About
Director
Cavin Harper is Founder of the Christian Grandparenting Network, currently serving as advisor for CGN, in addition to serving as Founder/Executive Director of ElderQuest Ministries. He is an author (Not On Our Watch, Courageous Grandparenting, A DIY GrandCamp Field Guide, Wayfinder, and Raising Your Grandchildren). He has also been a contributing author for the Legacy Coalition, Joni and Friends, and hosted a radio talk show called Not on Our Watch.
He and his wife, Diane, created GrandCamps in 1998 currently operating in numerous locations across the US. He writes a periodic blog called Generations, travels as a speaker and presenter of his own Courageous Grandparenting seminars, Gospel Shaped Family Conferences, and other speaking events throughout the US and Canada.
A PERSONAL NOTE: Since founding what eventually became the Christian Grandparenting Network in 1998, I am pleased to be able to turn the reigns of this ministry over to new leadership in order to take it to another level of impact for the Kingdom. Sherry Schumann, who had been my Prayer Director for Christian Grandparenting Network, assumed the role of President and CEO in September 2021. I am delighted I can serve this ministry in a support role for a time as needed, but I am delighted with the fresh vision and energy that Sherry and her team bring to CGN.
My new ministry focus is now ElderQuest Ministries/Engaging the Generations. Below you will find a description of this new mission and ministry work that is the next chapter in my journey with the Lord to “take back the hill country” so another generation will know the truth and walk in it.
My Objective
This website is intended to be a conversation and resource platform from which to demonstrate the transformational relevance of the Gospel in the following ways:
- Encouraging and supporting church ministry leaders to evaluate and rethink how well the local church does family ministry built upon scriptural rather than cultural principles. I want to facilitate the exploration of ways to cultivate an environment of effective family evangelism and discipleship training in which the church provides an intentional equipping and support function helping parents and grandparents assume their responsibility as disciple-makers.
- Working with local congregations to engage the generation of elders in our faith communities and families together with younger generations (teens and young adults) to find meaningful and organic ways to do life together rather than exist only in age-segregated contexts. We have much to learn from one another, and there is something rich and lasting about being connected in a very personal way through the power of the Gospel generation to generation.
- Raising awareness among the churches of our nation of the growing rise in grandparents who are now assuming the role of parenting their own grandchildren. There are many reasons behind this rapidly growing phenomenon, but the most significant reason today is related to the opioid addictions among young adults. I want to help our church leaders recognize the presence and enormous need of this largely invisible group of grandparents in our midst, and how to best support and encourage this invisible and overlooked demographic in our faith communities.
Obviously, I hope to continue speaking, writing, and engaging in dialogue opportunities in all these areas. I also hope to provide new resources dealing with topics that keep our souls and our faith strong so we can make much of Christ in the eyes of another generation, and together stand firm in the face of deliberate attempts to discredit the Gospel and reject truth.
All of this will be part of this new ministry umbrella called ElderQuest Ministries. Click Here to learn more about the mission, core values and doctrinal statement of ElderQuest.
