VALERIE GRISSOM
Rev. Dr. Valerie M. Grissom (MDiv, DWS) is Chair of InterGenerate and a Pastor (PC-USA) near Seattle, Washington. As a worship leader and pastor for over 25 years, Valerie is a coach, speaker, and mentor in a variety of denominations and ecumenical settings regarding intergenerational and intercultural worship. Her personal mission statement underlies her intergenerational work: "to help every person feel seen, heard, and loved by God." She believes that intergenerational worship embodies that mission statement and is a key to future spiritual renewal in the Church. She collaborates with other worship leaders to incorporate intergenerational story-telling and Scripture presentation in worship. Valerie edited All Ages Becoming: Intergenerational Practice in the Formation of God's People. Her ongoing research projects are the IYS Youth Story Project, and Lament with Children and Youth in Worship and Daily Life. Valerie and her husband Ben, along with their four teenagers, make their home on Whidbey Island, and enjoy playing outdoors in the Pacific Northwest, spoiling their 41 chickens, 4 horses, and Pomeranian named Harvey, while enjoying only the best coffee (Seattle coffee, of course!), camping, hiking, and going to the beach. See valeriemgrissom.com.
A FAVORITE INTERGENERATIONAL MEMORY/EXPERIENCE: One of my favorite intergenerational memories was watching my daughter Promise-Rose present Scripture in worship with an elder member named Sonny. Sonny lovingly looked at Promise-Rose as she read the Shema (Deut. 6:4-9) to Promise in Korean, looking at her with the eyes of a mother passing on all she had lovingly to a daughter. Then, my daughter, filled with the love of Sonny, turned to our congregation and passed on the faith she experienced and listened to in the words of Sonny, retelling the Shema in English to our congregation, and our faith community responding with joy in witnessing this passing of faith with "Thanks be to God."
WHY DO YOU BELIEVE INTERGENERATIONAL MINISTRY IS VITAL TO THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH? I believe intergenerational ministry is vital to the church because it is the way God designed the church to be--all ages participating together in worship, discipleship, and in the mission of God. When we fail to include all generations in our faith communities, we limit the fullness of the Gospel; when we include all generations in our faith communities through participation, we are spiritually formed to be the people God has called us to be, and we reflect the fullness of the Gospel--the Kingdom of God, here and now.