When younger people want to learn how to work on their car, who do they go to? Their parents and grandparents. And when elders need help setting up their cell phone or getting on Zoom to see their grandkids, who do they turn to? Younger people.
Generations not only need to respect one another, but also depend on each other for knowledge, which is the purpose of the 12th Generation to Generation Conference at Scott United Methodist Church.
“We live in a time where the generations have lost connection,” said James Anyike, pastor at Scott UMC. “We don’t communicate the same ways. We’re not sharing wisdom and insight from the elders to the younger generations.”
The free “G2G” conference is Aug. 21-23. Many of the workshops are available on Zoom and Facebook Live, while some will be offered in person at Scott UMC, 2153 Dr. Andrew J. Brown Ave. This year’s theme is “Rebuilding the Village.”
Some of the in-person workshops are inside, and there will be limits on capacity. Same-day registration is allowed at the church, but Anyike recommends registering in advance at scottg2g.webs.com.
One of the workshops — “18 Ain’t Grown” — will deal with the challenges of parenting and why it’s important to have community and family support for young people who are on the verge of legally becoming adults.
Nicole Holder, the facilitator, has four sons and a daughter, and all are older than 18. She has worked as a juvenile probation officer and with Child Protective Services, giving her multiple perspectives on the struggles parents and young people face.
The biggest complaint from parents with kids who were 17 or 18 years old is their “hands are tied,” Holder said, because their children are about to enter legal adulthood without the necessary understanding of what that means — their responsibilities, accountability for actions and so on.
“I’ve always worked with my children from the frame of reference that at 18 you’re not grown,” she said. “You were just 17 last night, so you don’t have all the answers at 18.”
“18 Ain’t Grown” is 1-3 p.m. Aug. 21 in the sanctuary.
Another workshop — “Black and Gay in Indy – The History and Existence of Black Queerness” — will explore the difficulties Black people who identify as LGBTQ face both in the church and in the Black community.
T.J. Wright, the facilitator, grew up Baptist and identifies as LGBTQ.
“We exist silenced, and we have for years,” he said.
Wright pointed out that the Black church is one of the original pillars for Black Americans, but there has been an informal “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it comes to queerness. It’s not uncommon, he said, to sit in church on Sunday and hear the pastor “demonizing the existence of queerness.”
Wright said the message is: “God loves your blackness, but I don’t know how that queerness got in there. That’s the devil working.”
“Black and Gay in Indy – The History and Existence of Black Queerness” is 1:30-3 p.m. Aug. 22 on Zoom.
Other workshops include “Interacting with Police,” a panel discussion with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randal Taylor, Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition President Rev. Charles Harrison, and Don’t Sleep Founder Dominic Dorsey.
Ebony Chappel, co-host of “Open Lines: Eye on the Community” on Hot 96.3, will be the moderator. The panel discussion is 3-5 p.m. Aug. 22 on Zoom.
Visit scottg2g.webs.com for a full schedule.
Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.
GENERATION TO GENERATION CONFERENCE
The Generation to Generation Conference includes many workshops meant to bridge the gap between generations. The conference is free, but space is limited.
• When: Aug. 21-23
• Where: Scott United Methodist Church, 2153 Dr. Andrew J. Brown Ave.
• Register: scottg2g.webs.com or in person
