‘Set Apart to Serve’: The blessing of grandparents

(LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

By James Baneck

“How many grandchildren do you have?”

This is a question we grandparents often ask of one another. When it is asked of me, I beam as I announce, “I have 10! So far.”

Solomon understood the honor and joy of being a grandparent when he wrote, “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged” (Prov. 17:6). We love our grandchildren, and rightfully so! It is such a blessing to be called “Grandpa” or “Grandma.”

I wonder if our grandchildren know we pray for them. We pray that they are doing well in school, that they have good friends, and that they make good choices.

But mostly, we pray they know Jesus. We pray they believe that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and rose from the dead for their eternal life. We pray our grandchildren go to church to hear the Word through which the Holy Spirit creates and nourishes their saving faith.

We pray that our children and grandchildren believe in Jesus Christ and that we will all be together in heaven on the Last Day. This is good and pleasing to God, as David wrote, “One generation shall commend Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4).

This is why we pray for our pastors and commissioned church workers — and why we pray for more of them. We want our children, our grandchildren and their children to have good and faithful pastors who will feed them with the Word of Christ. We want our grandchildren to have pastors who will faithfully preach God’s Word to them, baptize their babies, instruct them for the Lord’s Supper, and give compassionate pastoral care through all the trials and troubles of their lives.

We want our grandchildren to be taught by faithful Lutheran teachers and instructed by faithful DCEs and deaconesses. We want our grandchildren to hear the Word proclaimed in song led by Lutheran musicians and cantors. Why? So that they may know Jesus and have eternal life!

Grandma and Grandpa, you have a major role in forming and recruiting future pastors, teachers, DCEs, deaconesses and other full-time church workers. Here are a few ideas:

Pray that your children and grandchildren hear God’s Word faithfully preached.

Talk to your grandchildren about why it is important for you that they know Jesus. Talk to them about the faith while going fishing, riding in the car, baking cookies or sitting at the dinner table. Recount Bible stories, sing hymns with them, memorize catechism passages together and pray together: the Lord’s Prayer and Luther’s Morning and Evening Prayers.

Encourage your grandchildren to consider being a pastor, a Lutheran school teacher, a DCE, a deaconess, a director of parish music or another full-time church worker. Have this conversation with them throughout their childhood years.

Offer to help them with their church work tuition or living expenses if you are able.

Whether or not you have grandchildren of your own, you can be a grandparent to the children in your congregation. Go out of your comfort zone and strike up a conversation with a young person in your congregation. Ask them to tell you about their favorite food, their sport or music study, and what they want to be when they grow up. Young people love hearing adults tell stories of their childhood, sports adventures or hobbies.

The youth at my congregation in North Dakota loved hearing one of our elderly women talk about her years as a basketball star on her high school team. They also loved hearing the stories one of our men told about his sharp-shooter events and awards.

Invite the youth at your congregation into your stories and make them a part of the conversation. As the relationship grows, have a conversation with them about considering full-time church work. Even if it feels unnatural at first — I promise great blessings will come from these conversations.

Grandma and Grandpa, you are honored and esteemed in the church. Your wisdom is a gift to all of us, and you are loved by so many. You have been a pillar in the congregation by your word and example. Thank you for praying that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest.

Posted March 9, 2026