Wholeness Caf

“For they should all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord.” –Jeremiah 31:34

Generations combined in this Wholeness Café to discuss the role of young people in the church. The Wholeness Café was designed to facilitate discussion about the direction of the church among all the people. At the session “Let the Children Come to Me” a passage from Jeremiah was used to guide the discussion.  The session was one of five offered to Assembly participants.

Brian Gerard, senior minister at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Louisville, was the session host. Before getting underway, Gerard stressed the importance of listening to each other. “Try not to think of what you’re going to say next while others are speaking,” he urged.

Blaine Kuss, Eleanor Kuss and Bisrat Kidane opened the discussion with stories about their experiences in the church. Their messages reiterated the theme of the importance of all generations participating in the church.

Attendees rotated in and out of groups answering two key questions. The first question, which was answered in groups according to generation, asked what people wanted other generations to know about God. Responses ranged throughout the age groups and included answers such as “older people have experiences worth sharing,” to “youth are responsible and will step up to challenges we are issued.”

The second question asked, “What is the church that you dream of  and what can you do right now to make that happen?” Intergenerational groups discussed this question of monumental importance to the church and shared the answers with the group.

The answers will be shared with congregations across the country so that dialogue can be started about what people would like to see in the church and suggestions for achieving those goals.

By:  Katie Johnson