The following story appeared in the October 7 Idaho Catholic Register.
Registration is free to first 10 couples who register for simulcast conference
By Gwen Colfer
For the Idaho Catholic Register
As grandparents, do you worry about what will happen to your grandchildren as they grow older and could be drawn away from their faith by the influence of the secular culture?
Most grandparents are well aware of the secular culture that surrounds our grandchildren. The culture is making significant inroads, trying mightily to influence our grandchildren toward Godless ways of life. We grandparents often feel helpless to stop this growing tide of secularism. We need opportunities to teach us that we do indeed have a biblical, God-given role to play in the lives of our grandchildren. All is not lost.
My husband and I have made it a priority to be more than a good time for our grandkids. We have determined to live as courageously and intention-ally as we can so that our grandchildren will understand the Gospel and choose to walk in God’s truth. We have made a commitment not to let our grandchildren grow up not knowing Jesus
Christ and what God has done for us. And that commitment has borne abundant
fruit in our family.
We have learned skills and tools to enable this miracle to occur through such opportunities as trainings, conferences and camps. We feel that other grandparents should also have these same opportunities right here in Idaho. According to Ephesians 4:16,“…..the whole body, joined together by every ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work.” I take “each part,” to include us grandparents.
Courageous grandparenting is an invitation to join thousands of other grandparents in a cause that is much bigger than all of us. Together, we can directly impact the eternal destiny of another generation. We cannot afford to waste our lives. It is time to embrace the moment and live wisely while there is still time.
It is not an easy journey. The worldly opposition is intense and relentless. The task can seem overwhelming and daunting. Nehemiah faced his share of opposition in Jerusalem when he arrived to build the wall (See chapters 2-6). We need to draw from Nehemiah’s courageous journey of faith to guide us to rebuild the walls of truth that lie in ruins today. It is a journey that is dangerous, and the outcome cannot be guaranteed. On the other hand, what could be more dangerous than sitting back, getting comfortable, and doing nothing to rescue those who may be perishing on our watch?
I am excited to share with you a local opportunity to obtain the important formation I have been discussing. There is an awesome local opportunity coming up for Christian grandparents who influence the lives of their grandchildren for Our Lord.
It is coming in the form of a simul-cast of the only national conference of courageous Christian grandparents in the country. The simulcast is on Oct. 20 and 21 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. The host site is Bethel Nazarene Church, 3001 12th Avenue Road in Nampa.
This conference, endorsed by the Diocese of Boise’s Office of Marriage and Family Life, will feature motivational speakers who are nationally renowned in their ministries. Registration fees for this conference are being paid by the Office of Marriage and Family Life for the first 10 people who contact the office at 208-350-7535. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Otherwise, the per person fee for the two-day conference is $59. You can also get more information and register at legacycoalition.com/summit.
Holy Apostles Parish in Meridian has recently established a Courageous Grandparenting Ministry, under the direction of Monique Kilroy, the parish’s faith community nurse. The Holy Apostles grandparenting ministry team will be attending the conference to learn more about this ministry.
Do you want to see your grandchildren in heaven? Of course, you do! Get started by attending this simulcast conference. Move heaven and earth to make it possible. I assure you that you shall not be disappointed.
Colfer is a parishioner at Holy Apostles Church in Meridian.
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