Legacy Grandparenting

There are lots of excellent resources available now for older adults who want to share their life stories with their children and grandchildren. In this episode of Legacy Grandparenting, Wayne Rice and John Coulombe talk with Sheri Kohlmann, founder and director of More Than Words, Inc., an organization that helps adults of all ages to reflect on their lives in a more meaningful and in-depth way and to share their stories with guided autobiographies, ethical wills and other methods for preserving and passing on a legacy that can last for generations. During the podcast, Sheri demonstrates her interviewing skills by getting John Coulombe to open up about some of his formative early memories. For more information about More Than Words, visit www.morethanwordsinc.com.

In this episode of Legacy Grandparenting, John Coulombe interviews his good friends Steve and Annie Chapman who have for some 50 years been performing and recording together, conducting parenting seminars and developing other resources focused on faith and family issues. You’ll learn how they got started with their ministry, what they have learned along the way, and what they are doing now to encourage their children and grandchildren to follow Christ faithfully. You will also hear some of their music as they tell the stories behind the songs. For more information about Steve and Annie Chapman, visit steveandanniechapman.com.

Songs included in this episode:

• "Finish Well" words and music by Steve Chapman/Times & Seasons Music/BMI 2008
• "Love Was Spoken" words and music by Steve Chapman/Times & Seasons Music/BMI 1998
• "We Are Family" words and music by Steve Chapman/Times & Seasons Music/BMI 2018

Bill Parkinson is one of the founding pastors of Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, a mega-church that has been serving grandparents for many years. In this conversation with John Coulombe and Wayne Rice, Bill explains how the ministry got started and how it has managed to remain sustainable over time. He shares key principles for not only getting a grandparenting ministry started, but how to help it grow into an important part of the church's overall discipleship strategy. 

Kim Botto has worked with children and youth for several decades at Crossroads Church – a multi-site megachurch with locations in Ohio and Kentucky and she has been uniquely gifted with a heart for children who have been neglected, bullied, abused, traumatized or have had trouble just “fitting in.” In this podcast she talks with Wayne Rice and John Coulombe about how we as grandparents and church leaders can help create environments where children like these will feel safe, included and welcome. Kim is a certified trauma and resilience coach, a grandmother of ten and a popular speaker at conferences and training events nationwide.

 Resources mentioned in this podcast:

• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld (Scallywag Press Ltd) 2020
• What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry (Flatiron Books) 2021
• The Velveteen Rabbit by Marjorie Williams (George H. Doran, New York) 1922
• Everyone Poops by Tarō Gomi (Fukuinkan Shoten, Tokyo) 1977
• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (HarperCollins) 1964
• Wherever You Go I Want to Know by Isabel Lundy (Good Book Company) 2020. Available at LegacyCoalition.com bookstore.
• His Grace is Enough: How God Makes It Right When We’ve Got It Wrong by Isabel Lundy (Good Book Company) 2022. Available from the LegacyCoalition.com bookstore.
• My Wish Of All Wishes by Larry Fowler (Legacy Coalition) 2023. Available from the LegacyCoalition.com bookstore.

In this episode, podcast co-hosts Wayne Rice and John Coulombe have a conversation with Phil Comer, who—along with his wife Diane—started a ministry called Intentional Parents, teaching parents how to raise “passionate Jesus followers.” Phil shares his life journey, including his time as a drummer in a rock band, a worship leader for evangelist Luis Palau, and co-pastor (with his son John Mark Comer) of a thriving church in Portland, Oregon. He also offers advice to grandparents who want to come alongside their adult children as they intentionally parent their grandchildren to follow Christ.

Phil's website: IntentionalParents.org
Books referenced: 

• Raising Passionate Jesus-Followers by Phil and Diane Comer
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
• Live No Lies by John Mark Comer

Our special guest on this podcast is Peter Menconi, a former pastor and author of the book The Intergenerational Church. He joins Wayne Rice and John Coulombe for a very informative conversation about the various generations that populate not only our churches but our families. How are they different? How are they alike? And what can we do as grandparents to communicate Christ effectively to the generations coming up behind us? Peter encourages grandparents to leverage their wisdom and experience as mentors and influencers of the younger generations and he provides examples and good ideas that can be put into practice immediately.

Dr. Holly Catterton Allen is a professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee and the author two recent books, Forming Resilient Children: The Role of Spiritual Formation in Healthy Development and Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community and Worship (2nd Edition).  In this conversation with Wayne Rice and John Coulombe, Dr. Allen explains how spiritual formation can impact resilience in children, a much-needed trait in today's  world.  Their discussion then turns to the topic of the intergenerational church and why such churches are so beneficial for the healthy spiritual growth of children.   

John Fischer is a pioneer of the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) movement who has written some of the church's most familiar and beloved songs and choruses. He has also written dozens of books including Saint Ben, Fearless Faith and 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee. For years, he wrote daily devotions for Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven Life ministry and he continues to write and teach from his website and ministry called "The Catch." (catchjohnfischer.live). In this unscripted conversation, Wayne Rice and John Coulombe talk about music, the Jesus Movement and how to "think young" while growing old.

Gordon MacDonald is the former pastor of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts and author of numerous best-selling books on leadership, marriage and the spiritual life. He has also served as president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, president of World Relief, and Chancellor of Denver Theological Seminary. In this conversation with Wayne Rice and John Coulombe, Gordon reflects on his lifetime of ministry and offers advice to people of grandparenting age who want to remain relevant and influential during the last quarter of their lives.  He also discusses the power of mentoring relationships, the art of aging gracefully and the joy of looking forward to heaven.

Ben Patterson is a popular author, speaker and former Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Montecito, California. In this conversation with co-hosts Wayne Rice and John Coulombe, he discusses his new book When God Showed Up: A Memoir of the Surprising Work of God at Hope College 1994-2000.  A student revival broke out while Ben served as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College (Holland, Michigan), similar to recent revivals at other schools such as Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky. Ben shares his experience with revivals and his thoughts on how God uses them to transform not only institutions but individual lives. In this episode, Ben also shares principles from his books Muscular Faith and God's Prayer Book, applying them to intentional Christian grandparenting.