the Beatnik, the Radio, and the Peacemaker Generation.
Boomer Generation: Born between 1944 and 1962, this generation also has been labeled the Baby Boom, the Hippie, the Yuppie, the TV, Flower Children, the Me Generation and more.
Generation X: Born between 1963 and 1981, this generation is also known as Gen X, the Baby Busters, the 13th Generation, the Computer Generation, the .com Generation and more.
Millennial Generation: Born between 1982 and 2000, this generation also is called Generation Y, the Always-On Generation, Generation D (for “digital”), the Bridger Generation, and more.
Generation Z(?): This new, unnamed generation started with those born in 2001.
He describes the shaping factors for each generation – life events, popular culture, values, worldview and spirituality.
The second half provides an excellent matrix (summarized in the appendix) that compares the five generations and “how” they each do different components of their faith walk. These components include: worship style, worship music, preaching/teaching, community, leadership style, view of God, world view, values, work ethic, relationships, and needs. From there, he demonstrates how to intentionally pursue intergenerational ministry that does not simply allow the generations to merely “act like ships in the night that pass by one another but rarely have meaningful contact and interaction,” but purposely brings them together.
While Menconi does not bring new information about the generations, he does package the most current research into what is perhaps the best congregationally sensitive format available, especially for those who are committed to intergenerational ministry. I highly recommend this text as a starting point in one’s study, supplemented by other volumes from the resource guide as needed.
From the Publisher
In The Intergenerational Church, Peter Menconi shows you why understanding today’s generations is crucial for the survival and thrival of the local church. But understanding the generations is not enough. In this book you will learn how to: – Minimize generational tension. – Get all the generations moving in the same direction. – Develop leaders from all generations. – Deliver intergenerational preaching. – Cultivate intergenerational worship and community. – Stimulate intergenerational mission and outreach.
About the Authors
Born and raised in Chicago, Pete Menconi graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Dentistry and practiced dentistry for 22 years in private practice, the U. S. Army and at a mission hospital in Kenya, East Africa. In addition, Pete has a M.S. in Counseling Psychology and several years of seminary training. He has been a commodity futures floor trader, a speaker with the American Dental Society, and a broker of medical and dental practices. He has co-written a 9-book Bible study series and numerous articles and books. For the past 17 years, Pete has been the outreach pastor at Greenwood Community Church in suburban Denver, Colorado.
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