But the mere mingling of generations doesn't necessarily help generations to grow in faith and develop stronger Christian bonds. Intergenerational activities need to be intentional by laying down a groundwork in the congregation. Our society shows some age variety in our personal families, but our extended family in the church includes individuals of all ages, providing a richness of experiences and knowledge into which we need to tap. Institutions in our culture, in addition to the church, also tend to separate generations. Our schools separate by age levels.
Sports are separate, although attending ball games together can be a multi-generational event.
Entertainment is even segregated by ages through the movie rating systems. Sunday School's Impact Lutheran churches became part of the the Sunday School movement in the early 1800's. Christian education was taken out of the home and parochial schools and into the realm of the church. Parochial schools also had the task of religious and moral training, as did families. Previously, the family often provided Christian education with parents reading from the Bible and talking to their children about what they had read.