The Calling Young Disciples Team and Children’s Officer, Emma Pettifer, have been working with a number of grandparents to help them to share their faith with their grandchildren more effectively. Here’s why some of those attending think this is so important.
Robert from St George’s Kidderminster
“I started coming to the group because I felt sharing my faith was one of the roles of being a grandparent. I sometimes feel like we’ve missed a generation – our children don’t necessarily have faith, but I’d like to ensure that our grandchildren have the opportunity to explore and develop it.
By inviting my grandchildren to church, they’ve realised that it’s not just me and they get the chance to meet other young people with faith. I’ve found that their faith will develop when they’re involved in church – one of my grandchildren is a key part of our church’s audio-visual team.
The conversations you can have with your grandchildren are completely different with those you have with your own children. We’re often a sounding board. It means we really get to know our grandchildren and can pray with and for them in a different way.”
Jan and John, St Michael, Stourbridge
“Our faith is the most important thing to us and we have an equally special relationship with our grandchildren. Our involvement in their lives gives us the opportunity to talk about how we feel and what our faith means to us. We then trust them to God. It feels like God is giving us another chance and we need to take it – our grandchildren may not hear anyone else talk about their faith.”
Ann, St Chad, Kidderminster
“My grandchildren live abroad and I see them once a year. They’re getting to the age where they’re starting to ask questions and their parents are happy for me to talk to them. It’s a chance to speak to them as yourself and tell them what you believe. It’s really useful to get ideas from the group.”
Ann Batchelor, CYD Mission Enabler
“I have four grandchildren and try hard to talk to them about faith in a natural way. I keep bible books and my Godly play stuff out at home and the grandchildren will ask about it which starts a dialogue. Our 7-year-old recently asked me how to pray, which was lovely. The important thing is not to hide your faith, but be open and try to find opportunities to share it with your grandchildren. It also works well to use different cultural references to start a conversation, for example footballers getting baptised or Stomzy lyrics.”
To be involved in the grandparents' group contact the Calling Young Disciples team: cydproject@cofe-worcester.org.uk
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