“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders He has done… so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children, so they would put their trust in God…” Psalm 78:4-7

I’ve done my share of community theatre and church drama. And since I was also a Worship and Music pastor for more than two decades, I am acquainted with what is called the “green room”. For those of you not familiar with the term Green Room, it is a room backstage in a theatre, a TV studio, or in many churches (something else we’ve borrowed from culture) where the musicians and speakers wait until they are to come on stage.

Now I can tell you I have never been in a Green Room that is actually painted green. Since the origins of the term “green room” have little to do with this post, I will spare you any lengthy explanation. Let it suffice for our purposes to remember what it is for, not what color it is… or isn’t. A Green Room is the place for gathering and preparing for going on stage.

And that is precisely what families are about. Families are the ‘green room’ for preparing and sending our children to step on the stage of life as adults. And not just the stage of life on this earth, but the stage of eternity. This is why God created families in the first place, and it is even more critical for living in a broken and sinful world stage.  God created Adam and Eve, not two Adams so He could build families where lives are molded for life now and forever.

GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS

I do not pretend to have the mind of God, but I do have God’s instructions given to us in the Bible, His very words breathed through men He chose to reveal the truth about who we are as human beings and why things are the way they are. Therefore, I do not apologize for speaking or writing about what God tells us about this amazing band of bonded human relationships He calls family. God knew that Adam and Eve would fall, and that family would be even more critical for keeping the real Story alive.

God made it very clear from the moment He created male and female that His purpose was that a man would be joined to his wife as one flesh to fulfill the blessing God had in mind to build families (“be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” – Genesis 1:28). Unfortunately, sin uprooted and perverted that purpose so that we have a lot of messy families. But that doesn’t change what God designed and still intends to see fulfilled in those who have put their faith in Him and choose to walk in the truth.

The people of God need to reclaim God’s purpose for marriage and family. We need to be the “green room” where every family member grows and is preparing for stepping onto the stage of life every day. It not the church’s responsibility to fill that role.

During this COVID period of life in which we now find ourselves, we should not bemoan the fact that we can no longer send our children and grandchildren to a church children’s ministry to teach our children. We should rejoice that God may be reminding us that is it OUR responsibility to teach and disciple our children. We are now positioned to allow Him to use us as instruments for redeeming and restoring what has been broken. The family, not the church, is the Green Roomfor preparing generation upon generation to be conformed to the image of Christ and walk in the truth. And grandparents, that includes you.

A HELPFUL RESOURCE

The new Director of Christian Grandparenting Network, Josh Mulvihill, understands that Green Room discipleship purpose as well as anyone I know. And he has written a book I highly recommend helping you as grandparents provide that “green room” opportunity for your grandchildren. The book is called Discipling Your Grandchildren: Great Ideas to Help Them Know, Love and Serve God. And that is exactly what it is—a treasure trove of practical, doable ideas that will prepare your grandchildren for the stage of life as adults.

I can’t recommend this book enough. It is one you will return to over and over again for ideas that will make your grandchildren’s “green room” years memorable and richly empowering for their turn on the stage. CLICK HERE for more information about Discipling Your Grandchildren.