Introduction
What is Cross+Generational Ministry?
What is the Narrative Lectionary?
What’s in a Worship Guide?
Narrative Lectionary Readings
Other Resources
Ordering & Download Information
Letter to Leaders
Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction
Bring your worship experience to life and engage all generations together with our easy-to-use Living the Word: Cross+Gen Worship (2024-2025) product. Worshippers actively participate in the service and build life-giving, intergenerational relationships with these interactive liturgies crafted around each Narrative Lectionary reading. Purchase the whole year, try it for a season, or buy individual lessons to fit your schedule!
Each worship plan provides a complete interactive liturgy with activities, prayers, and litanies. You can just add music and use it as is, or integrate the pieces you want into your current order of worship. All worship activities are designed to be used in traditional or flexible worship spaces and each activity contains all the information leaders need, including necessary supplies, step-by-step instructions, and even scripts for those who want them.
The Living the Word: Cross+Gen Worship (2024-2025) resource is a high-quality, low-cost option for congregations and ministries of all sizes. Pricing is based on your estimated worship attendance range, and the purchase of a single license covers the entire congregation. You and your worship leaders can download the materials from your Customer Account as soon as each quarter is released (See the current Release Dates page for details). You can then print whichever pages you would like, or access the PDF files through your mobile devices!
What is Cross+Generational Ministry?
Cross+Generational Ministry has at its core the concept that faith is formed through meaningful relationships. When we connect with people of a different generation, we are able to learn from them and share our own experiences, no matter what age we are. We find our place in God’s story best by exploring that story as community. Effective cross+generational experiences are:
+ Experiential
+ Interactive
+ Engaging
+ Story-centric
+ Home-based
+ Equalizing
all of which promote an encounter with God. All of the activities included in these worship guides are intended to engage these principles, through intentional cross+generational interaction and active, creative activities that bring the Bible story to life in our lives.
We pass on the faith through every action, experience, or relationship that nurtures a transformative relationship of trust with God and shapes the way we see and interact with God’s world. When we do this in meaningful, intergenerational relationships, our faith is enriched from the diversity of the experiences we share with each other. Our communities are strengthened, and we have confidence in our sense of belonging to God and with each other.
What is the Narrative Lectionary?
The Narrative Lectionary is a nine-month calendar of Scripture readings which focuses on one story or passage each Sunday or festival day. It starts in September with a story about creation and touches on the major stories, characters, and plot points in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) until mid-December. At that point, the lectionary picks up one of the four Gospels (one Gospel each year for a four-year cycle) and moves through many of the main stories or passages of that Gospel sequentially until just after Easter. From the second Sunday of Easter through Pentecost Sunday, the readings are pulled from Acts and the Letters. Read more about this on our What Is the Narrative Lectionary? webpage.
What’s in a Worship Guide?
Each downloadable guide includes:
- Background for Leaders– A big idea for the day (The Point), unit theme, background information, and a “Worship @ a Glance” menu of possible worship elements all make it easy for worship leaders to prepare for their own unique interactive worship service.
- Worship Elements– Each worship guide contains a multitude of worship elements corresponding to the day’s Scripture reading!
- Gathering – Interactive welcome and prayers.
- Word – Creatively lead worshippers in “Learning the Story,” “Making Connections” in the Bible, and more!
- Meal– Interactive Offering, Eucharistic Prayer, and Communion ideas.
- Sending– At Home challenges, Closing Prayer, and a Blessing.
Narrative Lectionary Readings
For the full list of Narrative Lectionary readings, check out our Living the Word: Narrative Lectionary Readings (2024-2025) overviews.
Other Resources
Our Living the Word: Cross+Gen Worship product is complemented by many of our other Narrative Lectionary products:
- Living the Word: Singing God’s Story (PK-6th) – Original children’s music following the Narrative Lectionary. – INCLUDED IN THE 2024-2025 CROSS+GEN WORSHIP RESOURCE!
- Living the Word: Contexts & Connections – Bible background notes for faith formation leaders.
- Living the Word: Sharing God’s Story @ Home – Bulletin insert bringing faith formation home with a weekly devotional tool.
- Living the Word: Cross+Gen Education – For leading interactive, intergenerational learning experiences in a classroom setting.
- Living the Word: Mini Lessons (PK-6th) – Short lessons for short classes.
Ordering & Download Information
To order, go to the Living the Word: Cross+Gen Worship (2024-2025) product page and select your best estimate of the attendance range of your worship service(s). You will also select the option you would like to order, the Full Year, the season (Fall, Winter, Spring quarters), special packages (Advent/Christmas, Lent, and Festivals), or individual lessons to meet your needs. After you add the product to your cart and complete the rest of your shopping, you can proceed to checkout. There, complete the form and select your payment type.
All resource materials are available as digital downloads (PDF files) for printing or using electronically. The end user licensing agreement (EULA) allows congregations to download, print, and use the curriculum lessons as often as you would like if the materials remain in the purchasing congregation.
After your payment is processed, you can download the materials from your Customer Account as soon as each quarter is released (See the current Release Dates page for details). Each quarter purchased comes in a single compressed (ZIP) file, which your operating system should be able to open and extract the folders and PDF files, at which point you can print or share with your leaders as you please!
For more detailed information on ordering, downloading, and other topics, please go to our Customer Service FAQ page.
Letter to Leaders
Introduce leaders to this curriculum with the letter below from the publisher, or write your own!