Service to others—meeting human needs and addressing injustice—is at the heart of religious life. The service and justice activities of congregations, however, generally have focused on youth and adult congregants as individuals. However, engaging all generations TOGETHER in service can be a valuable opportunity to pass on key values to children, dispel age related stereotypes, model the importance of community responsibility to kids and create a unified group identity.

Here are ways we can help integrate intergenerational service into your congregation.

PRESENT A WORKSHOP on family volunteering for parents and other interested adults. Participants can discover the benefits of volunteering with their children (or grandchildren), hear about resources to teach kids about critical social issues, and learn dozens of simple, practical ideas for getting their family involved in community service and social action work. Doing Good Together can tailor each presentation to meet the needs of specific groups within your congregation. Click here for more information about our workshops.

OFFER A MONTHLY CALENDAR OF TWIN CITIES FAMILY VOLUNTEER PROJECTS. DGT canvases the Twin Cities to compile a listing of clever and creative family volunteer projects. This unique list is ideal for families seeking ongoing volunteer projects. Organizations typically print it in their newsletter, post it on their website or simply hand it out to parents and grandparents. Includes five different family volunteer opportunities each month. Subscribe here.

HOST A FAMILY SERVICE NIGHT. Family Service Night is a fun volunteer evening that focuses around 5 to 10 “booths” or “stations,” each one offering a simple, hands-on service project for participants of all ages. If you’d like to learn more about offering a Family Service Night for the members of your faith community, click here. If you’d like to order a copy of our Family Service Night Manual, which includes ideas for projects, as well as promotion, reflection and education materials, click here.

SUGGEST IDEAS FOR OTHER  SERVICE EVENTS. DGT can help plan volunteer projects or events geared for intergenerational groups, resulting in a strengthened sense of community and a shared bond of contribution. Projects can range from a simple activity to get your feet wet or a full Service Day. We help identify appropriate projects; coordinate and execute the event (including an education and reflection component); and provide follow-up support and suggestions for ongoing volunteerism. Find out more.

HELP CREATE AN INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAM. DGT offers the motivation, inspiration, training, support, opportunities and guidance to help all members of your congregation serve others. We can guide your faith community in developing a vision for a thoughtful, unified service initiative and strategies for bringing that comprehensive vision alive within your congregation. E-mail or call 612.822.6502 to find out more.

CREATE MATERIALS for adults and children (from toddlers to teens) that will bring fresh meaning to existing or newly established family service experiences, by exploring how these projects are linked to a family’s faith and beliefs. Find out more.

OFFER FAMILIES OUR FREE E-MAIL NEWSLETTER. Our monthly newsletter offers simple service ideas and pointers for starting discussions with children about specific social issues. Each month we address a new topic, such as homelessness, reflecting on gratitude, charity-centered gift-giving, and doing kid-sized fundraisers. You can offer the families in your congregation this resource for free; simply put a link on your website to ours, or provide us a list of e-mail addresses and we’ll add them to our subscription list. You can also browse past issues online.

ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. If you have questions about integrating intergenerational service into your faith community, we’re happy to talk with you over the phone, or arrange a time to meet. E-mail us or call 612.822.6502.

If you would like more information, please contact Doing Good Together at mail@doinggoodtogether.org or call 612.822.6502.