Twenty Ideas for Grandparents
Twenty Ideas for Grandparents
FYI Favorites from Grandparents and Research
“We can’t out-teach what you teach at home. We’re not that good.”
This warning from student ministry pastor Dr. David Fraze to the parents of his congregation during a recent sermon captures the impact parents have on their children’s faith formation. As a Sticky Faith Cohort church, Fraze is highlighting for his congregation what research consistently indicates: teenagers’ faith tends to mirror the faith of their parents.
And their grandparents.
In the midst of our Sticky Faith research and resources, we at FYI are becoming more and more interested in understanding and maximizing grandparents’ impact on teenagers. Part of that is because of how many grandparents show up at our Sticky Faith events, just as eager for ideas to help build faith in kids as parents
More Involved than Ever
But even more important is some recent research highlighting the enormous impact of grandparents on this generation of young people. Consider the following data from Dr. Vern Bengtson from the University of Southern California:
- Senior adults’ health is improving and their life expectancy is increasing.
- Grandparents have new ways to connect with their grandchildren through technology like Skype, Facebook, and texts.
- As more and more parents (including mothers) are working outside of the home, grandparents are providing more after-school care.
As a result of these and other cultural factors, Bengtson and his team conclude that “Gen Xers and Millenials will have greater involvement with their grandparents…than any previous generation of grandchildren in American history.” 1
Involvement = Influence
That involvement translates into religious influence. According to Bengtson, grandparents can take one of three paths in their religious influence:
- Grandparents can reinforce the parents’ religious influence,
- Grandparents can substitute for the parents’ influence, or finally
- Grandparents can subvert the parents’ influence.
As the second and third paths indicate, sometimes the faith of grandparents actually “skips” a generation as grandchildren end up following in their faith footsteps despite parents’ choices to walk away from faith.
The Power of Your Story
Other recent research highlights the unique power of family stories.
If we could sit down over coffee, I might share with you about my grandfather’s garbage disposal that created a cascade of garbage in their backyard. Or the time my mom cheated my dad out of the last piece of See’s candy. These were some of my favorite stories growing up. I loved hearing them—again and again.
I’m not alone. Most kids love hearing stories of family members’ past experiences. Recent research indicates that children who know more about their family’s narratives also tend to do better emotionally. Here’s a description of some recent findings described in a New York Times article:
The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned…
(Researchers) developed a measure called the “Do You Know?” scale that asked children to answer 20 questions. Examples included: Do you know where your grandparents grew up? Do you know where your mom and dad went to high school? Do you know where your parents met? Do you know an illness or something really terrible that happened in your family? Do you know the story of your birth?
As it turns out, the “Do You Know?” scale was the best single predictor of children’s emotional health and happiness in their study. Knowing a family narrative is also linked to positive identity formation and kids’ ability to show resilience toward stress.
Given our Sticky Faith findings about the power of intergenerational relationships, our team was especially struck by this conclusion: “Dr. Duke said that children who have the most self-confidence have what he and Dr. Fivush call a strong ‘intergenerational self.’ They know they belong to something bigger than themselves.”
Now let’s be honest. Who knows family stories better than grandparents?
Twenty Best Ideas
To help families and leaders leverage the influence of grandparents, with the launch of Sticky Faith FYI decided to ask grandparents who are part of the Fuller community and walking this Sticky Faith journey to share their best ideas to build Sticky Faith in their grandkids. We originally posted over 40 ideas but we’ve distilled the list to 20 FYI Favorites for grandparents.
On a personal note, I don’t remember the last writing assignment that has brought me to tears as many times as this article has. Maybe it’s because my own grandparents were part of the village that raised me. Perhaps it’s because Dave and I feel so blessed by the way our parents are investing in our three kids’ lives. Or maybe it’s just because I have a soft spot for connecting kids and senior adults.
Whatever the reason, we hope these ideas are a catalyst to help you live out the wise words of one grandfather we interviewed: “The bottom line is TIME—our grandkids just want to spend time with us.”
Ideas that can be done any day, any time
- Invite your grandchildren for individual “sleepovers” at your house. While they are over, do some of their favorite activities together.
- Pray with your grandkids. As you pray, thank God for the special qualities he has given them.
- Teach your grandchild a new skill or one of your favorite hobbies, e.g. fishing, skiing, bicycling, jewelry making.
- Let your grandchild teach you a new skill or share a hobby with you.
- Enter a race and run/swim/ride or walk it with your grandchild.
- Talk with your grandchild about a family tradition that you enjoyed with your own grandparents and/or parents, and have passed along to your children. Then continue that tradition with your grandchild. Examples could include seeing fireworks together or going to a parade, having campfires and roasting marshmallows on the beach, seeing the Nutcracker ballet or making tamales during the Christmas season, or riding bikes to a favorite ice cream place.
- Bring out photo albums and talk about when your grandchild was born, how you prayed for them even before they were born, how excited you were to first hold him or her, and how blessed you feel that they are now part of your family.
- Serve together at a local ministry.
- Cook with your grandchildren. Play loud music and sing and cook (maybe even dance) together.
- Build something with your grandchildren.
- Share times when you have blown it, or disobeyed what you sensed God was telling you to do. Let them know how glad you are that Jesus is bigger than any mistakes.
Ideas for grandparents who live far away
- Choose a book series to read with your grandchildren. Read to them using Skype, or as they get older and the books get longer, read them individually and then discuss the highlights of the book by phone.
- Have breakfast together once a week using Skype or FaceTime.
- Start a collection of something with your grandchild, e.g. dolls from other countries, interesting stones, coins, colored glass, and continue adding to the collection when you travel or when you are together.
- Text them on an ordinary day and let them know you’re thinking about them.
- Call or send a letter when kids have special events or milestones at school or church. For instance, while you may not be present for a baptism, calling your grandchild on that special day is still very memorable. The same can be true of soccer tournaments, school plays, or after a church retreat.
Ideas for vacations or extended time together
- On extended family vacations, try to have morning or evening devotions that include questions that all family members can answer. This way the children hear their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins share on a deeper level.
- If financially possible, at the age of 12 or 13, take your grandson/granddaughter on a weekend away with the other significant males/females (of the same gender as your grandchild) in your family, e.g. dad, mom, aunts, uncles, grandfather, and grandmother. Have a planned activity that you’ll do together (skiing, hiking, going to a Broadway show, camping, etc.). Include time to discuss what it means to be a Christian man/woman. Give them something lasting that will remind them of things learned over the weekend and commitments that are made.
- Have “Grand Camp” with your grandkids either at your house or another destination. Do things together that they’d do at camp—crafts, sports, singing, cooking, treasure hunts, etc. This could last one day or several days. Or find a camp that hosts weeks for grandparents and grandkids to come together, letting the camp plan the programming and details.
- Go on a mission trip with your grandchild, either locally or abroad. Consider making this a rite of passage experience at a certain age with each grandchild.
Action Points:
- If you’re a grandparent, which of these ideas inspires you in your own relationship with your grandkids? If you’re a parent, which of these ideas might fit your extended family?
- If you’re a youth leader, how can you facilitate relationships between teenagers and the senior adults in your church? Which senior adults could you meet with in the next few months to start brainstorming?
- If you’re a senior adult who doesn’t have grandkids, or whose grandkids live far away, which of these ideas could you implement with kids in your church or neighborhood as a grandparent-figure in their lives?
- Vern L. Bengtson et al, Families and Faith: Generations and the Transmission of Religion (Report submitted to the John Templeton Foundation, July 2011), 117.
Kara Powell
Kara Powell, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary. As a youth ministry veteran of over 20 years, she serves as an Advisor to Youth Specialties and is the author or co-author of a number of books including Sticky Faith, Essential Leadership, Deep Justice Journeys, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum
By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired shot heard round the world. “Concord Hymn,” Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1836. This is true. The American Revolution was transformative. One hundred years later, poet James Russell Lowell celebrated the modest span as “era-parting.” As the Concord militia ran across the bridge chasing retreating redcoats, they ran from one era into another. This is also true. The United States was the first government founded on the principle that “all men are created equally.” To be sure, this noble concept was very imperfectly implemented, but nobody else, certainly not European monarchies, even pretended to believe it. On April 19 we rightly celebrate the 250th anniversary of Concord, the beginning of a war that led to American independence. But there’s more. The first shots were not fired across Emerson’s “rude bridge” but on Lexington Common. Here three British companies faced the village militia. Major John Pitcairn, the British commander, ordered the Massachusetts men to disperse. The militia captain, John Parker, seeing that his men were significantly outnumbered, ordered them to break ranks and leave. But before they could, somebody—we still don’t know who—shot, and the British spontaneously responded with heavy fire. Then, again without orders, they charged, shooting and bayoneting, including the wounded. Historians disagree over whether British officers encouraged the melee or futilely screamed for order. Almost certainly, however, redcoats cut down fleeing militiamen. It was more massacre than battle. This atrocity, not Emerson’s “shot heard round the world,” inaugurated a lengthy, difficult, brutal war. The War for Independence lasted eight years, the longest conflict in American history until Vietnam and now fourth behind Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam. Civilians were targeted, casualties high, and prisoners, when taken, treated inhumanely. Lexington wasn’t the only time in the war when wounded and surrendering soldiers were assaulted; both sides did it, but more often the British. As people of faith remember Lexington and Concord, they can find three takeaways. 1. Injustice creates conflict. Identifying wrongs inflicted upon us comes naturally, but the call is to recognize injustice felt by others. The colonists had legitimate grievances: They were unrepresented in Parliament and taxed without their consent, a fundamental injustice. Logically, they demanded self-government. For ignoring American complaints, Imperial leadership lost some of its most valuable colonies, and its military endured high casualties. The lesson is that release for the captives and freedom for the oppressed are both the right thing to do—"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”—and pragmatic because of the problems they solve. 2. Similarly, bad things happen when people stop listening to each other. Mostly, this falls again on the British. Even a few months after Lexington and Concord, independence was still not mainstream among Americans, who probably would have accepted something short of full sovereignty. How might the history of the British Empire evolved if it had listened and applied the Golden Rule? Tone-deafness cost the British severely. Likewise, may we remember that most arguments have two sides. The Empire’s anger over the extensive property damage caused by the Boston Tea Party feels legitimate. Refusal to concede that the other side has a point or two often has significant practical cost, in this case further widening the breach between the Empire and its seaboard colonies. This is not to say that Jesus compromised his values, but he lunched with tax collectors and sinners and, presumably, listened. 3. Wars are easier to start than to stop. This includes labor (strikes) and trade wars. The great conflict that started on Lexington Green lasted much longer than anybody thought. In fact, there was little deliberation. Tensions escalated and anger boiled until violence erupted, and once the floodgates of war opened, it took eight years and rivers of blood spilled before they closed. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are not only the children of God but, in practice, they rescue society and, especially, innocents from the suffering of war. In the long run society is best served by peace (and justice). Do justice, listen, and make peace: Put together, these lessons from Lexington are foundation stones of Christian behavior, and they equip Brethren to be the salt of the earth in tumultuous times. Steve Longenecker is Professor of History, emeritus, at Bridgewater College (VA). Photo by Donovan Reeves on Unsplash
On Saturday, April 5th, churches and representatives from across the Southeast Region of The Brethren Church gathered at Windhaven Church in Mount Jackson, VA, for a powerful day of fellowship, prayer, and storytelling. Over 75 attendees, including 25 enthusiastic youth from several churches, came together to celebrate and share inspiring stories of how God is transforming their communities and responding to the urgent need for hope, love, and connection in these divided times. The gathering was a flurry of activity. Here are some of the highlights: During the morning, the youth poured themselves into a community service project; they assembled water bottles with socks, other essential items, and snacks for local homeless shelters. Chyann Mackey and Laura Waldron (Both of Mount Olive Brethren Church, McGaheysville, VA) shared their excitement about preparations for this summer's camp, now under the new name: Kairos! Their palpable enthusiasm left attendees eager to witness how God will use this initiative. Pastor Don White (St. James Brethren Church, Fairplay, MD) shared a powerful message about the importance of experiencing God's presence and living in both spirit and truth. St. James is growing and actively engaging in local ministry initiatives, primarily through the Women's Missionary Society (WMS) groups from collaborating churches—truly a remarkable story worth sharing. Sara Moore (Saint James Brethren Church) emphasized Brethren Academy's vital connection to the region and showcased current and former students who now serve as mentors or in ministry within their local churches. Looking for ways to grow your youth in Christ? Check out Camp Kairos, Engage Youth Conference (both this summer), and Brethren Academy this fall! Valerie and Micah Ceary from the Gathering Church (Hagerstown, MD) and Joe and Katie Turner shared updates through videos about their new church plants in Maryland, which are advancing in unique ways throughout the region. Pastor Lee Reams (Compass Community Church) highlighted his church's summer sports outreach they put on in cooperation with Eukarya Christian Academy in Stephens City, VA. Read more about it at https://www.brethrenchurch.org/compass-community-wraps-up-summer-sports-outreach . Pastor Todd Crowder and the team at Maurertown Brethren Church (Maurertown, VA) are inspiring witnesses through their work with inner-city kids. Hearing Todd's journey—starting with one child in his truck and expanding as kids sought connection and fellowship—was uplifting. Pastor Kent McKay (Canvas Community Church, Winchester, VA) discussed the importance of vision and mission in the recent merger. Canvas Community Church was formed from the merger of Canvas Church, a local non-denominational church, and our own Grace Community Church in late 2022. Now, less than three years later, a full one-third of the new congregation are new members to their congregation and were not part of either Canvas or Grace Community. This remarkable statistic is a testament to the efficacy of their outreach and the work of God in Winchester. Pastor Brad Reaves showed a video highlighting the impactful work in Guinea-Bissau, where they partner with One Child to use the Bridgely App to fund children's schooling. Additional highlights included a recap of the recent Regional Women's Retreat, celebrated as a resounding success, and updates from the Gathering Church in Winchester, VA on their substantial outreach to local homeless shelters as they celebrate their fourth anniversary this Palm Sunday. Pastor Simon Flint spoke about their Toddler-Time outreach at Muskoka Community Church in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada, which positively impacts mothers and families during the cold winter. Pastor Dave Stone shared in a video update how Sarasota First Brethren Church is recovering after Hurricane Milton damaged its building (read more about that at https://www.brethrenchurch.org/nappanee-brethren-repair-hurricane-damage ). During that same update, Dave Stone noted that their facility is used by seven Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous groups every week. What an extraordinary array of stories! God is surely at work, using the Brethren Church in remarkable ways. Please share the good news of what God is up to in your church and community at our MemoryFox page . We look forward to sharing more inspiring stories from your region as well!
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On Sunday, March 23, the Brethren Church in Cay Pombo, Philippines gathered as usual to lift their hearts and hands in praise and worship to God, their Father. Yet that day was far more than a typical Sunday; it was a joyous celebration of God’s goodness and all He has accomplished in the church during its first full year of ministry. “As we celebrated our 1st anniversary, we're reminded that God has a plan to prosper us and give us a hope and a future. We're excited to see how He will continue to work in the lives of many through the JOFF (Jesus Our Firm Foundation) Cay Pombo Church. We've seen God move in amazing ways. We've witnessed lives transformed, relationships built, and how Jesus moves in everyone's lives, and yet, we know that this is just the beginning. We're trusting God to guide and direct us always. To God be all the glory! Happy anniversary, JOFF Cay Pombo!  As we celebrate this first year of ministry and Kingdom growth, may this moment inspire the church here in the United States and around the world to boldly witness for Jesus in our neighborhoods, communities, and nations. Amen!!! Scott Soden Coordinator, Brethren Global Partners
Hey everybody! It's been a couple years since ChristCore Brethren Church went on hiatus, and I wanted to share a brief but exciting update. I've felt the Lord stirring in my heart over the past year to try starting it again. ChristCore went on hiatus and we downshifted heavily after Alexander Stillion, one of our members, passed away in a motorcycle accident. Quite honestly, I was depressed and didn't want to keep doing this plant without my friend. During this time, Terry Hofecker and Josh Coffee, pastors of Agora Church in Columbus, Ohio, were gracious and gave Micaela and I a "landing place" while ChristCore paused. Now, we sense the Lord is calling us to pilot the ship once again, and I am excited to both share and ask for your prayer support as we relaunch ChristCore! We held our first new gathering on Friday, March 2 and hosted 7 adults and 2 kids (OTHER than Micaela, myself, and our kids). During our time, we had a Bible study on part of Matthew 5, lyric discussion of the Christian Metalcore song “Immortal” by War of Ages, and shared prayer requests and praises and prayed with each other. Thank you for your prayer support!!! Praise the Lord! Paul Lattimer Pastor, ChristCore Brethren Church 
On Sunday, March 16, 2025, the small congregation at the church in Lima went to a local beach for a very special time of transformation and celebration. Here is what Pastor Luis Angel has to say about the day's events: “Our church recently celebrated the baptism of four members. Franz and Bertha, who have been part of our congregation for several years, had not previously been baptized due to various circumstances. Leslie, Franz's girlfriend, and Luca, a young leader in our church, are newer members who decided to take the step of faith during their discipleship journey. Initially, Luca's baptism was scheduled for July 2024, but due to my motorcycle accident we had to postpone the ceremony. We decided to reschedule for the summer when the weather is more conducive. Franz and Leslie joined the discipleship program during the waiting period, followed by sister Bertha a month ago. All four will continue their discipleship classes, deepening their spiritual roots and developing their gifts for service.” Let us joyfully celebrate the incredible work God is doing through our partners in Peru and across the globe!  Scott Soden Coordinator; Brethren Global Partners
Sunday, March 2, 2025, was a very special day at Bet-El Church (Brethren Church) in Santiago, Chile! Your partners celebrated together the act of faith and renewal in baptisms, where six brothers and sisters took an essential step in their Christian walk. It was a time of joy, excitement, and spiritual fulfillment as we saw Jesus’ mandate, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” fulfilled. The day of transformation continued through the afternoon as the congregation celebrated all that God is doing in their community through the love and sacrifice of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Follow this link to see the video recap of the event, which relives the most significant moments of this special day. Thank you for being a part of this community of faith and the Brethren movement worldwide! We especially thank and pray for Pastor Carlos Quiroga and Pastor Zulema Zagal, who shared the blessings of this amazing moment in the church with us! Scott Soden Coordinator; Brethren Global Partners
Praise, Prayer, and Provision in India! The Brethren Church in India has been very busy these last few months with the ongoing work of the ministry. Although it doesn’t snow in India, this time of year brings rainy weather and cooler temperatures. Thanks to your generosity, Nirmala was able to purchase blankets, towels, and other necessities for the children at the orphanage. These gifts mean more than you can imagine to those who possess very little. Now, the children can feel assured of staying warm and dry during the cooler months. Sudhir has been making trips around the region to meet with many Brethren, pastors, and congregations. He and his wife, Latha, often bring words of encouragement and love during their visits. In Rajahmundry, Nirmala and the leaders held a special day of praise and prayer on January 26th. Many from the community joined in the event, singing and worshiping the Lord for His provision, mercy, and grace. Prayer filled the church throughout the day, with many people on their knees. These prayers were not only for the church and the local community but also for you! They prayed for the awakening of the church worldwide, for repentance, and that everyone would find hope and life in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. What a testimony to all that God continues to do with and through His people around the world! Scott C. Soden Coordinator; Brethren Global Partners
The first annual Camp Kairos Winter Camp, held at Potomac Park in Falling Waters, WV, from January 17th to 19th, was a resounding success. Attendance exceeded expectations, with over 120 attendees in 3rd through 12th grades representing six different churches (Compass, The Gathering, Oak Hill, St. James, Liberty, and Mt. Olive). New friends were made, old friends reconnected, and everyone looked forward to a wonderful weekend together.  Camp Kairos’s theme was "ONE," based on Philippians 1:27, how we are one mind, body, and spirit in Christ. This theme was the thread that tied the weekend's activities and worship services together. Amanda Carriere and Brandon Hartle (both of St. James) shared messages with the campers, and Lee Reams (Compass) and the Compass Youth Praise band led the camp in worship. Afterward, our elementary campers would dig deeper into the message with a Bible video and discussion. Campers were divided into small groups for hands-on activities and games that reinforced the Bible lessons. The weekend was jam-packed with fun and fellowship. Camp kicked off with a pizza party, worship, and brownie sundaes. The weekend was filled with fun activities including a marshmallow snowball fight, snow globe craft, gingerbread contest, snowman building contest, and an ultimate small group competition. Other favorites from the weekend included tubing down Slippery Slopes, playing basketball and soccer in the indoor gym, enjoying ice cream at PERKS Coffee Shop, a campfire with smores, and a glow dance party. Meals were great and special accommodations were made by the Potomac Parks chef for those with allergies. Chyann Mackey and Laura Waldron, both of Mt. Olive, organized the camp and served as its Co-Directors. They led a small army of volunteers who made the Southeast Region’s winter camp possible. They included Morgan Sterling (The Gathering), Avery Zimmerman, Nancy Zimmerman, Marty Dearing, and Lucy Johnson (all of Mt Olive); Drew Fox, Ronnie Helton, Kelly Helton, Kim Butner, and Tricia Haynes (all from Oak Hill). A big, big THANK YOU to all of the folks who made Camp Kairos 2025 a huge success! It was an amazing weekend, and we are excited and expectant to see the Lord move in huge ways as we continue planning summer camp. Thank you for all of your prayers and support! Chyann Mackey and Laura Waldron