The church’s greatest discipleship strategy isn’t a new program, but a return to God’s beautiful design: generations learning, serving, and growing in faith together.
The church has a rich history of passing faith from one generation to another through story, service, and mentorship. Yet today’s church has become increasingly age-segregated, with separate spaces for children, teens, adults, and seniors.
In this compelling call to intergenerational ministry, Dr. Christina Embree explores how this division has shaped the church and why reconnecting generations is essential for spiritual formation. Weaving together Scripture, church history, sociology, and real-life ministry stories, Intergenerational by Design helps church leaders:
Faith is formed best together. Intergenerational by Design equips you to move toward a healthier, more spiritually vibrant faith community.
Christina Embree is the founder and director of ReFocus Ministry, a nonprofit organization committed to connecting generations in meaningful relationships for lifelong discipleship. She holds an M.A. in Children’s, Youth, and Family Ministry and a doctorate in spiritual formation with a focus on intergenerational ministry. She is the NextGen pastor at Open Door Brethren in Christ in Lexington, Kentucky. Christina and her husband, Luke, have three children.
In a world where meaningful human connection is becoming increasingly sparse, Intergenerational by Design makes a compelling case for those human connections to happen through intentional relationships between people of all generations. Lead pastors, I’m talking to you: If the lifelong faith development and retention of young people is your priority, and it should be, you need this book.
Intergenerational by Design is more than a book; it is an invitation to embark on a journey of transformation. Christina challenges us to move beyond talking about intergenerational community and begin living it out loud in our communities of faith. This is a must-read for every believer who longs to see the Church become the beautiful, connected, multigenerational family God designed her to be.
Intergenerational by Design moves us beyond simply believing intergenerational ministry is important and helps us imagine how it can actually take shape in our own communities. Grounded in a wealth of research, study, and lived experience, Christina beautifully balances theological and theoretical foundations with case studies, guiding questions, and practical tools.
