Tanya Yuen

Rev. Tanya Yuen is a children and family ministry leader, practical theologian, and advocate for intergenerational ministry. She serves as Children and Family Ministries Associate with the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ), where she develops resources, equips ministry leaders, and supports churches in nurturing the faith of children and families. Tanya is also the Director of the Toronto Children’s Ministry Conference, a gathering that brings together and equips children’s ministry leaders from diverse denominations and church traditions. She is part of the leadership team for Gen One, a distinctly Canadian and multilingual expression of intergenerational ministry. Her ministry experience includes more than 16 years as a pastor in children, youth, and family ministry, as well as extensive experience in ministry training, conference leadership, and resource development. She is passionate about helping churches move beyond age-segregated approaches toward communities where generations genuinely participate, learn, worship, and grow together. Tanya is currently pursuing a Doctor of Practical Theology at McMaster Divinity College, where her research explores the spiritual formation of nine- to eleven-year-olds in Canadian Baptist churches. Her research brings together theological reflection, congregational practice, and the lived experiences of children, parents, and pastors. She is particularly interested in how the relational and communal life of the church shapes faith formation and how intergenerational practices can be thoughtfully contextualized within particular communities.

DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE INTERGENERATIONAL EXPERIENCE/MEMORY: One of my favorite intergenerational experiences was preaching at a church that had spent the summer exploring why they worship the way they do. On this particular Sunday, people of all ages remained together throughout the service, with children, young adults, parents, and older adults all participating in different ways from leading worship and Scripture reading to responding to questions and wondering together. I preached on the feeding of the 5,000 using storytelling, props, visual elements, and wondering questions, connecting it with an interactive children's story earlier in the service. Afterward, an older man came to tell me about questions he had wondered about the fish in that story since he was a boy. It was a beautiful reminder that when we make space for every generation to participate, we create opportunities for all of us to encounter Scripture with fresh eyes.

WHY IS INTERGENERATIONAL MINISTRY VITAL TO THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH?: I believe intergenerational ministry is vital because faith is not something we simply pass down to the next generation but instead it is something we discover and live together. Children, youth, adults, and older adults each see, question, embody, and express faith differently and those differences can become a gift through which the whole church is formed. When generations genuinely participate in the life of the church together, we move from preparing the next generation for the church to becoming the church together.