Written by Deb del Villar, Director of Communications
The Legacy Grandparenting Summit is better together, and we’re sharing fun ideas to make the most of the experience.
Did you know that Legacy Coalition is celebrating its tenth year as a ministry this year? We are so excited and cannot wait to praise and give God the glory for all He has done.
We would love for you to join us for the 10-Year Anniversary Summit on March 19-21, 2026, in Frisco, Texas. We have special events and amazing speakers all lined up to share with you.
Do you know what would make it even better—bringing other grandparents with you!
In this post, we’ll explore the benefits and blessings of attending Summit as a group and how to make it a fun, relationship-building adventure.
Benefits and Blessings of Attending Summit as a Group
The Power of Shared Experiences
Think about what makes a memory powerful and unforgettable. It could be the experience itself. Year after year, we hear testimonies of how impactful the Summit was to grandparents. It is not just about the tremendous, practical content delivered by passionate, experienced speakers. It’s the transformation that occurs in the hearts of those who attend.
Grandparents tell us again and again of their AH-HA moment – when they realized their grandparenting could be more intentional, leading to a greater spiritual impact. Maybe you have attended the Summit and experienced your own AH-HA moment. Imagine the momentum you could create in your church or small group.
Plus, there is a discount for bringing a group of 10 or more. Visit this link to see all the details.
Spiritual Growth Happens in Community
Our Summit is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other grandparents. You’ll see how others are struggling with some of the same pain points, care, and concerns. Not only will challenges be shared, but the victories and blessings of grandparenting as well.
If you travel with others – whether a few or a busload – you will have already begun bonding over these shared grandparent burdens as well as blessings. Later in the blog, we share ideas about activities to do before and after the Summit to maximize this opportunity.
We desire that you walk away from the Summit feeling valued and inspired with a lasting impression that will increase your meaningful involvement and impact on your children and grandchildren.
How to Successfully Bring a Group to Summit
Planning with Purpose and Flexibility
Are you ready to consider bringing a group to Summit? Careful early planning is essential to a harmonious travel experience, whether you are coming in a van, carpool, charter, or church bus. Some things to consider are budget, individual needs of those coming, who to invite, and your itinerary.
Clear expectations and repeated communication are crucial so everyone is on the same page. Avoid overplanning by leaving room for fun, flexibility, and adaptability. Start with finding out the interest level then follow with a meeting to gauge interest and commitment. Then come up with a plan based on feedback. Finally, Promote. Promote. Promote.
Creating Momentum in Your Church or Small Group
From the first interest meetings to the goodbyes at the end, build a sense of community. This will help with lasting engagement and the building of a lasting grandparenting community.
Make Summit not a one-time gathering but an impetus for a grandparenting ministry. Summit can be the catalyst to ongoing meaningful connections, growth, and influence of your grandparents in their own homes, as well as your church and community. Pastor John Coloumbe likes to say, “Do not make Summit another notebook on the shelf – but may it lead to heart change and action.”
Our prayer is that Summit may move you, the grandparent, from a passive observer to an active influencer! If you are actively involved in your grandchildren’s lives, it is our desire that you would become more invested and inspired to bring others along in the journey of intentional Christian grandparenting.
Do’s of Traveling
Here are a couple do’s of traveling that should help things go smoothly while traveling with a group.
- Keep your attitude flexible and adaptable, filled with humor and grace.
- Be aware of personal preferences, different needs, and interests as you strive to respect these needs and make adjustments if necessary. It is best to find these out early in your meetings. You may want to have a short questionnaire so you get to know what individual’s needs should be taken into consideration.
- Communicate openly and regularly. Be clear and prompt about the schedule, activities, and expectations. If needed, you could assign various roles, spreading the work while increasing the collaboration. Examples would be to have someone in charge of the snacks, games, or other activities.
Consider setting up a group text where it is two-way (Group Link is one option). You are not just supplying information but listening actively as others share or ask about the trip.
Encourage all to spread the word – the more the merrier – inviting other grandparents to come. They could be gramma-wanna-bes, grampa gonna-bes, or veteran grandparents. There are topics for all! Check out the speakers and topics here. Build anticipation through teasers, and after the trip, be sure to follow up well. - Design the trip with intentional opportunities for connection. See below for lots of ideas- pick a couple to try.
Practical Ideas to Build Connection Before, During, and After the Summit
Getting to Know One Another Before You Go
Seek to learn the interests, personalities, and needs of individuals in your group. This begins prior to the trip and continues throughout the Summit. There are many great ideas online and through Pinterest. Consider what would build connection while building anticipation and excitement for the Summit.
- Facebook group and group text – have them post why they want to attend; use a special hashtag
- Do a giveaway of a grandparenting resource among those most actively engaged
- Make up and distribute a list of what to bring – include an open heart and knees bowed in prayer
- Ask me anything – interactive ice breaker
- 20 questions
- Would you rather
- Two truths and a lie
- Change seats and get to know someone new
- Let’s Talk Cards
- Group Trivia – gather information about each individual grandparent ahead of time, like the number of grandchildren, favorite things they do, etc. Also collect information about speakers, topics, grandparents in the Bible, grandparent stats, and Bible verses. Make up some questions and ask off and on throughout the trip.
Group Activities That Encourage Fun and Fellowship
- Goodie bag to hand out – snacks, Grandparenting Bookmark, grandparent prayer, grandparent survival kit, water bottle.
- Think about games you play with your grandkids in the car
- ABC game – share a grandchild’s name, prayer request, blessing, obstacle, or barrier to grandparenting
- Spotting game – see an item that reminds me of a grandchild. An example would be seeing a train and naming a grandchild who loves trains.
- License Plate game – think of a Bible verse that has those letters or numbers
- Travel Bingo – create your own bingo card and tailor it to grandparents and things they might see on the way
- Scavenger Hunt – create a list ahead of time of things they will probably see
- Book discussion over a grandparenting book they all read in preparation for the trip – this is good for book lovers
- Read stories from Wayne Rice’s book, Seriously
- Watch a Grand Monday Night episode together prior to the trip and discuss it while on the trip.
- Listen to a grandparent podcast like our own Legacy Grandparenting
- Name that tune – have from preschool college age, several different decades as well
- Bus karaoke – sing along to a Summit music playlist you compile
- Crossword puzzle – make up, print out, and hand out. Make it around the group and/or grandparenting in general.
- If your trip is long, have someone lead exercises that can be done safely and easily from their seats
Sharing, Reflection, and Prayer
- Tell a story about your grandparents and include a lesson your learned or how they impacted you
- Tell a story about something you do with your grandchildren
- Time of devotion/prayer at start of trip and each day if trip is multiple days
- Share your favorite scripture verse or your favorite grandparenting verse
- Round Robin Share – ask a question, then go around until all have had the opportunity to share
Do not feel that you have to entertain every minute. Allow down time to unwind, recharge. Even during the event, it is good to allow time to reflect. Some may like to journal their thoughts.
Another idea is to use this time for a cause. Maybe some like to knit or crochet. They could make a blanket for crisis pregnancy center or hats for a cancer center. Others may like to write letters – they could write to their own adult children or often college students and military members do not get mail so they would be a good choice as well.
During the Summit
If desired, you can continue the engagement during Summit.
- Scavenger Hunt – examples could be find ______ at vendor booths, which speaker covered eternal _________, where in the church is the prayer room, etc. Consider having a prize
- Facebook page – post comments
- Group text – keep group engaged, check in on one another
Continuing the Impact on the Way home
Focus on takeaways, reflections, and next steps.
- Share insights – what did they learn, what was their number one take away, or what action will they take
- Continue discussions – choose a topic and/or speaker
- Build an on-going sense of community and grandparenting ministry focus at church – engage around the content and one another
- Prize drawings – fill out post event survey
- Set up review of content like a game or talk show format – make it fun
- Discuss a solution to a problem they learned – identify the pain point, based on what you learned and what are some actionable solutions.
- Think, Pair, Share – teaching technique where you consider one topic in depth. Ask a question regarding that topic and allow them to think, pair up with someone and share their thoughts.
Conclusion
We trust that you are equipped with good reasons to come to our Legacy Grandparenting Summit and bring a group. May God bless your efforts.
We look forward to seeing you in March in Frisco, Texas! We believe your legacy, and those in your circle of influence will be impacted in ways that are ETERNAL!!
