Christian Grandparenting Blog

Most Christians who attend church with any regularity have heard the Great Commission passage in Matthew 28:18-20, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I [Jesus] have commanded you…” Have you ever wondered what it really means to “make disciples”?

Do you try to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:1-2, ESV), only to discover that the harder you try, the more you fail? Do you feel as though there is a battle of wills raging inside you? If so, you aren’t alone. 

I love wooden train track sets. The more curves and straightaways, bridges and tunnels, junctions and turn-stations, the better.  Each of our grandchildren started with the small toddler Brio set. Over the course of the years, we bought more pieces. The networks formed between individual tracks remind me of human relationships. With that in mind, I want to introduce you to Christian Grandparenting Network’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jay Bell.

Today, “passing the torch” conjures up images of the Olympic Games. We’ve all seen the runners carrying the Olympic flame around the globe and passing it from one to the other until the last one reaches that final destination at the current Olympic venue. In the earliest days of the Christian Grandparenting Network, our tagline and logo included such an image. You can see the figure of an older adult (grandparent) passing a torch much like the Olympic torch to a younger person. We used this visual as a way of reminding grandparents of the biblical mandate to pass the torch of God’s Word and the Gospel to their grandchildren. 

The Apostle Paul presents nine attributes of a godly life: the fruit of the Spirit. These are evidence of a life led by the Holy Spirit. His purpose is to encourage those who belong to Christ to no longer be slaves to their sinful nature. When a person chooses to follow Christ, they receive the Holy Spirit, and desire to develop the character of Christ. The character of Christ is manifested by the fruit of his Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV).

Christmas is a time to celebrate the gift of God’s love to the world though the birth of the Christ child: Jesus. God knew mankind was in a hopeless condition, and because of his love, he sent a way to save us from the death our sin requires. With the birth of his Son, God offers a new life of hope and freely gives the gift of salvation to those who believe in him.

Do you love to sit down with a cup of hot chocolate or a big bowl of popcorn and enjoy a family Christmas movie with your grandchildren? If so, have you considered how movies can be used as conversation starters? If the idea of using movies to initiate dialogue intrigues you, here are five Christmas movies, complete with a brief description, age appropriateness (based on Common Sense Media), follow-up questions.

During the Christmas season, parents busily bounce between work, shopping, decorating, school events, and more. Children eagerly drop hints about what gifts they hope to get. And, who doesn’t like to decorate seasonal cookies that fill – then disappear from – trays set out at festive gatherings? It’s a time of year when generosity flourishes amongst family and friends. It’s also a prime time to bless the forgotten.