Our recent research explored the experiences and perceptions of some Christian grandparents.
It seems that whilst there is widespread awareness of the value of Christian grandparents, this understanding is often implicit and unspoken, leading to grandparents frequently feeling under-valued and dis-empowered by the wider Christian community. It is proposed that this must be urgently addressed in order to bring about a paradigm shift to raise the profile of this demographic within churches across the UK. The effect of greater visibility, equipping and empowering of grandparents to take an active and intentional role in the spiritual nurture of their grandchildren (and pseudo grandchildren!) could be phenomenal in enhancing the faith lives of many children who are connected with church; whether they attend regularly or only occasionally.
Equally, mobilising this sector of congregations to share their spiritual insights and model their faith to younger generations could transform the richness of church life. Ultimately, if taken seriously, this call to better serve the grandparents within UK churches may bring about considerable growth in the faith interactions of children in the home, local church or wider-church context.
READ THE MAINSTREAM REPORT BELOW: (Published online 2020)
READ THE ACADEMIC PAPER BELOW: (Published in Review of Religious Research 2022)
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