The Other "Basket" - Equip Them!

This week I'm talking about the "basket" of ministry to parents and grandparents. Yesterday I asked, "So, what might this 'basket' of ministry to parents and grandparents look like? I believe it has to do three things: engage, equip and encourage." and we looked at, "engaging" them. I looked at some ideas of how to engage them and said, "The important thing is to get the attention of parents and grandparents, help remind them how quickly their children/grandchildren will grow up and engage them in passing on a heritage of faith. Among the many important things parents do each day, there is none more important than passing on a heritage of faith to their children. And grandparents are not 'finished'. They have not, 'done their part'. If they are grandparents, they still have a job to do, a part to play in passing on a heritage of faith."

Today I want to look at "equipping" parents and grandparents in passing on a heritage of faith to their children/grandchildren.

According to Dictionary.com, the word, "equip" means:

1. To furnish or provide with whatever is needed for use or for any  undertaking.
2. To furnish with intellectual or emotional resources; prepare.

So, "equipping" parents and grandparents means we, "prepare and provide what they need, so they will have the resources to pass on a heritage of faith to their children/grandchildren".

We in the church must get serious about preparing and providing resources for parents and grandparents to pass on a heritage of faith to their children/grandchildren. For far too long we have only focused on what we do with children at church; while we do need to have effective, excellent and engaging ministry at church for children, it can not be all we focus on. We need to prepare parents and grandparents and provide resources for them to use at home as well. How can we do this? Consider the following . . . 

• Obviously one way we do this is with classes for parents and grandparents - something the church is already doing. But, we need to be much more intentional about these classes. Maybe we should offer classes for parents and grandparents which follow the scope of the children's curriculum. If we did this, we could go more in depth and help parents and grandparents think through how to build on what the children are learning at church. This could go a long way in helping parents and grandparents feel "equipped"!
• It is not difficult to add a component to each adult class where parents and grandparents talk together about what they are doing to pass on a heritage of faith to their children and grandchildren. 
• Provide time in each class for parents and grandparents for them to pray together; time where they are, "engaged".
• You could also offer special workshops where parents and grandparents can learn more about how to pass on a heritage of faith to their children and grandchildren.
• Let parents and grandparents know about resources they can use at home - like Science, the Bible & Fun!

These are just a few ideas, but the important thing is to focus on preparing and equipping parents and grandparents, so they have what they need to pass on a heritage of faith. Among the many important things parents do each day, there is none more important than passing on a heritage of faith to their children. And grandparents are not "finished". They have not, "done their part". If they are grandparents, they still have a job to do, a part to play in passing on a heritage of faith.

Prepare them. Equip them!