Equip Parents & Grandparents to Hand Down the Faith

It is actually a very "freeing" thing for us to understand God's first and best plan for the handing of faith to children is for parents and grandparents to be the primary people who hand faith to the children He has given to them. It does not rest upon our shoulders. This does not mean as people who serve in Children's Ministry we do not have a role to fill. Not at all. We absolutely are able to make a significant difference by equipping and encouraging parents and grandparents, so they understand their God-given "job" (and incredible joy) of handing down the faith. We also make a difference by reinforcing at church what the parents and grandparents are doing at home and by being sure we engage children at church, provide reliable adults who are another voice in their lives and help them build strong friendships with other children who believe. Oh yes, as people who serve in Children's Ministry we absolutely have a very important job to do.

But, we are not here to replace the parents and grandparents. We are here to help equip and encourage them to hand down the faith. Now, yes, sadly, there are some parents and grandparents who do not hand down the faith and in those cases, we have a surrogate role to fulfill as we hand down the faith to their children/grandchildren while praying for their parents and grandparents to take on this essential role.

We also, as I wrote about yesterday, need to let parents and grandparents know about resources which are available to help them hand down the faith. Today I am happy to let you know about the first of three more resources, so you are able to let the parents and grandparents in your church know about them as well.

The first is one I'm using with my grandsons - and so far am extremely happy with how it is getting them to pray on their own at their own home!  I am so happy to be able to let you know the new book, Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children, is now available! My three grandsons collaborated with me and illustrated this book so, as my middle grandson says: "children will use it and learn how to talk with God." 

As Christian grandmas (and grandpas/parents, too) we want to hand down the faith. We want the ones we love to learn to read God's word, learn to pray, learn how to develop their own walk with God, but often we wonder how to do this. We look for resources to help us and happily, now there are more available for us, but this book, Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children is unique in how it is written/designed as a tool for us to use with the children we love.

As the parents/grandparents in your church use this book with the children they love, they will be able to help them learn to spend time reading God's Word and then praying it back to God. As Karl Bastin said, founder of Kidology.org; “Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children” is a wonderful, insightful, and practical devotional book for loving adults to guide their children or grandchildren through." Linda Ranson Jacobs, founder of DC4K said; "I love this joint project created by Lynda and her grandsons! “Praying Through the Psalms for Children” will help grandparents and parents be intentional in prayer and Bible reading with their grandchildren. It is easy to see how this book will enable grandparents and parents to pray more effectively for and with the children they love."

Definitely take a serious look at Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children, and consider recommending it to the parents and grandparents in your church. Make 2020 the year you help them become intentional about reading and praying the Psalms with the children they love. Just imagine what this year will be like as they learn to walk with God and develop a relationship with Him of their own! (This book is also available at the Kidology.org store.)