Grandparents today are asking deeper questions than ever before. They are no longer satisfied with simply being present in the lives of their grandchildren. Instead, many Christian grandparents are asking how they can make an eternal difference.
How can grandparents intentionally guide the next generation toward Christ? How can they strengthen family relationships in a culture increasingly hostile to biblical truth? And how can they move beyond simply loving their grandchildren to becoming a powerful spiritual influence in their lives?
That is exactly why Legacy Coalition created the new study, Grandparenting Influence. It is the next step for intentional Christian grandparents. Maybe your church has done Grandparenting Matters. Some explain that study/seminar as Grandparenting 101, while this new study would be likened to Grandparenting 201. Think of it as a follow-up. There is always more to learn!
Grandparenting Influence is designed to equip grandparents to not only be intentional but focuses on being influential spiritual leaders within their families. While many grandparents already understand that they should be purposeful, this study goes much deeper by teaching how influence works and how grandparents can maximize the unique role God has given them.
Larry Fowler, founder of Legacy Coalition and creator of the study, says it this way: “It’s absolutely possible to be intentional, but not influential.” God has entrusted us with the sacred privilege of influencing our grandchildren toward Him.
Why the Topic of Influence Matters More Than Ever
Modern culture often portrays grandparents as optional family members whose primary role is to spoil grandchildren, babysit occasionally, or simply enjoy retirement. Scripture presents something far more significant.
Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly emphasizes the importance of passing faith from one generation to another. Verses such as Deuteronomy 4:9, Psalm 78, and 2 Timothy 1 reveal a multigenerational vision of spiritual legacy. Grandparents are not called to spiritual passivity. They are called to spiritual influence, and that distinction is critical. Judges 2—one of the key passages studied in Grandparenting Influence—shows what happens when influence dies.
Many grandparents already have good intentions. They pray for their grandchildren. They attend family events. They send birthday cards and provide encouragement. These actions are meaningful and valuable. However, intentionality alone does not guarantee influence.
Influence happens when grandparents consistently build relationships, communicate truth, model authentic faith, and create opportunities for spiritual conversations that shape the hearts of their grandchildren over time. In other words, they are grandparents who leave an impression!
The new Grandparenting Influence study addresses this reality directly. It helps grandparents understand that real influence is not accidental. It is cultivated through biblical wisdom, relational investment, and Spirit-led intentionality.
Inside the Grandparenting Influence Study
The Grandparenting Influence study is a comprehensive teaching resource developed by Legacy Coalition to help grandparents examine and strengthen their spiritual influence within their families.
Unlike general parenting studies or family conferences, this study focuses specifically on the unique role grandparents play. Grandparents occupy a distinct position in the family structure. They often have greater emotional access, less daily pressure, more life experience, and opportunities to provide encouragement and spiritual perspective in ways parents sometimes cannot.
The study was developed to help grandparents recognize these advantages and use them wisely. This six-session video study gives practical guidance to help you grow from being intentional to being truly influential in the spiritual lives of your grandchildren. It is available in several formats. You can also experience Grandparenting Influence LIVE as a 6-hour event at your church, led in person by Legacy Coalition Founder, Larry Fowler. It is full of group discussion and fellowship, as well as interaction with Larry.
The six-session series contains 13 videos. This format is designed for churches, small groups, couples, and individual study. It can be customized to fit into a six-week period (one session per week) or up to 13 weeks (one video per week), depending upon the amount of discussion desired. Participants can stream the sessions online or download them digitally. It will also be available in a media bundle with two DVDS and a flash drive. Choose the option that best fits your church’s needs.
A companion workbook provides guided notes, discussion questions, and practical application tools. The structure makes the study flexible for churches, home groups, Sunday School classes, and personal discipleship settings.
Visit the Grandparenting Influence page to learn more and purchase!
Going Beyond Intentionality
One of the most important ideas emphasized in Grandparenting Influence is the difference between being intentional and being influential.
For years, Christian grandparenting ministries have encouraged grandparents to become intentional. That message remains essential. Intentional grandparents recognize their spiritual role and seek to invest purposefully in younger generations. However, Legacy Coalition is now helping grandparents move to the next level.
A grandparent may intend to impact a grandchild spiritually, but influence requires more than desire. It requires trust, consistency, relational connection, emotional understanding, biblical wisdom, and strategic engagement.
Influence grows through relationships.
Children and teenagers are far more likely to listen to people who genuinely know them, understand their interests, and consistently demonstrate love and authenticity. Grandparents who merely lecture often lose influence. Grandparents who build deep relationships often gain a voice that carries lifelong impact.
This study teaches grandparents how to develop that kind of influence.
The sessions cover:
- Think biblically about your role – a focus on priorities and eternity
- The Scriptural foundation for grandparent influence
- When Influence Died – a significant look at Judges 2, comparing it to today
- Resurrecting Influence – understanding the instruction from Psalm 78
- Influence NOW! – a call to urgency
- Six Marks of an Influential Life – authenticity, warm closeness, and four more
- A Heart for Influence – a heart-check regarding perspective and purpose
These themes resonate strongly with modern grandparents who are facing increasingly complex family dynamics as well as the seismic shift in what is influencing our grandchildren today.
Why Grandparents Have Unique Spiritual Influence
One reason the Grandparenting Influence study is so powerful is that it highlights the extraordinary role grandparents uniquely possess.
Research continually shows that grandparents can significantly shape a child’s emotional and spiritual development. Grandparents often provide stability, encouragement, identity, and wisdom. In Christian families, they can also become spiritual mentors who reinforce faith across generations. How we think is directly correlated to what we do, and we desire our grandchildren to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ all their days.
Unlike parents, grandparents often have the advantage of perspective. They have experienced seasons of joy, hardship, failure, and growth. Many have walked with Christ for decades. Their stories and testimonies carry weight.
Grandchildren frequently remember:
- The prayers of grandparents
- Conversations about faith
- Shared family traditions
- Bible stories and spiritual discussions
- Consistent examples of Christian character
- Loving presence during difficult seasons
Legacy Coalition emphasizes that grandparents should never underestimate the power of their example. Children may forget sermons, but they rarely forget authentic faith lived out consistently.
A Biblical Vision for Spiritual Legacy
At the heart of the study is a strong biblical foundation.
Legacy Coalition consistently teaches that Christian grandparenting is not merely a cultural idea but a biblical calling. Scripture repeatedly reveals God’s desire for faith to be transferred intentionally from one generation to the next in a way that influences them. Influence is often built through ordinary moments repeated faithfully over time.
Why Churches Should Pay Attention
The Grandparenting Influence study is not only valuable for individuals. It is also an important resource for churches.
Many churches focus heavily on children’s ministry, youth ministry, marriage ministry, and parenting ministry while overlooking grandparents. Yet grandparents represent one of the largest and most spiritually experienced groups within many congregations.
Equipping grandparents multiplies discipleship influence across generations.
When churches empower grandparents to become spiritual leaders within their families, the impact often extends far beyond a single ministry program. Grandparents can reinforce biblical truth at home, support parents, pray consistently for younger generations, and help create spiritually healthy family cultures.
Legacy Coalition has become widely respected because it helps churches recognize this opportunity.
The study provides churches with a practical tool to:
- Strengthen family discipleship
- Equip older generations for ministry
- Build intergenerational connections
- Encourage spiritual conversations within families
- Support parents raising children in today’s culture
- Create stronger church-wide discipleship pathways
Additional resources provided are church promotional tools to use. There are editable PDFs of a poster or bulletin insert. There are social media images for use with Facebook and Instagram, as well as an email header and promo video.
Churches that invest in grandparent ministry are increasingly discovering that grandparents are not merely spectators in ministry. They are strategic partners in spiritual formation.
The Growing Movement of Christian Grandparenting
The launch of Grandparenting Influence reflects a larger movement happening across Christian ministry.
More grandparents are realizing that their role extends far beyond occasional visits or family celebrations. They are embracing a God-given mission to influence future generations spiritually.
Legacy Coalition has played a major role in advancing this vision.
Through resources such as the Legacy Grandparenting Summit, Grand Monday Nights webinars, books, podcasts, studies, and church training, the organization continues helping grandparents develop a biblical vision for family legacy.
The Grandparenting Influence study fits naturally with that mission. It provides grandparents with both inspiration and practical guidance. Rather than simply encouraging grandparents to “try harder,” the study offers biblical principles, relational wisdom, and actionable strategies for becoming effective spiritual influencers.
As you examine through engagement with Scripture what it means to be an effective spiritual influencer, we hope that you will embrace the six marks of an influential grandparent, executing them with urgency. Remember the Judges 2 warning – may this not be said of our generation.
Visit the Grandparenting Influence page to learn more and purchase!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Grandparenting Influence?
Grandparenting Influence is a Christian grandparenting study from Legacy Coalition. It is designed to help grandparents examine and strengthen their spiritual influence in the lives of their grandchildren through biblical teaching and practical application.
Who created the study?
The study was developed by Larry Fowler through Legacy Coalition, a leading Christian grandparenting ministry focused on helping grandparents have a greater spiritual impact on their families.
How many sessions are included?
The six-session study includes thirteen teaching videos along with a companion workbook.
Is the study only for grandparents?
The primary audience is Christian grandparents, but church leaders, family ministry leaders, and adults interested in multigenerational discipleship can also benefit from the material.
Can churches host the study?
Yes. Churches can use the study for small groups, Sunday School classes, grandparenting ministries, family discipleship initiatives, or special events.
What makes this study different from other grandparenting studies?
One of the biggest distinctions is its emphasis on influence rather than merely intentionality. The study helps grandparents understand how to build meaningful relational and spiritual influence that impacts grandchildren over time.
Is the study biblically based?
Absolutely. Scripture and biblical principles form the foundation of the entire study. Legacy Coalition consistently teaches that grandparenting is a biblical calling connected to spiritual legacy.
Why is spiritual influence so important?
Spiritual influence matters because grandparents often have unique opportunities to reinforce faith, model authentic Christianity, encourage younger generations, and point grandchildren toward Christ in lasting ways.
Conclusion
The new Grandparenting Influence study from Legacy Coalition arrives at a critical time.
Families today face unprecedented cultural confusion, spiritual distraction, and relational fragmentation. Yet grandparents remain one of God’s greatest resources for strengthening future generations.
This study reminds grandparents that their role is not finished. In many ways, their greatest spiritual impact may still lie ahead.
Being intentional matters, and becoming influential can change generations.
Grandparents who embrace this calling have the opportunity to leave a legacy far greater than memories, possessions, or traditions. They can help shape hearts for eternity.
Visit the Grandparenting Influence page to learn more and purchase!
