There is a great board game called Mind the Gap™, and most people love to play it! It is a trivia game for the generations. Each team answers questions under the categories of Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Regardless of your generation, it is fun to learn about others! Here are some examples of things that each of these four generations should recall from their childhoods. (Our apologies to those born in the silent and greatest generations—before 1945—or those considered Gen Alpha—born in 2013 to the present.)
Are you a Boomer born between 1946 and 1964? Do you remember black-and-white TV and the change to color TV? What about vinyl records and rotary phones? Phonebooks, store catalogs, and newspapers, anyone?
Are you Gen X born between 1965 and 1980? Were you among the kids who were first introduced to the internet, wore parachute pants, and worried about Y2K and how it was going to blow up the world? It was all about wanting your MTV.
Are you a millennial born between 1981 and 1996? Do you remember when the first iPhone came out? Were you team *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys? Have you perfected the selfie to post on the newest social media app?
Are you Gen Z born between 1997 and 2012? Do you spend your days thrift shopping and advocating for causes you believe in? How many hours have you spent learning TikTok dances?
With all your women’s ministry and girls’ ministry team members, make sure you are minding the gap since these ministries likely have representatives leading small groups from all four of these generations. Make sure you have a leadership team that includes and involves all ages of the female population in your church. Reach out to women of all ages to bridge the gap between women’s ministry and girls’ ministry along the way.
We thought it would be fun to use the icons and give some tips for each generation.
Minding the Gap with Teams
If you are a boomer, be patient in leadership. Yes, you are the mothers and grandmothers of the team. Know that women look up to you and are grateful for your faithfulness to Jesus and the church. Look for ways to pass on the training, skills, and talents you have acquired over the years. Be a woman of the Word who is adaptable and willing to do things differently to reach the younger generations. Remember the hairstyles and clothing you have had over the years? Yes, change can be a good thing! Laugh at your past mistakes and flaws and remind the younger women that it is OK to have a miss or even a failure along the way. The important thing is that women stick together, help one another, encourage one another, and create a healthy team where all women are welcome.
If you are Gen X, consider yourself the big sister on the team. (Although you may also be considered a mother or grandmother in the faith.) You are an example to so many! You are in a place where most of the older women consider you younger and cool! Other women look up to you for your resilience and how you bridge generations. Learn the various personalities in your women’s ministry and help them make connections across generations. On a team and in a women’s ministry, you can be a peacemaker, helping all women see the numerous opportunities and viewpoints. You are in a place where you can be a great leader by helping the younger generations step into their spiritual gifts and use them for the church.
If you are a millennial, you are most likely wearing a lot of hats as you try to navigate a full schedule, including women’s ministry. Although your plate might be full, you have a desire to reshape women’s ministry with fresh perspectives and ideas. You are passionate about creating a community where women of all ages can engage in meaningful conversations and share personal stories. In your desire for collaboration over hierarchy, don’t forget the more seasoned women on your team (and in your ministry). They can teach you a tip or two about longevity in ministry. Don’t neglect the voices of the Gen Z ladies on your team, either. They are passionate about social change and will teach you how to authentically be the hands and feet of Jesus.
If you are Gen Z, you are the youngest on the team and that might be frustrating at times. You prioritize authenticity, diversity, and inclusivity. You desire meaningful dialogue around issues like mental health and identity. You have a desire for women’s ministry to focus on the real-world application of faith in everyday life. Your main tool to do this is technology, like TikTok or Instagram. It can be difficult when the older women on your team do not understand the latest trends or why they should be incorporated into women’s ministry. Be patient with the older generations—you are speaking a different language. Take time to teach them and open their eyes to digital ministry!
Minding the Gap with the Look
Come on boomers; you know you want to look younger than you are! If the younger women are willing to embrace the retro looks of the past, you will be fine with the changes to come in the women’s ministry, including the look. Remember the importance of being intentionally intergenerational in your church and helping women understand the importance of changing the look from time to time in your women’s ministry.
Like the boomers, Gen X often wants to look younger as well. You can feel the effects of gravity and time, but just because aging has set in on your body does not mean the women’s ministry must look old. When you are considering the look of your women’s ministry, whether that is social media, event themes, decorations, newsletters, emails, or any form of communication, pull in the younger generations. Let them know that the women’s ministry is theirs too and not just for their moms.
Millennials, thanks to Pinterest and social media, you have a million ideas of how women’s ministry should look. Although you have these ideas at your fingertips, it does not mean you should incorporate all of them. Take time to listen to the rest of the women on your team so that your women’s ministry is covered with fingerprints of all the generations. This will help create the intentional community you desire.
This is your moment, Gen Z! You have brought back the retro style, but with your own twist. Like millennials, you get a lot of ideas from social media. Your style is electric, expanding across all generations. Don’t be afraid to speak up and share new ideas.
Minding the Gap with Common Interests
Boomers remember the importance of your role as a mentor and discipler. Help younger women through the transitions of life. Encourage women of all ages and point them to God’s Word for ways to live out their faith. Remember that the younger women are walking with Jesus in an entirely different culture than what you did. Affirm that they are dealing with challenges you never did, such as social media and having a cell phone that is practically an appendage! Information is fast and often overwhelming. Guide women of all generations back to the foundations of the faith and the spiritual disciplines that will help them stay close to Jesus.
Gen X, this is your opportunity to shine as you connect women of all generations with biblical truth. Use your testimony and stories to build understanding between women of all ages. Look for ways to be face-to-face with women of other generations in ministry and through missions. Consider leading out with an intergenerational prayer ministry where you connect the older and the younger women of your church as prayer partners. It is simple to send a text to let another woman know you are praying for her. Help women, young and old, to look for the needs of those around them. Organize ways to reach out with genuine care and compassion to help them while passing on this example to younger generations.
Millennials, you have a knack for problem-solving. Your tech savviness allows you to use your digital tools for communication and innovation. When you combine problem-solving with tech-savviness, you open the door for evangelism. Because you value meaningful relationships, you can teach other generations new approaches to sharing the gospel.
Gen Z, your passion for advocacy and diversity is natural and beautiful. In a world telling you to use your voice for change, you have a unique opportunity to use your voice for Christ as you advocate for others. In doing this, you demonstrate to the older generations what it looks like to serve the least of these in a tangible way. Invite older women in your ministry to serve alongside you as you volunteer at the women’s shelter and throw baby showers for moms at the local pregnancy crisis center.
Mind the Gap™ is not just a fun board game; it’s a call to action for women’s ministries to embrace the strengths and insights of each generation. By fostering intergenerational relationships, we can create a vibrant community where every woman feels valued and heard. Each generation—from Boomers to Gen Z—brings unique perspectives and skills that can enrich the ministry and further the kingdom.
As you engage with one another, remember that collaboration and understanding are key. Encourage open dialogue, share experiences, and be willing to learn from each other. By doing so, you’ll not only strengthen your ministry but also look more like Jesus.
Recommended Resources:
Tim Elmore, A New Kind of Diversity: Making the Different Generations on Your Team a Competitive Advantage (Duluth, GA: Maxwell Leadership, 2022).
Haydn Shaw, Sticking Points: How to Get 5 Generations Working Together in the 12 Places They Come Apart (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2020).
ABOUT MICHELLE HICKS
Michelle Hicks is the managing editor for Journey devotional magazine with Lifeway Women. Michelle served as a freelance writer, campus minister, and corporate chaplain before coming to Lifeway. She is a graduate of the University of North Texas and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Michelle has a deep hunger for God’s Word and wants others to discover the abundant life they can have with Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
ABOUT CATHERINE INMAN
Catherine Inman is the event coordinator for Women’s Leadership Training Events at Lifeway. Prior to Lifeway, she served as a girls’ ministry director at various churches and as a missionary in Europe, Africa, and Asia. She is passionate about equipping women to serve where God has placed them. In addition to her work at Lifeway, she is currently pursuing a M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Liberty University, while also serving in various ministries in her local church. She is married to Graham, and they have a daughter named Harper.