Multigenerational Community: How we Found the balance

Posted in Change Management, Children and Youth, Church Growth & Vitality, Faith Formation, Leadership Development, Managing Expectations, Mission and Vision, Spiritual Formation, Volunteers Tagged with ,

15 min 45s

Multigenerational thriving is the dream of every pastor for their congregation. And yet, it doesn’t happen simply by bringing people together. Rather, it results from having evolved a good strategy through careful listening and negotiating the needs and interests of people in their various stages of life.

In this episode titled, “Building Multigenerational Community: How We Found the Balance,” part 2 of the multigen series with Rev. Allison Palm and Sadie Kahn-Greene, they share specifics about their strategy and programming that is making authentic and joyful multigenerational community a reality for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua.

Coming out of COVID, the challenge we had was, How can we learn how to be in community together again when we haven’t been together in a while?

How can we welcome in new folks who are joining us so that they can get to know the community? And how can we help our community get to know our newer members? 

Sadie Con Green explains the decision to focus on having fun together as a congregation in the spring of 2023.

The congregation organized multi-generational events like game nights, a talent show, and a camping trip to foster interaction across age groups.

The success of these events led to the introduction of more age-specific events to cater to different needs and preferences.

The introduction of circle dinners and kids’ movie nights allowed for both multi-generational and age-specific connections.

Rev. Allison Palm
Sadie Kahn-Greene

Rev. Allison Palm currently serves as the settled minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, NH, where she has been since 2015. She is passionate about creative worship. multigenerational community and figuring out how to make church work for 21st century life. Rev. Allison is also the co-editor of “Blessing It All: Rituals for Transition and Transformation,” (https://uuabookstore.org/products/blessing-it-all) an anthology of rituals for individuals, families, communities and congregations. 

Sadie Kahn-Greene is a credentialed Unitarian Universalist Religious Educator who has been in the field since 2003. She has served as the full-time Director of Faith Formation at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua since 2017, where she is grateful to be in a collaborative shared ministry team with Rev. Allison Palm. Sadie oversees and adapts the faith formation programs for children, youth, and adults within the congregation to build connections, inspire wonder, and help put love into action

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