Resources to Help You Equip Parents & Grandparents to Hand Down the Faith

One of the most important things you will ever do as a person who serves in the Children's Ministry at your church, is to equip and encourage parents and grandparents to hand down the faith. They are the first and second most influential people in the lives of the children in your ministry, so why wouldn't you equip and encourage them to hand down the faith as doing so will increase the opportunities to reach these children for Jesus?

So, today I want to share with you several resources - some free, others low cost - which you are able to share with the parents and grandparents in your church to equip and encourage them to hand down the faith.

• Grandmas with Heart - this blog has at least two solid new posts every day which will provide information, ideas and resources to equip and encourage grandparents and parents to hand down the faith. It is free and is written by grandmas who are committed to handing down the faith. You will find it at - grandmaswithheart.blogspot.com
• Sitting by the Well - this blog is written by Sherry Schumann (a grandma who hands down the faith and the Co-Director of Prayer Ministries for the Christian Grandparenting Network. You will find it at sherryschumann.com
• The Christian Grandparenting Network - they are a Christian organization devoted to challenging those in mid-life and beyond to finish the race well as conduits of God’s grace and truth so that future generations will know, love and serve Christ. CGN is committed to helping individuals and churches cultivate “intentionality” in inter-generational ministry by focusing on and strengthening the grandparent-grandchild relationship, and taking seriously their role to make much of Christ and His Gospel to the next generations. We live in a time when the darkness of sin and unrighteousness is sweeping over our land with ferocity seeking to engulf the minds and hearts of our youth and young families. We are in a battle for the minds and hearts of each of the emerging generations of our time because there is a problem with the “light” today. Grandparents are front-line warriors in that spiritual battle! You will find them at christiangrandparenting.net
• Some of the Grandmas with Heart - Linda Ranson Jacobs, Sherry Schumann, Cathy Jacobs and Lynda Freeman are all also authors of books and resources which will help the generations hand down the faith.
  
  It is our desire to provide books and resources which do four things . . . 

• Encourage you in your own walk with God.

• Provide tools which you may use in a small group or class to learn together and encourage one another to hand down the faith.

• Resources you will be able to give to your grandchildren/ children of all ages - with information to help you have important conversations about faith with them as well.

• Resources you will be able to use with your grandchildren/ children to hand down the faith.

• So, if you are looking for tools to help equip, encourage and empower you as a grandparent or parent to hand down the faith - check out  https://grandmaswithheart.blogspot.com/p/resources-from-grandmas-with-heart.html and come back often as they will be adding new titles from time to time.
  
  
  Linda Ranson Jacobs
  
  1. the single parent: confident and successful - is an excellent book which is definitely for single parents/ grandparents AND for those who are not single as well. Lynda Freeman's review of this book is at the following link and you are able to buy it at this link. This book fits both of the first two categories of resources from the Grandmas with Heart - a tool to help you grow and an excellent resource for you to use with others in a small group/class.
  Catherine Jacobs
  1. Pass the Legacy 7 Keys for Grandparents Making a Difference
     
     - is a book filled with practical information on how to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of the ones you love. Lynda Freeman's review of this book is at the following link and you are able to buy it at this link.  If you want a personalized signed copy, email Cathy at  cathy@passthelegacy.com.  Cost of a signed book is $15.  No shipping cost. This book fits both of the first two categories of resources from the Grandmas with Heart - a tool to help you grow and an excellent resource for you to use with others in a small group/class.

  Sherry Schumann

  Do your prayers for your grandchildren and their parents
  

  

  seem powerless and ineffectual? Prayers that Stir the Hearts of Grandparents is a collection of forty prayers, which are grounded in the Word of God. Designed as a prayer journal and written to boost your prayer life, this unique book encourages and equips you to pray specifically and boldly for your grandchildren, adult children, future grandchildren and even yourselves. Sherry's other book; The Christmas Bracelet is an "ashes to
  beauty” holiday tale which will encourage and delight all who read it.

  Lynda Freeman
  1. Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children is a book
     
     written by Lynda and her three grandsons to help children learn to talk with God. (It is available in print form from Amazon at this link and as a digital PDF in our Book Store at this link.)If we want the children we love to learn to walk closely with God, they need to learn to talk with Him. Praying Deeper Through the Psalms - Children's Edition is designed to help children - preschool through Middle School age - learn to do exactly this by praying the Psalms back to God. In this book you will find 52 weeks of Scripture prayers from the Book of Psalms and space for children to record their own prayer requests and how God answers. With Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children the children you love will learn how to talk with God - and will make their way through the Book of Psalms a thoughtful way as well.
  2. Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Grandparents & Parents, Too! Praying the Scriptures for the Children You Love and Praying Deeper Through the Old Testament for Grandparents & Parents, Too! Praying the Scriptures for the Children You Love - are updates of Lynda's books - Deeper in 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too - Psalms Edition and Old Testament Edition. These books each provide you with 52 weeks of personalized Scripture prayers from the Book of Psalms and the Old Testament to help you in your walk with God and to pray for the ones you love as well. You are able to buy them at this link, this link and in our Book Store at this link. Both of these books fit the first two categories of resources from the Grandmas with Heart - tools to help you grow and excellent resources for you to use with others in a small group/class.
  3. Lynda is the author of - Don't Worry; It is Impossible to Spoil
     
     Grandchildren - also an update of her previous book - It is Impossible to Spoil Grandchildren. This book looks at what we need to do to well love our grandchildren and how we are able to hand down the faith - you will find it at this link and in our Book Store at this link. It fits the first two categories of resources from the Grandmas with Heart - it is a book to help you grow and is an excellent resource for you to use with others in a small group/class.
  4. A new book from Lynda is The DNA of Grandparents & Parents Who Hand Down the Faith. In this book she looks at what it takes to develop a strong walk of faith, live as people who believe and reproduce by handing down to our children and our children's children a strong and healthy walk of faith. You will find it at this link and in our Book Store at this link. It also fits the first two categories of resources from the Grandmas with Heart - it is a book to help you grow and is an excellent resource for you to use with others in a small group/class.
  5. Generations Quest - Cultivate the Faith! is the remake and
     
     fine-tuning of Lynda's book - Science, the Bible & Fun. In this new edition, she added information to help you teach the children you love about the "whys" for our faith - why we are able to believe in God and trust the Bible with confidence. You will find 52 lessons with science projects, crafts, cooking, games and more along with resources to help you show the children you love how to dig into God's Word and learn about real people who made the choice to love and walk with God. You will find it at this link and in our Book Store at this link. This resource fits the fourth category as it is a book you will be able to use with your grandchildren/ children to hand down the faith.
  6. Generations Quest - is a resource for grandparents and/or parents to use with their grandchildren/children, of all ages and in locations both near and far, to equip the Generations to learn to read, understand and live God’s Word together. You will find Lynda's post on this resource at the following link - along with a free sample to try with your family for a month. You will find more information and the location to order it at this link. This resource fits the fourth category of resources from the Grandmas with Heart - a tool you will be able to use with your grandchildren/children to hand down the faith.
  7. Lynda likes to write resources which engage her grandchildren actively in learning about the real people in the Bible and how they chose to walk with God; this is why she wrote her Illustrate My Own Bible Hero books. One is currently available - Jehoshaphat knew something very frightening! He knew there was a huge army . . . bigger than his own army . . . on their way to destroy him! Jehoshaphat knew he was not able to stop the army on his own, but he knew God could! What God did was the most amazing thing Jehoshaphat ever saw!As you learn about Jehoshaphat in this “Illustrate My Own –Unknown Bible Hero” book, you will have the opportunity to show your creativity and provide the illustrations making this book truly your own! More importantly, as you decide how to illustrate your book you will come to learn who Jehoshaphat was and will remember the important lesson he taught about how you are able to know when you don’t have the power to face sad and frightening troubles on your own, you may turn to God for help, because He will hear and help you!

It is not difficult to equip and encourage parents and grandparents so they are able to hand down the faith - just let them know about resources which are available to help them do this.