The Church's Message to Grandparents

It is extremely possible there is a vastly underutilized group of people in most churches who could truly make a significant difference in children's ministries. Which group is this, you ask? 

Grandparents. While there are some grandparents who get involved with the children's ministry, there are those who have the attitude which says they do not have to serve because they have already, "paid their dues" when their children were young. They think they have already, "done their part" and it is now the turn of the young parents to volunteer in the children's ministry.

While it is certainly a good thing for parents to volunteer, this does not excuse grandparents from doing so. If your church has a deficit of grandparents serving, it is time to have a conversation with them which says; "Okay, grandparents, I get it. It is easy to have the idea, feeling, even belief, you have 'done your part', 'finished your job', 'deserve to step back' or however you want to phrase it, when it comes to taking care of children and serving in the children's ministry. But, while you did raise your children and are older and often have less energy now than you did then, it absolutely is not true you have 'finished' anything, are 'done' with anything or 'deserve a break', or anything like these things because as grandparents, there is something you know and can see more clearly than parents." 

What is it, you ask? 

They know the time is short. They know these years fly by so quickly. They know it will not be long before these little ones with so much energy are no longer children. They know it matters NOW what we say and do with them.

It can be difficult to see these things when you are the parent living day-in and day-out with active, energetic children, but grandparents see it. They know how fast the children actually grow up. They know we will barely, "turn around" and they will be grown.

If they stop to think about it, they know it matters.

It matters what we do now. It matters what we say now. It matters for us to be focused on passing on a heritage of faith NOW. So, they can not sit back and say they have "done their part". No, "their part" is not finished.

As grandparents they have a very special "position". One which gives them the opportunity to share Jesus with their grandchildren who they love so very much, but it doesn't stop there. They can do the same with children at church. This is what it is talking about in Deuteronomy 6. Yes, there absolutely are responsibilities for parents - they have a primary role to play in passing on a heritage of faith, but so do grandparents..

So, lets be focused. Let's be serious. Let's be intentional. Let's challenge the grandparents in our churches to pass on a heritage of faith to their grandchildren and serve in the children's ministry to reach other children as well!