GrandCamp: A Wonderfully Exhausting Privilege

My pastor husband, Bill, and I served in church leadership for thirty-five years, attending many pastor’s conferences over that time span. Our four children had two wonderful, godly sets of grandparents. We, ourselves, had godly grandparents with whom we made special memories. However, it was not until my employment with RenewaNation and working closely with Dr. Josh Mulvihill that we were introduced to the deep truths of intentional biblical grandparenting. 

After reading and learning from Josh, and being inspired by Cavin Harper and the Christian Grandparenting Network, we were stirred to plan a GrandCamp to be held at our own home. Since our grandchildren are all young, GrandCamp 2024 needed to be short – both for the kids’ sake and ours! About six weeks before that first event, we announced it to a very excited group of eight grandchildren–one granddaughter and seven grandsons, ages 9 down to 1. They immediately began to plan and pack for camp.

GrandCamp Means Camping . . .
with 8 little ones? 

While we never suggested “camping” in association with the camp, they immediately went there in their minds. So, as brave (or dumb) grandparents, we decided to try to include tents in the event! We made arrangements for the parents to take a relaxing weekend away–complete with a Biblical Parenting Conference by Josh and Jen Mulvihill! We feverishly prepared: a schedule, chore lists, menu, fun times, and–most importantly–Bible lessons and a memory verse. 

They all arrived in a flurry of excitement and activity on Friday afternoon. We had tents set up in the back yard and that was an immediate attraction as they claimed their spaces and prepared their sleeping bags. Very soon, we all met around the table for the first camp meal and GrandCamp orientation. 

Highlights of that first GrandCamp:

● The kids would say the Friday night whipped cream fight! 

● As grandparents, we say–gathering in the tent with the kids all cozy in their pjs and sleeping bags to read the Bible and tell them a story about Amy Carmichael, and then hearing our little ones talk to Jesus. 

Since our GrandCamp has to be planned to suit all the schedules of our children, the time of year has not been conducive to tent camping! We powered through on that first, very cool, October night! However, the next night was spent indoors with sleeping bags spread in front of the warm fireplace! 

The Goal–Lifelong Faith

GrandCamp 2025 saw us with the improvement of indoor tents set up in the family room! Our grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed the addition of flashlight hide and seek played outside after dark. For us, the absolute highlight of that camp was seen as our grandchildren, on their own shortly after arrival and getting set up in the tents, planned a Bible study to be held in our granddaughter’s tent (our oldest grandchild at 10 years old). They made a sign: “Bible Study at 4:32. This way→.” At the appointed time, we found the five oldest grandchildren all stuffed into one tent, reading their Bibles together. This is the goal! That our grandchildren know Jesus now and grow up with lifelong faith. 

“If you’re going to disciple your grandchildren, you have to spend time with them. Win their hearts when they are young, so you can win their minds when they are older” (Jeff Keaton). Is the GrandCamp weekend exhausting? Oh yes! In fact, at our first camp–just two hours in–I looked at Bill and said, “We can survive anything for 48 hours, can’t we?” But the rewards are beyond measure!

One of our grandchildren’s Christmas gifts the past two years has been a photo book full of photo memories of GrandCamp. Included in the book is the memory verse for the weekend as well as a personal handwritten note in each child’s book from Grandpa and Grammie. Different times throughout the year, our children will send us photos of the grandchildren pouring over their photo books–even the youngest, who is now 2 years old! Our prayer is that these wonderfully exhausting weekends will instill in their hearts and minds a love for God’s Word and His truth, a knowledge of heroes of the faith, and a hunger to walk with God.

The Blessing Ceremony

On Saturday evening, we hold a “Band of Cousins Blessing Ceremony.” We do this by candlelight and Grandpa calls each child to the front where he talks about the gifts that God has bestowed on them and blesses them individually. Even though our grandchildren are young, this has become a very special and moving ceremony both for us and for them! They enjoy all the little details of the candle lighting, the procession to the “blessing grounds,” the warm words that Grandpa speaks over each of them – and they are touched by our tears. Our grandchildren were placed in this dark world “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14, NIV), and we want to be partners with God and their parents in building a firm foundation for them to be lights and witnesses for faith and truth.

What a privilege “to be active and intentional in the lives of our family, to think multi-generationally, to live obediently, to pray fervently, to teach biblical truth confidently, to tell of the glory of God passionately, and to be disciple-makers who pass on a rich heritage of faith to future generations” (Dr. Josh Mulvihill in Grandparenting: Strengthening Your Family and Passing on Your Faith, 2018, p. 210). And so–plans for GrandCamp 2026 at the Blair home have already begun! We can’t wait (and we’re getting rested up before October gets here)!