Please take a minute or so to think about, truly think about this question. Do you know how many grandparents bring their grandchildren to your ministry, and if they did not, nobody would? While you likely have more parents than grandparents who bring the children they love to your church, the number of grandparents who are doing this is increasing. And, if the grandparents are the ones bringing the children to church, it is likely the parents are not going to church at all, so if anyone is handing down the faith to these children, it is just the grandparents who are doing it.
These children may not know the other children at church, because it is likely their parents are not friends with the other children's parents - meaning they do not see the other children outside of church, unless they go to school together.
These children may also have experienced some level of trauma, in particular if their parents are divorced. Depending on the level of trauma, there may be behavior issues with these children.
If the grandparents are the only ones handing down the faith and are the only ones bringing the children to church, they are likely tired. So, do you know how many grandparents in your church are the ones who bring their grandchildren to church?
Two more questions . . . how are you supporting and encouraging the grandparents and what are you doing to help their grandchildren connect, feel like they belong and make the class time a place where they want to be?
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