Celebrating grandparents and grandchildren with Faithful Generations

Published: Tuesday January 21, 2025

A grandfather talking to his grandson with his arm around him “I deeply believe that the precious relationships between grandparents and grandchildren have profound and lasting effects. My grandma had (and still has long after her death) a huge influence on my faith. I know that she prayed for me every day of my life, and the faith that she modelled was inspirational,” Kate Stacey, Diocesan Collaborative Ministry Lead: Lifelong Learning.

The chance to form, nurture and celebrate the deep connection between grandparents and grandchildren is at the heart of Faithful Generations. We have two free events taking place, a fun day on 1 February at Gloucester Cathedral, and a workshop led by Becky Sedgewick, author of ‘Grandparenting for Faith’ on 11 February where you can think more deeply.

Faithful Generations offers countless opportunities to engage with your grandchildren and surrogate grandchildren, and with faith in ways that are creative and personal.

Learn about DJ-ing with your teenager, find out how your four-year-old would represent you as a gingerbread person, and have you ever thought about how the children in your life view God?

The activities taking place at our Faithful Generations event on 1 February at Gloucester Cathedral create sacred moments and encourage connections that are meaningful and memorable; decorating doves as symbols of gratitude, exploring the beauty of stained glass through crafts inspired by your favourite Bible stories, or strolling through Gloucester Cathedral’s cloisters hunting for shapes and colours with the littlest members of the family.

Imagine your teenage grandchild leading you onto a dance floor during an interactive worship session, or visiting a prayer station together, where they can express their own prayers and concerns. These moments mean you can step into each other’s worlds, make lasting memories and feeling the presence of God along the way.

There is also an ‘Uneven Song’, a fresh take on the traditional Evensong service, blended with dance, interactive songs, and a display of candles and doves. This is led by Bishop Rachel who invites us to join her as she reflects on this time of year and its significance for our lives.

There are so many activities to choose from. See our full schedule at https://gloucester.anglican.org/event/faithful-generations-event/.

On 11 February, Becky Sedgwick leads a workshop on the unique role of grandparents in nurturing supportive relationships with younger generations. Whether you are grandparents by family or by the role you play in churches, schools, or communities, the workshop shows us how supportive, close relationships between generations can influence faith formation.

It is important to take time for gratitude, reflected with a shared lunch and prayer after the workshop, and to honour yourself and others who play a guiding role in the lives of younger generations.

Find out more, and hear from Becky herself, at https://gloucester.anglican.org/event/faithful-generations-workshop/.

Jo Wetherall, Senior Children and Families Connector, explained the vision behind Faithful Generations: “Faithful generations came about in a number of ways, all of which contributed to recognising that we need to pay attention to the role of people of grandparent generation and inspire, equip and resource them in sharing faith.

“Often people in parishes tell us they have no contact with children, meaning there are no children present on Sunday morning, and we are quick to point out that many people have contact with children in other ways, for example Open the Book teams, toddler groups and their own grandchildren, godchildren, nieces, nephews etc.

“When we talk about Growing Faith at home Bishop Rachel frequently refers to grandparents and their role in sharing faith.

“The events are all aimed at enabling people to have conversations about faith which feel normal, are not super spiritualised, but recognise the presence of God in everyday life. We are also realistic in that, for some people, sharing faith in their families is problematic. We want to acknowledge this and support them.”

For all the details and to book your space, visit https://gloucester.anglican.org/2024/youre-invited-to-faithful-generations-events-in-february/.

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