A Different Perspective

Over the years I wrote the posts for this blog from the perspective of a leader in Children's Ministry, but today I want to share a grandparent's perspective. I write two additional blogs for grandparents (and parents, too - grandmascookiejar.net and grandmaswithheart.blogspot.com) and have heard from a great many grandparents. If you are a leader in the Children's Ministry at your church, please consider the following . . . 

• More and more of the children in your church are there because they come with their grandparents. If the grandparents did not bring them to church, the children would not attend.
• This means these children especially need to hear from adults they know who share the faith of their grandparents. These relationships matter.
• This also means these children especially need friends who are Christians.
• When they miss a service - and they likely will - it is imperative for you to send them a card to let them know you noticed they were absent and would like to see them return.
• The grandparents likely feel alone when it comes to handing down confident faith - they need your support.

So, do you know which children in your ministry come to church with their grandparents? If you do not know this, how will you be able to come alongside the grandparents and be an additional voice of faith these children truly need? Find out which children come to your church with their grandparents.

Keep track. When these children are absent, do not fail to send them a card to let them know they are part of your church family and were missed. If you fail to do this, the children will stop coming to church. If they attend with their grandparents, they likely only do so IF they want to be there. It is up to you to make it a place where the children want to be.

And, do everything you are able to do to encourage the development of friends in your ministry. Do not let a child who attends sporadically feel like they are left out or do not belong. If you say you care, make sure your actions back up your words - at least make sure if you want your words to be true.

Grandparents who bring their grandchildren to church need you and more importantly, their grandchildren need you to get these things right. Look at what you are doing - or more importantly what you are not doing and get it right.