Inter-generational activities, by contrast, emphasize a mixture of ages, and de-emphasize formal teacher-pupil relationships.
Inter-generational ministry is one of a number of movements which have arisen in response over concerns that young adults very commonly cease participation in church, and often do not return.
Studies [citation needed] show that children attending Sunday Schools and youth programs are less likely to continue church involvement, compared to those who attended worship with parents, and are integrated into a community (e.g., Mark de Vries Family-Based Youth Ministry, 2004).
The book encourages inter-generational discipleship by identifying current conceptual metaphors that the adult church uses to organize their thinking and speech about young people, (animals, aliens and closed spaces) and suggest reframing those thoughts with the metaphor of "orphan in need of a wise guide."
He argues that Hollywood has primed a generation of movie goers to expect that young heroes require a wise guide in order to gain a new identity, a new community, and the path to their destiny, which creates a valuable opportunity for the adult Christians to become the Obi-Wan Kenobi, Gandalf, Rafiki, Mr. Miyagi or Alfred to a young person.