For many parents, grandparenting is something to look forward to. We often hear grandparents joke with soon-to-be grandparents that it is the best job in the world because you get all the fun and joy of parenting but none of the responsibility. And while there is truth to that adage, God, in His wisdom, asks a lot more from grandparents. He wants us to be instruments of love and support and messengers of the gospel to our grandchildren.
The Word Among Us Press chose to publish this new book, The Strategic Grandparent: Your Most Important (and Fun) Role Yet, with this God-given mandate in mind.
This is a very challenging time for families, and grandparents can be a huge support in helping them overcome the trials they face. However, grandparents now, and perhaps into the future, may not have the opportunity to see their grandchildren in person as often as they previously did. Therefore, more creativity and better planning in their communication and interaction with their grandchildren is needed. Being strategic is more important than ever!
When I first spoke with the author, Mike Shaughnessy, about doing a book on strategic grandparenting, he explained his motivation for starting Grandly-The Strategic Grandparent’s Club: “My interest in serving grandparents is secondary. I am a youth worker. We started Grandly with the stated goal of reaching young people with the gospel. We saw that grandparents are uniquely placed to do that. Grandparents are a means to an end—the salvation of souls—just like missionaries and all those who serve the gospel…indeed, as was Jesus our Savior.”
Mike wanted to offer the reader proven youth ministry tools that are effective in reaching young people and are easy to implement for grandparents, simple things like making sure you know what they care about and showing interest in them.
Being strategic means not just waiting for the right opportunities, but also creating opportunities to share your love for the Lord with your grandchildren.
The Strategic Grandparent: Your Most Important (and Fun) Role Yet is full of practical tools and wisdom. For example, did you know that the trick to maintaining a conversation is being ready with several good questions appropriate for the age of your grandchild? Questions like “If you had a whole day to do anything you wish, what three things would you do?” Or, “What can you do that you could teach to someone else?” Great conversations create trust and understanding, often leading to more significant conversations later.
Other grandparents will love it if you “throw the book at them!” The Strategic Grandparent: Your Most Important (and Fun) Role Yet, published by The Word Among Us Press, is available at bookstore.wau.org, amazon.com, and your local Christian bookstore for $11.95.
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Beth McNamara, publisher of The Word Among Us Press, is the grandmother of 6 and lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Copyright © 2020 Grandly: The Strategic Grandparents Club. Taken from Grandly.org. Used with permission.
