How can we share our faith with each other? Are there ways of doing church that open the doors for visitors and explorers of all ages? What can creative ministry practice look like?
These were some of the questions that were explored at RechargePLUS in Glasgow in September.
Now in its fourth year, the event is a URC collaboration with the Church of Scotland’s Glasgow Presbytery, and this year it was bigger than ever, attracting 80 delegates to Glasgow from across Scotland and from a range of denominations and independent congregations.
The day focused on “sustainable, intergenerational ministry in real church contexts … whether or not you have any children in your church”. There’s still a tendency for worship leaders and congregations to think that being “intergenerational” is about doing something for the children, argues Jess Poole, the URC’s Children’s and Intergenerational Ministry Development Worker in Scotland and a key driver behind the event. But, as the day demonstrated, that is very far from the whole story.
Keynote speaker Rachel Turner, founder of Parenting in Faith in partnership with BRF (Bible Reading Fellowship), rooted the development of “intergenerational vision” around four key truths: “’I belong; I am needed; I can learn from anyone and We are better together.” From that starting point, there was something for everyone.
“Congregations can’t expect to be able to share faith with a child if they can’t share faith with themselves”
Darren Philip (co-author of Being an Intergenerational Church) was clear that you don’t have to wait until you have children in your church to think intergenerationally. “Nor is it as difficult as one might think.” As Jess says, there are things we can do now to help people develop their faith and connect with the Bible. “The key is to start where we are. Congregations can’t expect to be able to share faith with a child if they can’t share faith with themselves.” And (whisper it…) sermons may not always be the best starting place.
So, some participants at the event got creative with Lego with Children’s and Youth Development Worker Ruth White, a trained Serious Play practitioner, while Chris Watt (Out of the Box Puppet Ministry) proved the power of puppetry for storytelling and singing, and inspired many of the puppets – and their owners – to lead a song in closing worship.
Others looked at the meaning of “intergenerational” through the lens of accessibility, guided by the Revd Katrona Templeton, a Church of Scotland mission pioneer who leads the accessibility project Reachout Together. She said we can build an intergenerational culture that encompasses not only all ages but also all abilities, from pre-verbal children to older people living with dementia. “My aspiration is to create a church where everyone, regardless of age, ability, neurotype, or background, feels seen, valued, and empowered to worship and serve.”
Don’t worry about trying to do it all at once, Rachel Turner reassured participants. Share the vision with your worship leaders now, explore your options, and take the small steps that – over time – bring about long-term change.
“It was a really positive day, Jess says. “It’s what people are looking for, and there’s nothing like it being done anywhere else in Scotland.” Nurturing the hope that future events may be planned with even wider ecumenical collaboration, Jess firmly believes that the URC as a denomination punches above its weight, with excellent resources and a good awareness of the culture and contexts around us. With a real buzz surrounding this year’s RechargePLUS, and participants already looking forward to 2027, it sounds like Jess has a point.
Want to know more? Contact Jess at [email protected]
Images: main – puppets make connections in worship; montage – Lego creativity, puppeteer Chris Watt, organisers Jess Poole (right) and Karen Wallace (left) with Rachel Turner (centre)