Spiritual Grandchildren

My Chi Alpha pastor at the University of Minnesota, Ryan Koster, used to say that our goal for small group leading was to have “spiritual grandchildren.” An interesting phrase, but one that made a lot of sense. Just like Jesus, our job was to find people on campus, teach them about Jesus and then tell them to follow the Great Commission. “Go unto campus, invite people for coffee and tell people about Jesus” Matthew 28:18 (The Robert Rohloff translation).

Through this process, our small group attendees would step into the role of being a small group leader or an active participant in the Gospel and would share their faith with others who would then activate their faith. Through this process, our spiritual kids would go on to have spiritual grandchildren.

Every time my wife and I go to her grandparents’ house, her grandma scurries into the pantry and gives us a jar of salsa. This is not a homemade or special salsa, on the contrary, it is the kind of salsa you can purchase at any grocery store across the United States. However, like most grandparents, she wants to be generous and give things to her grandchildren. For us, I guess that is a jar of salsa. Generosity is something that most, if not all, grandparents want to display.

Much like my wife’s grandma, we as active Christians, and specifically Chi Alpha Alumni, get to be generous grandparents. Our role is one of Spiritual Grandparents on our campuses. I know that one day, I will spoil my grandchildren, but I don’t need to wait! My spiritual grandchildren are just down the road in Minneapolis, and they deserve spoiling! So think of a fun way to bless those grandchildren. Order food for a small group, buy care packages for the small group leaders, or just give to your local Chi Alpha! If nothing else, buy them a jar of salsa and pass on the DNA of generous Spiritual Grandparents to the next generation.

-Written by Robert Rohloff, alumna of the University of Minnesota