Grandchildren are the crown of the aged…
Proverbs 17:6 (ESV)

Intentional grandparenting is all about following Scripture’s instructions, passing the baton to the next generation—your children and your children’s children. Although we can’t make our children or our grandchildren believers, we can be examples to them, share Jesus with them, teach them God’s Word, and pray for them. We started this over 12 years ago and it is an ongoing and deliberate decision. Incidentally, our grandchildren range from 13 to 27 years of age and we live 200 to 3,700 miles apart.

Obviously, our families are configured differently and there is no “one size fits all” for intentional grandparenting. So, make your own plan, but start with regular and  consistent prayer for yourselves and your family. Our two daughters and their husbands are strong Christians. Thankfully, I found a role for myself in our grandchildren’s faith lives that also benefited their parents. Here’s a sampling …

  • The lord planted the idea to form partnerships with grandchildren to sponsor Compassion International children. We pay the monthly cost; the grandkids write letters and pray for their child. The bonus: the two families each sponsored a child!
  • As my interest in Christian apologetics grew, I sent the dads a package of six apologetics books and asked them to share applicable information with their children. (I want them all to be prepared to effectively answer honest faith questions.)
  • I shared my written Christian worldview with my daughters and their husbands and asked the men to share their worldview with their children. When we all gathered for Christmas, we had a roundtable discussion on the biblical worldview.
  • Inspired by First Church’s Summer Reading Challenge, I gave books to our grandchildren that we could discuss, like If You Can Keep It by Eric Metaxas. I confess, I offered some incentive for their reading with a little spending money! The next time we were together, a roundtable discussion ensued. It’s great… they take copious notes and come prepared. Our read for this summer was The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

We live in a changing culture that is often hostile toward Christianity. Before our grandkids leave the security of their home, we must help prepare them. Now I don’t expect them to debate an outspoken atheist professor, but I do want them to say to themselves, “If you knew what I know, you wouldn’t say things like that that!”

God bless, and happy intentional grandparenting.

by Roy Tipton

Helpful Resources

Praying the Scriptures for Your Children by Jodie Berndt
A Practical Guide to Culture by John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle
challies.com/articles/grandchildren-are-the-crown-of-the-aged