2027 InterGenerate Call for Papers


For Presentation at the 2027 InterGenerate Conference June 22-24, 2027, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI Submission Deadline: December 31, 2026

Below is information about our Call for Papers, InterGenerate 2027. To submit a Workshop Proposal, see 2027 Workshop Proposals — InterGenerate

Conference Overview:

InterGenerate is a conference for academics and practitioners to engage in dialogue about intergenerational ministry understandings and practices. Our program includes paper presentations addressing the following themes:

  • Why have churches promoted age-siloed approaches?

  • What are the spiritual benefits of intergenerational ministry?

  • What biblical and theological foundations support intergenerational ministry?

  • What research and learning theories strengthen intergenerational approaches?

  • Why is it challenging for churches to become more intergenerational?

  • What does it look like to be more intentionally intergenerational in outlook and practice?

Paper Presentations:

Papers should offer empirical research or conceptual insights related to intergenerational Christian formation or ministry. We understand Intergenerational Christian Formation as “…when a congregation intentionally brings the generations together in mutual serving, sharing or learning within the core activities of the church in order to live out being the body of Christ to each other and the greater community” (Allen and Ross 2012, 17).

We anticipate accepting 12-18 paper proposals for breakout sessions.

NEW this Year: As an alternative, you may choose to do a poster presentation. Your poster will be displayed in an assigned space throughout the conference and there will be assigned times for you to stand by your poster to interact with conference participants. You can find more information on what a poster presentation is and how to do it by following this link: https://libguides.wvu.edu/poster.

Particular Interests: We expect to receive paper proposals on a variety of subjects. Our hope is  that  the papers will share:

  • Intergenerational journeys and/or case studies from around the world

  • Spiritual practices embodied through intergenerational communities, at church and home

  • Intergenerational ministry through the lens of a specific generation (i.e.  Children, Youth, Generation Z, Millennials, etc.)

  • Engaging and caring for older adults as an intergenerational church

  • Intergenerational ministry and worship in multilingual contexts

  • Leading intergenerationally (e.g. cross-generational communication, teamwork, conflict resolution) 

  • Biblical and theological insights regarding intergenerationality

  • Nurturing an intergenerational culture in faith communities

  • Learning theories that strengthen intergenerational approaches

  • Qualitative and quantitative research regarding intergenerational ministry

Conference Theme:

Our theme for InterGenerate 2027 is Weaving Together Generations of Faith, based on the following Bible verse  “I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God.” (Colossians 2:2, MSG). Maria Harris offers a deep exploration into five areas historically practiced in the life of the church, as a woven-together curriculum of faith practices: 

  • kerygma - proclaiming the word of Jesus’ resurrection 

  • didache - the activity of teaching

  • leiturgia - coming together to pray and to re-present Jesus in the breaking of bread

  • koinonia - community

  • diakonia - caring for those in need

(Fashion Me a People: Curriculum in the Church, 1989, p. 16).

As you make your proposal, we will ask you to provide 1-2 sentences, explaining how your topic relates to one of these five themes. We understand that some papers might fit more than one theme, but we ask that you choose the one you find best fits, and provide a couple of sentences relating your topic to that theme. 

Submission Categories:

The following are umbrella categories under which the themes fit. For example, if your paper is on intergenerational preaching, it could be that it discusses how developmental psychology enriches the practice of preaching intergenerationally or it could be about creating an intergenerational church culture. We ask that you also choose from one of the following categories.

  1. Biblical/Historical/Theological Foundations:
     Theological, biblical, and/or historical perspectives on intergenerational practices.

  2. Intergenerational Research:
    Empirical research or methodological advances on intergenerational Christian formation and ministry.

  3. Theory and/or Definitional Work:
    Conceptual and theoretical frameworks, including, for example, insights from developmental psychology and social learning theory.

  4. Creating an Intergenerational Church Culture:
    Could include strategies for
        - implementing intergenerational practices in various church ministries;
        - overcoming barriers to becoming more intentionally intergenerational;
        - leading a church toward becoming more intergenerational in outlook and practice.

Timeline:

  • Submission Deadline: December 31, 2026

  • Notification of Acceptance: By January 31, 2027

  • Final Written Papers Due: June1 - We will be posting all papers for people to read prior to the conference to deepen discussion and interaction.

  • Conference Dates: June 22-24, 2027

Contact Information:

For questions, contact: papers.intergenerate.ig@gmail.com

Paper Proposals Committee

We look forward to reading your proposals and to welcoming you to InterGenerate 2027.

  • Rev. Dr. Paola Montes-Roldán

  • Dr. Richard Griffith

  • Rev. Tanya Yuen, DPT Candidate

  • Rev. Dr. Valerie M. Grissom (ex officio)

Submission Guidelines:

Submit your proposal using the following form: Paper Proposal Form for InterGenerate 2027 Conference

In order to prepare, the following is a list of items required for submission:

  1. Full Name with prefixes/titles (i.e. Rev. Dr. Valerie M. Grissom)

  2. Location - City, State/Province/Country (i.e. Clinton, WA/United States)

  3. Degrees

  4. School, Church, or Organization you are representing

  5. Current Job Title/Position

  6. Title of Proposal (8-15 Words)

  7. Paper or Poster?

  8. Type of Paper/Poster Submission

  9. 250-300 word (Abstract) addressing the focus, approach, new insights, target audience, and practical implications of your paper.

  10. Category of Submission (in relation to Maria Harris’s five categories)

  11. In 1-2 sentences, explain how your paper relates to the overarching theme of Weaving Generations of Faith Together (Col. 2:2), and one of the five practices described  by Maria Harris.

  12. A 50-70 word description of your paper for the conference program.

  13. Attach Paper if already written. Please submit your final draft no later than June 1 for us to post to the InterGenerate Community.

  14. Head Shot (High resolution in jpeg or png file format)

  15. Bio (50-100 words)