Parents And Grandparents As Spiritual Guides

Today, we're increasingly disconnected from one another. Our mobile society, with its incessant busyness, creates a tragic break in relationships and diminishes the sense of community -- even within families. Some parents communicate with their children by texting or calling them -- inside their home! With all of the activities children are involved in -- school, sports, music, camp, and others -- spiritual nurture often gets neglected. "Spirituality makes persons look beyond themselves to the well-being of those around them," writes Cloyd. "How we care for the spirituality of our children, then, is not only crucial for their own well-being; it is crucial for the well-being of our society as well. Spiritual training is a primary role for parents and other family members. It cannot, must not, be neglected or relegated to some other person or agency." Cloyd explores simple ways parents and grandparents can introduce children to the presence of God and nurture them spiritually -- even through daily, routine activities as well as planned devotional times. This must-have book includes biblical models of spiritual guides along with insightful stories from children, Christian educators and the author's own experiences as a parent and grandparent. Attentiveness to God's daily presence gives the family (and society) the root system that is necessary to live with whatever events life brings. In parenting and grandparenting, we want to give our children wings, but we must start by providing them with healthy roots. Parents and Grandparents as Spiritual Guides will help you with that critical task.

Many powerful voices are influencing our grandchildren, from those at home and in their schools to those in the world of entertainment and media. What can you as a grandparent do to speak wisdom and godliness into their lives? Biblical Grandparenting is a full-length leadership book that places grandparenting ministry on a firm scriptural foundation. It is ideal for pastors and church leaders as well as for use in the classroom at seminaries.

Many grandparents experience a surge of joy with the birth or adoption of a grandchild. For years afterward, time together is eagerly coveted, pictures are treasured and displayed, and multiple gifts along with various kinds of support are gladly provided. Richard Olson, a retired minister, professor of theology, and grandparent many times over, presents the unconditional love of a grandparent as indicative of a vocation, a calling from God. He explores the vocation of grandparent in all of its multiple dimensions of being and doing. Informed by a biblical perspective, the book explores the author’s personal journey of grandparenting and includes conversations with a diverse set of other grandparents. Olson examines biblical examples of grandparenting and suggests that the grandparent vocation has possibilities that often go unnoticed. These include care, enjoyment, and response to issues throughout a grandchild’s growth. He also addresses concerns for our grandchildren’s future world, and how grandparents can engage in mutual conversation about faith, morals, and values in a changing world. In addition, Olson discusses increasingly common relationship types such as grandparents serving as primary caregivers, adults becoming step-grandparents through marriage, interreligious family systems, and grandparents handling children with special needs. The book includes questions for personal or group reflection.

Children's spiritual development is currently a hot topic in Christian circles, as well as in other fields and disciplines such as educational psychology, medicine, developmental psychology, education, and sociology. The key question for Christian scholars and educators is How do Christian beliefs and practices uniquely interrelate with children's spirituality? In 2003 and again in 2006, a national conference entitled Children's Spirituality Conference: Christian Perspectives examined children's spirituality from a distinctly Christian standpoint. This book is a collection of the best materials from the 2006 conference. The first half of the book addresses definitional, historical, and theological concerns related to spiritual development in children. The second half explores best practices for fostering spiritual growth among our children--in our homes, families, churches, Christian schools, and among special populations of children--from a wide spectrum of Christian scholars and practitioners. The volume closes with John Westerhoff's moving keynote address and Catherine Stonehouse and Scottie May's eloquent, culminating plenary address. Nurturing Children's Spirituality provides a rich cross section of the current research and writing by Christian scholars on children's spirituality. Contributors: Holly Catterton Allen, Michael J. Anthony, Stacy Berg, Chris J. Boyatzis, MaLesa Breeding, Marilyn Brownlee, Linda V. Callahan, Jane Carr, Mara Lief Crabtree, Karen Crozier, James Riley Estep Jr., Jeffrey E. Feinberg, Stephanie Goins, Judy Harris Helm, Dana Kennamer Hood, Sungwon Kim, Kevin Lawson, Scottie May, Marcia McQuitty, Heidi Schultz Oschwald, Donald Ratcliff, Pam Scranton, Timothy A. Sisemore, Catherine Stonehouse, La Verne Tolbert, T. Wyatt Watkins, John H. Westerhoff III

Many churches recognize the importance of the genuine spiritual hunger in our time and are attempting to bridge the gulf between traditional religious institutions and the contemporary spiritual quest by revitalizing and retooling ancient spiritual practices. This book suggests that it is possible to relish the spiritual quest while honoring tradition and theological inquiry through practices such as spiritual guidance. It presents a sociological analysis of contemporary spirituality, case studies of congregations with spiritual guidance ministries, and reflection on historical practices and Protestant theological roots to explore the strengths and pitfalls of nurturing the contemporary spiritual quest in the average congregation. The resulting vision for congregation-based spiritual guidance incorporates practices that attend to person, community, and mission.

Written by grandparents and expert Bible study authors Phyllis and Andrew T. Le Peau, this LifeGuide Bible study explores the biblical framework for being a godly grandparent. In this nine-session LifeGuide® Bible Study, guides you in how to be a loving and caring presence in not only the lives of your grandchildren, but also for your adult children as they parent. For over three decades LifeGuide Bible Studies have provided solid biblical content and raised thought-provoking questions—making for a one-of-a-kind Bible study experience for individuals and groups. This series has more than 130 titles on Old and New Testament books, character studies, and topical studies.

A guide for raising children to be Christ-following adults and parents With three adult children, eleven grandkids, and over forty-five years in Christian education, Glen and Ellen Schuknecht are asked a lot of parenting questions. But the most common question is always "How do I raise my kids to love God and love family--even after they've left my nest?" The truth is that all the rules in the world will do nothing if parents don't reach their kids' hearts. Through compelling, insightful stories from parents and grandparents who've been in the trenches, the Schuknechts demonstrate why that heart-level connection is so crucial in building long-lasting, connected relationships with a foundation of Christ. These stories are intertwined with ideas, tips, and biblical truths any parent can engage with, including a parent-coaching questionnaire to help readers build a more connected parenting style. The authors' fresh approach empowers parents to find their own vision for their families, tailor-made to their children and their circumstances. There's no magic formula here--just truth, grace, and hope instead of to-do lists. Glen and Ellen come alongside fellow parents and grandparents to help them find the ideas they crave, the hope they need, and the grace they must have to raise passionate and God-connected future generations.