Being a grandparent is a gift from God. I have often told my children that, if I’d known being a grandparent was so much fun, I would have started with grandchildren first.
Joking aside, grandparents have an extraordinary opportunity to make Christ visible to their grandchildren, following the pattern the Apostle Paul identified in 2 Timothy 1:5 (NIV):
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
Paul recognized in Timothy the sincere faith that had first lived in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. They had demonstrated what it was like to be Christian in the largely pagan culture of Lystra, in what is now Turkey. Timothy became a pastor, gospel evangelist, and early church leader.
As grandparents, we have a similar opportunity to model our Christian faith to our grandchildren. Choose the ideas below that best fit your situation based on the age and location of your grandchildren, whether their parents are Christians, and how often you are blessed to see them.
Although my focus is on ways Christian grandparents can model their faith with their grandchildren, these ideas aren’t limited to us. Parents, aunts and uncles, family friends, and other caring Christians can use many of the same approaches to the children God has placed in their lives.
Be Visible
Let them see what following Jesus looks like.
- Say grace before meals, at home and when out
- Let them hear you say “have a blessed day” when out
- Let them see you serving at church
- Demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit in all your interactions
- Admit when you are wrong and ask forgiveness
- Let them see you forgive others
- Read the Bible where they can see you
- Let them hear you thank God for blessings
- Model generosity
- Make church something joyful – associate faith with people who love them, welcome them, and enjoy being together.
- Introduce them to other faithful Christians
- Let them see your faith during difficulty – being a Christian isn’t easy
- Ask wait staff how you can pray for them, then pray right there
Be Intentional
Don’t rely on them to figure out why you live a particular way. Tell them about Jesus.
- Give them a children’s Bible to read
- Give age-appropriate Christian books as gifts
- Ask “What was your Bible story about today at church?”
- Ask what they think about God
- Talk about why you serve
- Celebrate spiritual milestones (e.g., first Bible, profession of faith, baptism)
- Tell them about mission activities and trips you participated in (e.g., downtown evangelism, mission trip)
- Tell them your faith story
- Talk naturally about God (e.g., a beautiful sunset, an answered prayer)
- Tell them about answered prayers, especially a shared prayer
- Explain the gospel clearly
- Ask whether they have questions about becoming a Christian
- Speak about death and heaven naturally when the opportunity arises
- Connect Scripture to their real life – e.g., friendships, fear, disappointment, honesty, forgiveness
Invite Them In
Give them opportunities to practice their budding Christian faith with you.
- Encourage your grandchild to say grace at meals
- Serve with them at church (e.g., AWANAs)
- Invite them to participate with you at mission activities & mission trips
- Memorize Bible verses together (easy if in AWANAs)
- Ask how you can pray for them, then pray together right then—especially about something concerning them (e.g., a test or ballet recital).
- Serve people outside the church together
- Pray with them at bedtime
- Create holiday traditions with a Christian connection
- Listen to Christian music in the car; sing with them
- Encourage their attendance at worship services, small groups, church events, AWANAs, children’s choir – at their church or at yours
- Invite them to activities at your church (e.g., Fall Festival, choir program)
- Read age-appropriate Bible stories
Be Faithful
You cannot make a grandchild believe. Ultimately, faith is their response to God’s work in their heart.
- Pray for them
- Respect their parents – don’t undermine Mom and Dad
- Keep loving them when they aren’t interested
Your grandchild’s faith is ultimately between them and God. I doubt that Eunice and Lois went out of the way to intentionally demonstrate their faith expecting that a grown Timothy would travel with the Apostle Paul and become an early church leader. Being faithful was how they lived their lives.
You may never know how much your Christian example influences your grandchildren. View the lists above as a menu, rather than a checklist. Start with what fits your relationship with your grandchildren.
Be visible.
Be intentional.
Invite them to participate with you.
And above all, be faithful. Trust God to use your words, your example, your prayers, and your love to draw them closer to Him.
Father, thank You for the amazing gift of grandchildren and for the opportunity to pour into their lives. Help me model a Christian faith they can see, and become part of. Use me as you used Lois and Eunice to point my beautiful grandchildren to You. Amen.
Author’s note: I used ChatGPT to expand my original list of ideas to provide more avenues for grandparents to share their faith. All selection, editing, and organization is mine, as was the idea for the article.