Connecting Your Small Group Across Generations

As a teenager, I was blessed with Christ-centered friends my age to walk through middle and high school with. Yet I still felt that my community was missing something. Through prayer, I recognized this as a longing for relationships with women a step ahead of me, women from other generations to pour into me and model how to follow God through every season.  

The Lord answered my prayer with one simple invite from my women’s ministry leader. Getting connected to a women’s group allowed me to experience the beauty of following the Lord alongside multiple generations. We all want this for ourselves, our friends, and our daughters. We want women in the church to do life together, despite differences in age or life stage. 

But how can we practically bridge the gap that exists between generations? How can multigenerational women’s groups become the new normal in our churches? 

Invite Women of All Generations

I believe it all begins with an invitation. As leaders and group members, we must move beyond our fear of rejection and ask every woman, whether 15 or 85, to join our women’s small groups. Often, women outside the average age range of our groups may feel unwelcome or left out. Without a personal invite, they may never attend and get to experience the gift of community and relationship with sisters in Christ. So simply ask them to join whatever your group is doing next.  

Read the Word and Pray 

One of the best ways to connect the generations in your group after inviting them in is by studying Scripture and praying together. Women’s groups within the church can quickly become more of a social club than a place to dive into theology; it is easy to spend the majority of our time sharing extensive stories disguised as prayer requests. But this does not leave anyone more in love with Jesus, connected to other women, or prepared for the spiritual battle we face daily. 

By prioritizing studying the Bible together, your group will not only grow in their understanding of God and how to walk in obedience to Him but will also form relationships with each other. When you hold each other accountable to spending daily time in the Word and gather to share what the Holy Spirit has taught you, a deep bond is formed that crosses all barriers we put up, including age.  

Beyond reading the Word, making time to pray together is crucial. One powerful way to bring the generations together through prayer is by pairing up a younger and older woman to share prayer requests and pray over each other. I will never forget the time I was paired with a sweet friend many years ahead of me to pray during our women’s retreat. We were vulnerable with each other; we shared the struggles we face when sharing the gospel and prayed specifically for each other and the lost friends in our lives. This time of prayer was the catalyst for a beautiful friendship that crosses generations. 

Intergenerational Accountability Partners 

Another way to cultivate relationships among generations in your group is to develop intergenerational accountability partners. Accountability partners are typically women close in age who encourage one another in their walks with Christ through vulnerability and shared wisdom. But what if we paired women across generations for this deep connection instead?  

Scripture emphasizes that both younger and older women contribute to the life of the church, so pairing an older and younger woman to encourage each other will not only help them become more like Christ, but it will also form a friendship that crosses generations. Titus 2:3-5 points out the need for all ages by allowing the older women to “teach what is good” and “encourage the young women,” and and 1 Timothy 4:12 notes the younger women can “set an example.”  

The traditional method of having older women as mentors that strictly pour into younger women may not be the only way. Instead, we can craft intergenerational accountability partners that prioritize shared wisdom and relationships among the generations. 

Fellowship 

Another key component in connecting all ages within your women’s group is having regular fellowship opportunities! Scheduling time to get to know each other and laugh together outside of the time you study the Word as a group is essential in forming relationships among generations. This could be as easy as going out to eat together, or it could be something that requires more planning like a game night. However fellowship looks for your group, keep the Lord at the center. Fellowship rooted in Christ will deepen relationships among generations beyond anything we could do ourselves.

Even the planning of a fellowship event for your group can be an opportunity to connect women of different ages. Creating a multi-generational team to plan and execute the event allows the team to get to know each other and brings multiple perspectives into planning a fun event for the whole group. 

Here are some fellowship ideas to get you started:

• Progressive dinner: Travel to a different group member’s home for each dinner course. Bonus points for a themed progressive dinner, like Christmas or Galentine’s Day!    
• Make prayer boards: Gather your group, some cork boards, and decorative craft supplies to create a practical prayer resource you can use every day! 
• Serve together: Find a need in your community or church and volunteer to serve together. If you have older women in your church who are unable to attend a women’s group due to health issues, find ways to bring joy to them. Make cookies or flower arrangements as a group and deliver to these women! 
• Worship and testimony night: Spend an evening worshiping the Lord with the women in your group! This can be through songs or sharing testimonies of how the Lord has saved and worked in your lives. Whether in a circle in your living room or on a stage in the church sanctuary, worshiping with other women is always such a powerful thing. 

Attend a conference

While low-commitment fellowship is crucial, there is also something powerful about attending a conference together. It allows your group to spend intentional time studying Scripture, worshiping, and making memories together. With no to-do lists or distractions begging for your attention, you can get to know your group better.

By taking time away with your small group, it creates space for the Lord to move in your lives individually and to bring women of all ages closer together. The two weekend retreats I’ve experienced with my women’s ministry, in a cabin with women of all generations, were something I will never forget. The spiritual growth and relationship building that took place as we heard from Bible teachers, sang simple songs in worship, and prayed together is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. If you have the chance, carve out time to attend a conference with your group and watch as the Lord breaks down barriers among generations. 

If you’ve been longing to connect your group across generations, extend the invite, open the Word, and watch as the Lord bridges the gap between women of all ages!

Sign up for our You Lead Webinar in November 2025: Every Generation Asks: What Do I Have to Offer? Plus, read what several women wished others knew about their generations. Read an article from a Gen Zer, Millennial, Gen Xer, Baby Boomer, and Silent.

About Madisyn Braden