2025 InterGenerate Taste and See Event
The Taste and See has been a tradition since our first 2017 conference! Taste and See is all about learning by experiencing a creative idea or intergenerational ministry experience. Come be prepared to participate and enjoy being in community with God’s people as you learn by doing. Our prayer is that these Taste and See experiences will provide you with instant ideas and inspiration that you can take back to your faith community.
Bio: Rev. Breen Marie Sipes is an ELCA Lutheran pastor, a full-time parent, and an all-time advocate for intergenerational ministry. She leads workshops on intergenerational ministry, worship, and leadership, and has published chapters in All Ages Becoming and Imagining All Generations. As the board president and a facilitator for Music that Makes Community, she practices brave shared leadership in building community through singing together. She is also a team member for the Intergen Collective, an international leadership group for intergenerational ministry.
Description: Join Music that Makes Community facilitator Breen Sipes and other friends as we create a place of welcome for all ages through song. We will sing together, notice together, and learn to listen to each other even more deeply as we engage in the practice of community singing. No experience is necessary; every voice is welcome.
Bio (Liz): In addition to serving as GenOn’s Executive Director, Liz Perraud provides lay leadership for intergenerational ministry in her church located in Maryland. Liz can be found leading online and in-person workshops around the globe to teach and encourage churches seeking to become more intentionally intergenerational. Liz enjoys hiking with her husband, Art, and spending time with her practically perfect grandchildren and their parents.
Bio (Brian): Brian Watson holds an M.A. in Pastoral Counseling and an M.R.E. from Liberty University. Recently, he earned his DMin. from Kairos University with a specialty in intergenerational leadership. Brian served as senior pastor at Gateway Community Church in Houston, Texas. He currently teaches middle school special education at a charter school in east Houston. Brian recently joined GenOn’s Board of Directors. He resides in Houston with his wife, Rolanda, their teenage son, Sean, and their two dogs.
Description: Join Liz Perraud and Rev. Dr. Brian Watson from GenOn Ministries to experience how to create gatherings, new or existing, that are more intentionally intergenerational. We’ll focus on shared experiences, reflection, and prayer to explore “Fire” in Matthew’s story of John the Baptist using GenOn’s “God’s World in Community”.
Bio (Roberta): Rev. Roberta Egli is a retired ordained elder in the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church. In her retirement, she continues to work as the Administrative Director of Messy Church USA. Messy Church USA is a ministry of All Age Faith Formation, a nonprofit that equips local churches to start a monthly worship based on the values of all-ages together, celebration, creativity, hospitality and centered on Christ.
Bio (Ronda): Ronda Bower has been the Pastoral Associate for Family and Educational Ministries at Northfield Community Church in Illinois since June 2006. At NCC, Ronda works with all ages in faith formation including family ministry and intergenerational ministry. Previously, she was an elementary and middle school teacher, served as Director of Christian Education in area churches. Ronda is active with Messy Church USA serving as president of the board of directors, and as trainer and ambassador.
Description: Join us for a Mini Messy Church session. During our time we will explore through intergenerational activities, prayer and celebration how “Together (we) are the body of Christ. Each one of (us) is a part of Christ’s body” (I Corinthians 12:27). I wonder… what are the advantages of understanding church as a body rather than a building? Come and see!
Bio: Karen has been a member of the Next Generation Ministry team at Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church in Toronto, Canada, since 2022. She joined the team after earning her Master of Divinity degree from Tyndale University in 2021, majoring in Pastoral Ministry: New Generation and Multicultural Church, and minoring in Global Mission and Intercultural Studies. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Karen immigrated to Canada during her teenage years. She committed her life to Jesus in high school. In her free time, Karen enjoys hiking and connecting with nature.
Description: This Taste and See session involves creating new lyrics for the "Happy Birthday" song that describes the Church, based on 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Participants will collaborate to write the lyrics in their heart languages and then present the song. The session offers an opportunity for participants of all ages, from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, to engage in intergenerational discussion and creativity, using their gifts and imagination. Often, we do not realize how much we can build each other up beyond verbal communication. This session also allows participants to experience the Body of Christ from multilingual and intergenerational perspectives.
Bio: Angela is from Aotearoa, New Zealand where she works for the Anglican Diocese of Auckland as Intergenerational Ministry Facilitator as well as being the intergenerational worship curator at St Mary by the Sea where she is in ministry with her husband Dion. She is Mum to four teenagers and loves reading, poetry, writing, sunsets, cats, recipe books and spending time with her whanau (wider family).
Description: The title of this session is the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer in te reo, the language of the tangata whenua (Māori) of Aotearoa New Zealand. Join Angela as we explore this familiar prayer, entering into worship, connection and co-creation.
Bio (Larry): Dr. Larry L. Green, pastor, motivational speaker, and holistic development advocate, originally from Jamaica, brings a rich and diverse ministry background from his work in the Bahamas. He currently serves as Associate Pastor at Restoration Praise Center in Bowie, MD, together with his wife, Schkara, and their four children. Larry is committed to empowering individuals and families to grow spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. His doctoral thesis from Andrews University Theological Seminary focuses on the intergenerational church.
Bio (Valerie): Dr. Valerie M. Grissom, a pastor and worship leader for over 20 years, resides near Seattle, Washington, on Whidbey Island, with her husband Ben and 4 children (2 Gen Zers, 2 Gen Alphas!). She serves as Chair of the InterGenerate Team. Valerie is editor of the book All Ages Becoming: Intergenerational Practice in the Formation of God's People (2023). For more about Valerie's research, writing, speaking, coaching, and mentoring on intergenerational and intercultural worship, visit valeriemgrissom.com.
Description: Stories are powerful! Stories can build bridges! And story sharing can foster intentionally intergenerational, relational discipleship with youth. Come participate in a brief time of story sharing, sampling our new story capturing tool IYS created by InterGenerate, through the Faith & Service Grant of Ten x 10. Our goal is to capture at least 50 stories of youth (ages 13-18) participating intergenerationally in acts of service and justice by November 1.