My grandma passed away from an aneurysm when I was in grade 11, but she left an indelible imprint on my life. I loved her her always-stocked candy dish and her April Fool’s day pranks, but I also have vivid memories of hearing her belt out her favorite hymn in church.
Clearly, grandparents are important. But do they have a role to play in their grandchildren’s spiritual development, or are they just here for the cookies and hugs?
Today I’m joined by four inspiring grandmothers—Melissa Hyland, Dawn Stevens, Kate Battistelli, and Maureen Miller—who each believe that grandparenting is one of life’s greatest gifts AND a unique chance to help nurture the next generation’s spiritual journey. Each woman brings a unique perspective and a heart full of wisdom on nurturing deep faith roots in the next generation.
So grab your gardening gloves (metaphorically speaking), and let’s dig into a conversation about cultivating the spiritual lives of their grandkids.
📚 FOLLOW-UP RESOURCES (in order of mention):
- You Are Wonderful: Psalm 139 for Children by Melissa Heiland
- The Little Pot (Fruit of the Spirit book series for children) by Dawn Stephens
- The After Party of the Empty Nest (book for empty nest parents) by Kate Battistelli
- Gideon’s Book (A novel about redemption) by Maureen Miller
❤️ CONNECT WITH TODAY’S GUESTS!
Did you resonate with one or more of these guests? Here’s a little more about each one, as well as where to find them online.
❤️Melissa Heiland is the founder of Beautiful Feet International, which exists to spread the good news of God’s love by founding, training, and equipping pregnancy ministries worldwide. LEARN MORE ABOUT BEAUTIFUL FEET INTERNATIONAL.
❤️Dawn Stephens is the author of the Little Pot series of books. If you’re looking for a cute way to approach the fruit of the Spirit with kids, LEARN MORE ABOUT DAWN STEPHENS HERE.
❤️Kate Battistelli is an author, speaker, podcaster, and former actress in the Broadway theatre world. If you’re wondering who you are now that your kids have flown the nest, CONNECT WITH KATE ONLINE.
❤️Maureen Miller is a relationship-builder who uses story to capture the essence of God in everyday moments, and the author of Gideon’s Book. CONNECT WITH MAUREEN ONLINE.
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📝SUMMARY
This week we’ll explore how grandparents can intentionally nurture their grandchildren’s faith—even if they see them every day or just a few times a year. This special episode brings together the wisdom of four insightful grandmothers: Melissa Hyland, Dawn Stevens, Kate Battistelli, and Maureen Miller. Their stories illustrate that small, faithful habits can have a profound and lasting impact on young hearts.
Melissa Heiland: Seamless Faith, Everyday Moments
Melissa, a seasoned grandma with 13 grandchildren, emphasizes that faith-building doesn’t have to be formal or complicated. She recommends weaving faith into the fabric of daily life, even starting from birth. “It’s pretty easy to include your faith with the kids in a really natural way…not like, ‘Oh, sit down, now we’re going to do Sunday school.’” Melissa shares how she would sing “Jesus Loves Me” and read the Bible to her grandbabies, sometimes even during late-night feedings: “I know she didn’t understand it…but the Bible tells us His word doesn’t return void.”
Her advice for families where parents might be hesitant about Christian influences? Honesty and respect: “If you want to do something with your faith…ask for permission. So the parents don’t feel tricked or duped.” Above all, she stresses the importance of grandparents supporting their children’s parenting choices, even when you’d do things differently: “It’s not your job. My job is to be the grandparent…being supportive of the parents helps everybody.”
Main Takeaway: Faith thrives when it’s part of everyday routines and modeled with respect for parents’ boundaries.
Dawn Stephens: Intentional Encouragement and Fruit-Bearing Opportunities
Dawn exudes joy when she talks about her role as “Nana.” Despite her two sets of grandkids living three hours away, their bond runs deep. Like Melissa, Dawn discovered that some of the most meaningful faith habits start unintentionally. She would often rock her granddaughter singing “Jesus Loves Me”—until it became their requested nightly ritual: “She put her little hand over my mouth and said, ‘No, Nana…Jesus more Jesus.’”
Dawn also introduced “FBO”—Fruit Bearing Opportunity—into her family lexicon, inspired by her children’s book, “The Little Pot.” She explains: “Whenever they’re whining or complaining…I always say, ‘Well, this is an FBO, your fruit bearing opportunity. How can you show patience today?’” This not only shifts kids’ focus but helps them see real-life moments as opportunities to practice the fruits of the Spirit.
Main Takeaway: Small rituals can spark big faith, and reframing challenges as “fruit bearing opportunities” gently nurtures Christlike character.
Kate Battistelli: Presence, Modeling, and Safe Spaces
As a grandma to seven (from one daughter), Kate focuses on simply being present, modeling Christian values, and making her home a safe, welcoming haven. “We just try to really be involved with them, encourage them, have fun with them…model Christian values.” She notes the subtle power of example—kids are always watching: “They’ve got to see it—kids will follow what you model in everything.”
What if you can’t freely share your faith? Kate points to steadfast prayer: “Prayer is kind of the only thing when that happens…just be ready to receive if they decide to reach out or come back.” She advocates being available and trustworthy—“Grandkids will tell you things they don’t always tell their parents…be that safe place and listening ear.”
Main Takeaway: Faith is best taught by loving example, a listening ear, and, when needed, through quiet, persistent prayer.
Maureen Miller: Order, Reliability, and Christ-Centered Conversation
Maureen’s family story involves adoption, co-parenting, and lots of change—but her faith is the anchor. With three granddaughters often in transition, Maureen makes her home a place of intentional continuity and security. “I want them to know they can come into our home and find their sippy cup, find the princess bathroom stool…God is a God of order and reliability.”
Singing hymns, reading Bible stories, and thoughtful conversations about faith fill her time with her girls: “Our grandchildren, when they come and stay with us, they know exactly what to expect… it’s reliable, it’s intentional, and it’s orderly.” Even difficult questions about family are met with grace and an openness to spiritual guidance.
Main Takeaway: Consistency, safety, and Christ-centered traditions are powerful gifts, especially for children facing upheaval.
✨ Top Takeaways:
- 🌱 Start Small, Start Early – Melissa shared how as a new grandma, she read the Bible aloud while rocking her newborn granddaughter (even if the baby didn’t “get it” yet—God’s word never returns void!).
- 🌱 Make Faith a Natural Part of Life – It’s not about “scheduling” Bible lessons but weaving faith into snacks, play, bedtime songs (hello, “Jesus Loves Me!”), and conversations about the moon, the beach, or a scraped knee.
- 🌱 Honor Parents and Their Choices – Both Melissa and Dawn emphasized respecting their adult kids’ boundaries and rules (“stay in your lane!”) and always supporting—never undermining—their parenting, even if you’d do things differently.
- 🌱 Create Consistency and Safety – Maureen told us how simple reliabilities (favorite snack spots, a stool in the bathroom, their “own” cups and toys) ground her granddaughters in love and predictability as much as faith-based songs and stories do.
- 🌱 Be the Fun, Safe Place – Kate says, “Just be available.” Grandkids often tell their grandparents things they don’t tell parents, so model Christ’s love, listen, and enter their world (even if it means learning about Minecraft!).
If your kids aren’t yet open to faith conversations with their children:
My guests recommend asking permission, looking for small opportunities, and (above all) loving, supporting, and praying without pushing or tricking. The relationship matters most.
Final Blessing and Call to Action
Question To Think About: What do your grandkids need most in this time? A listening ear, a place of stability, or perhaps the courage to ask for permission to share your faith in a new way? What tweak can you make so you can provide that for them?
The wisdom from these grandmothers is a loving reminder: Whether it’s singing a simple song, praying for an open door, or keeping the cookie jar full, little habits rooted in faith plant the deepest roots.
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