Sharing Your Faith With Your Grandkids
By: Ben McEachen
Ian Barnett from The National Grandparent Movement encourages you to make the most of more time, involvement and intentional investment.
Have You Noticed?
According to Ian Barnett, grandparents in the 21st Century have more access to and direct interaction with their grandchildren.
“The reality is we have opportunities now… that we may not [even] have had with our own kids” said Ian on The Grandparenthood Podcast.
Ian is the founder and leader of The National Grandparent Movement, encouraging grandparents to meaningfully invest in their grandchildren.
Ian spoke about the increased opportunity grandparents have to share their Christian faith.
As parents, Ian pointed out that you can be “working hard, paying off mortgages, doing all sorts of things. You’re busy.”
Ian believed that, for grandparents, there can be more reflective time about and greater awareness of close relationships.
“As grandparents, you start to realise, ‘I should have done this with my own kids’ – spoken up about who you are as a Christian,” Ian said.
“The struggles you have, why you go to church and why you are dragging your kids to Sunday School when they don’t want to go.
“You probably didn’t give them the time to explain [your faith] so, many now have walked away from church, especially the generation after the Boomers.”
One instant way grandparents can begin to share Christian faith with their grandchildren is already available, every day.
Ian said grandchildren are watching what grandparents do.
As they observe your words and deeds, seize the moment to let the grandkids know how your faith influences everything you do.
“You can engage with them and just speak about the great day God has given us,” Ian said.
“You can put language in your conversations that actually helps them realise you believe in something bigger than what we are experiencing in this world.”
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
Feature image: Canva Pro
