HOLLY CATTERTON ALLEN

Dr. Holly Catterton Allen retired in 2022 from her position as Professor of Christian Ministries and Family Science at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she taught undergraduate courses such as Family Ministry and Nurturing Spiritual Development in Children. In retirement, her areas of interest continue to be children’s spiritual formation and intergenerational ministry. From 2015-2021, she chaired two biennial international, cross-denominational conferences: InterGenerate and the Children’s Spirituality Summit. Dr. Allen previously taught at John Brown University, Biola University, and Abilene Christian University. 

Dr. Allen is the co-author of Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community, and Worship, 2nd edition (InterVarsity Academic, 2023). In 2021, Forming Resilient Children: The Role of Spiritual Formation for Healthy Development was released (InterVarsity Academic). She also edited InterGenerate: Transforming Churches through Intergenerational Ministry (ACU Press, 2018). Her first book, Nurturing Children’s Spirituality: Christian Perspectives and Best Practices (Cascade), an edited volume, was released in 2008.

Dr. Allen has published articles in journals such as Christian Education Journal, Lutheran Education, Lifelong Faith, and Christian Scholar’s Review as well as in Christianity Today; she has also authored chapters in twenty books.

Dr. Allen received her Ph.D. in Christian Education from the Talbot School of Theology in 2002. She and her husband Leonard live in Nashville, TN and have three adult children and five grandchildren. 

A FAVORITE INTERGENERATIONAL MEMORY/EXPERIENCE: After a dinner and donuts gathering in our home with students from my family ministry course and a family down the street (grandparents, parents, and four daughters ages 10-15), we gathered to debrief the evening. I asked: We have five generations present tonight. What is special about that? How has this evening been different from usual gatherings? Becca (age 10): “Tess and I got to show college students how to cook donuts!!!” Abbie (15): “I taught college students and the Allens a new game.” The grandparents: “It was wonderful to be included and welcomed here among all of you. And we are so encouraged to be around college students who believe; it helps us see a good future for the church.” Jake (college student): “Well, I live on campus; it’s like we live in a bubble, made up of people just like us.” (some head-nodding from other college students) Jed (college student): “Yeah, it feels like home; it feels more like real life.” (Others agreed.) Caroline (college student): “Well, usually when we are at an event for college students, it’s all about the college students; it’s about what we want, what we need. But because all the generations are here, we college students were paying attention to other people older and younger than we are.” She paused. “It wasn’t just about us.” What a wonderful discussion! And Caroline’s concluding words captured simply and eloquently one of the special serendipities of bringing the generations together, that is, the outward focus, the one another-ness that should characterize the fellowship of believers. (A longer version of this story is published in Allen, Lawson, and Seibel, "Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together for Ministry, Community, and Worship" 2nd. ed., InterVarsity Academic, 2023, pp. 287-289) 

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE INTERGENERATIONAL MINISTRY IS VITAL TO THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH? "No better place exists for the greatest number of people to learn Christ-honoring ways from more experienced members of the culture than intergenerational Christian communities. People of all ages and maturity levels are present, actively carrying on the very essentials of Christianity, loving God and loving others. In intergenerational communities, children learn from each other, younger children, older children, teens, and adults. And adults learn from teens and children as well as older adults. All benefit from each other with a sense of mutuality; in essence, they grow each other up into Christ." Allen, Lawson, and Seibel, "Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together for Ministry, Community, and Worship" (2nd ed.), InterVarsity Academic, 2023, p. 287