Sacred Playgrounds Podcast

Happy Advent and Merry Christmas from our sacred playgrounds to yours! We're donning Christmas hats and embracing Advent as we prepare for Jesus to come...to camp!

This season reminds us that our ministries have audiences of influence - those we serve, those who serve with us, and those we impact, sometimes without even knowing it. On this episode, we'll break down how Jesus comes to camp through these different ...

Leaders who thrive learn from other leaders.

Recently, Jake and Jared got to participate in and lead workshops at annual camp conferences for Lutheran Outdoor Ministries and the Campfire Collective (PCCCA, OMA-UCC, OMI, + more). They had the chance to sit down with 4 camp leaders from different locales and traditions to gather insightful perspectives and stories on 3 key questions. We asked these leaders to:

• Share somet...

Sometimes we love to hang out in our camp bubble, don't we? Sometimes even so far as to, at least in part, shut out the outside world. It makes sense, because there's something special about camp being set apart. And yet, we're part of an ecosystem, a culture, a community.

Last week, election day in the United States brought on emotions and actions and reactions across the spectrum. Many have been wrestling ...

What's your favorite scary movie? This week, we're embracing the spooky season with our #QuickQampQuestion. Post yours in the comments on our website, Facebook, or Instagram!

On this episode, we've got 3 "scary" things to share about traditions we prioritize and the wellbeing of those we serve. We're sharing one scary story about a still-common camp activity, a scary truth about the campers an...

"The most effective way to get campers this summer is to get last summer's campers to come back."

On this episode, Travis Allison from Go Camp Pro joins us to talk through what's actually effective in recruiting and retaining campers and their families. Built from a sense of frustration that so many camp leaders spend so much time, energy, and money on things that don't work, the Camper Recruitment...

A meaningful camp experience can be a powerful catalyst for family faith formation.

That truth is at the heart of the Rhythms of Faith Project, the Lilly Endowment, Inc. funded project that Wheaton College/HoneyRock and Sacred Playgrounds are partnering on. We've spent the last year taking in current and past writing, qualitative and quantitative data, and powerful stories about the impacts of camping ministries on f...

Ministry is about impact. It's what we hope for, plan for, program for, recruit for, market for, evaluate for, and pray for. It's maybe the one thing that aligns the entire outdoor ministry industry. We may not even define impact in the same way (fyi, we don't!). Yet, we're aligned in that our deepest foundational mission is to impact lives for the sake of the Gospel.

So how do we measure impact? We ass...

Season 4 of the Sacred Playgrounds Podcast is here! We're back behind the mic and behind the research for another season of camp-centric content focused on leaders like you.

On this episode, we'll share a quick what-to-expect from this season, and then dive into what we learned through the Post-Summer Pulse Check survey we launched a few weeks ago. Plus, we've got a quick qamp question about "bugs."...

finale {n.} the last and often climactic event or item in a sequence

It's the last episode of season 3 of the Sacred Playgrounds Podcast! Whether it's your first time or you've been along for the ride since our first episode, thanks for listening! It's an honor, and a lot of fun, to talk camp with you and for you.

On this episode, we'll run through our season 3 episodes with a quick recap ...

On this episode, we're sharing the mic with a good friend and camp research colleague! We're deeply honored to chat with the Senior Director of Research and Education for the American Camp Association (ACA), Laurie Browne, PhD.

Laurie joins us to unpack some key camp research learnings from the big picture at the ACA including important projects like the ACA Youth Impact Study, the Character at Camp Initiative, a...

Every now and then, I get a little bit restless
And I dream of something wild
- Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Eclipse week! Epic, singular experiences are our specialty at camp, and yet, how we prepare campers and families for integration of faith in the totality of life is the real heart of our ministry.

On this episode, we'll hear the story of Jake and his family's adventu...

It's launch week for Holy Ground 2024!

It's no secret, so says the research, that summer staff are the heart of camping ministry. We know they need support, agency, and faithful community to thrive. That's why we constructed the Holy Ground summer staff guidebook for the third year.

On this episode, we'll quickly share the what, how, and why of Holy Ground. Then, the heart of this episode is tw...

Check!

We're gearing up,  camp family! For many, it's time to begin forming our plans for staff training, even as we continue to recruit and hire staff. We're bringing you 8(+1) items on a summer staff training checklist to help you frame up a successful, impactful staff training experience that gets your summer staff well-equipped and wisely-prepared.

Have an idea to add to this list? Have an idea ...

We're constantly learning. Every season, we take care of each individual and/or group of camps we work with - creating reports, digging in with consults about the findings, and creating ways to help those insights tell stories. And, we take that data and compile it, looking at it from a higher level with richer numbers of responses. We do this to learn and identify trends across our broad outdoor ministry community.

S...