Long-Distance Grandparenting: Passing On Faith From Far Away
Maybe your grandchildren live across the country, or across an ocean. You see them on holidays, if that. Can you still shape their faith? Absolutely.
Paul did it by mail
Much of the New Testament is letters from someone far away. Paul shaped Timothy’s faith through letters full of love and encouragement: “To Timothy, my dearly beloved son” (2 Timothy 1:2). Distance limits presence. It doesn’t limit influence.
Ideas for long-distance grandparents
- A regular video call, even ten minutes on the same day each week.
- Read a Bible story together over video. Get two copies of the same children’s Bible.
- Mail real letters and cards. Kids love mail with their name on it.
- Send a verse on their birthday with a note about why you chose it.
- Record yourself reading a story or praying a blessing they can replay.
- Pray for them by name daily, and tell them you do.
- Write a Faith Letter for a milestone like a baptism or graduation.
When you’re together
Make visits count: tell your stories, pray together, take them to church if their parents agree, and simply enjoy them. A grandparent’s delight is a picture of God’s.
A prayer
“Lord, close the distance between me and my grandchildren. Use every call and every card to plant faith. Amen.”
Our free tool Pass It On helps you write a Faith Letter they can keep for life, and the Bedtime Blessing works great over video.
