In this episode of Legacy Grandparenting, Wayne and John talk with Charlie Bradshaw, executive pastor at North Coast Community Church in Vista, California and a respected expert on leadership. They talk at length about a legacy project that Charlie did for each of his grandkids—presenting them with a personalized notebook full of wisdom and photos, hand-selected and written by their grandfather. He explains not only what he did, but why and how he did it. He also shares other grandparenting ideas and life principles that have helped him to become an intentional Christian grandparent. 

In this episode of Legacy Grandparenting, Wayne Rice and John Coulombe talk with James and Geoffrey Banks, co-authors of Hope Lies Ahead: Encouragement for Parents of Prodigals from a Family That’s Been There. James is the founding pastor of Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina and a speaker at this year’s Legacy Grandparenting Summit. Geoffrey Banks is the son of James Banks and is currently the youth pastor at Port City Community Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. But before Geoff became a youth pastor, he spent more than a decade as a “prodigal,” following the crowd rather than Jesus. Geoff shares openly how he became addicted to drugs and walked away from his faith while his parents prayed fervently for his return. James and Geoff share their remarkable story of redemption and offer hope and guidance for parents and grandparents who are currently praying for their prodigal children or grandchildren.

For more information: https://jamesbanks.org/

What role do grandparents play in making disciples of grandchildren? How can grandparents support their children as they lead their children to follow Christ? In this episode of Legacy Grandparenting, Wayne Rice and John Coulombe have a lively conversation with Barrett Johnson, founder of “INFO for Families” and author of Disciple Them Like Jesus: Leading Your Kids the Way Christ Led the Twelve. Johnson describes a simple strategy for discipleship based upon the ministry Christ had with his disciples and he shares his personal story which has compelled him to leave a spiritual legacy for his children and grandchildren. John and Wayne also talk with Barrett about his online course “Smartphones 101” and the impact that technology is having on family life today. Learn more about Barrett Johnson's ministry at https://www.infoforfamilies.com/

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.