Hundreds of people turned out for Faithful Generations at Gloucester Cathedral on Saturday 1 February, to share faith, creativity and worship together.
There were a variety of activities for children and their adults of grandparent generation taking place throughout Gloucester Cathedral, from DJ sets to dance, biscuits to origami.
The Revd Canon Dr Sandra Millar, Director of Mission and Ministry was part of the organising team, along with diocesan Growing Faith and Spirituality Officer, the Revd Jo Wetherall.
Sandra said: “It went extremely well. Children and grandparents were present in the moment alongside each other, working together on different activities. Grandparents were supporting the children, and sometimes the grandparents were being encouraged by the children. It was fantastic to see children and adults of the grandparent generation laughing and dancing together. People were saying afterwards that seeing life like that in the Cathedral was amazing and inspiring.”
A few memorable parts of the event included the DJ set, led by curate Steve Bullock, and the dance workshop in the Lady Chapel. The final ‘Uneven-song’ service, which blended a traditional service with modern dance and music, featured Bishop Rachel and included performances from children who took part in the dance workshop.
“Faithful Generations began with the usual communion service held every day at the Cathedral – but with a difference. It was lovely to see children around the altar, being involved and being themselves in the space.
“The day ended with another regular service – Un-Evensong, again the usual cathedral service with a difference. It involved the girls from the Cathedral choir and the dances from the dance workshop earlier in the day. The informality of the dancing in the nave, and the traditional music were equally inspiring to children and adults,” Sandra explained.
“A younger girl said the prayers, and she was so confident in doing that, which was great for the other children to see. It was also such a special moment for her grandmother to watch her, so confidently, leading the prayers. It was just lovely to see children excited by being included and involved in the Cathedral space.”
Craft stations were dotted around the Cathedral, where grandparents and grandchildren worked together on creative projects. Origami prayer boats floated on water, symbolising prayers being carried forward, and prayer trees were decorated with handwritten hopes and reflections.
“There was lots of faith being shared,” Sandra said. “Some grandparents were more confident in reinforcing faith than others, but the volunteers were constantly talking about their faith.
“People were saying that they could replicate some of the activities in their own church. I think they saw that the activities were a really good way of creating bonds between grandparents and grandchildren.
“We timed this event with the feast of Candlemas, where we remember the story of Simeon and Anna encountering the infant Jesus and his parents in the temple. They were older people, so we thought about having an event that linked the generations, and carrying the light out into the world. We wanted to form a space where grandparents felt confident to share their faith stories with their grandchildren and we saw this in abundance through the day.”
Inspired and looking to deepen your role in sharing faith with younger generations? Book your space on the Faithful Generations Workshop on 11 February. Led by Becky Sedgwick, author of Grandparenting for Faith, the session will explore how grandparents, and those in grandparent-like roles, can nurture supportive, faith-filled relationships with children in their families, churches, and communities.
The workshop will also be a chance to connect with others on the same journey, share experiences, and reflect together over lunch and prayer.
Booking essential: Click here for booking information
News Hub
