Dear Ministry Leader,

What could your camp or congregation do if it were truly well-informed by actionable research and well-equipped by quality training?

Going Beyond Physical Safety

by Jake Sorenson | Apr 15, 2019 | Camp Research, Staff Training Tidbits

The Effective Camp Project has helped us expand our understanding of safety at camp. The findings have revealed that it is not enough for camps to focus on the physical safety of participants. When it comes to positive experience and camper outcomes, emotional and...

Introducing the Camp2Congregation Project

by Jake Sorenson | Mar 19, 2019 | Camp and Congregation, Camp Research

We are excited to announce that Sacred Playgrounds is directing a new research project on a ministry program called Traveling Day Camp. In these intentional partnerships between a camp and congregational ministry, trained summer camp staff travel offsite to bring the...

Effective Camp Findings: Key Factors that Lead to Camper Growth

by Jake Sorenson | Mar 12, 2019 | Camp Research

More than 5,000 summer campers have participated in the Effective Camp Project or Power of Camp Study over the past three years. On the last day of camp, 91% of these campers agreed that they were strengthened in their faith. Three months after camp, 83% of responding...

Sacred Playgrounds, LLC

Supporting Camps and Congregations Through Research and Training

This organization was formed to bring current and upcoming research on what is truly effective in key ministry spaces like outdoor ministry, confirmation ministry, and more. The team is experienced in and passionate about academic and action research, training, faciliation, and adult learning. Use the link below to meet the staff and contact us.

Meet the Staff

Ministry Partners and Current Projects

The Confirmation Project is a nationwide study of educational ministries in 5 denominations. With our help, it is the first major youth ministry study to take seriously the role of camp in Christian education and faith formation.

Effective Camp began in 2015 with 3 Lutheran camps in Wisconsin. It has since expanded to dozens of camps across the country and in Canada.

The Camp2Congregation Project, funded by the Lilly Endowment, is examining the impacts of Christian Traveling Day Camp programs on congregations, families, and young leaders in the church.

Jacob Sorenson, PhD

Founder/Lead Researcher/Consultant

Jake is the founder and director of Sacred Playgrounds. He is a practical theologian and researcher with a deep interest in bringing scholarly attention to ministry, especially outdoor and highy experiential ministry. He earned his PhD from Luther Seminary in 2016 and a Masters of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2005. He has served in congregational youth ministry and camp ministry, and has published multiple articles on camping ministry. He is a contributing author to the book Cultivating Teen Faith, based on the findings of the Confirmation Project. He loves spending time with his amazing wife, Anna (a Lutheran pastor), and their two boys Elijah and Nathanael. On the best days, you can find him in the garden, out for a run, singing around a campfire, or at some camp somewhere.

I have dedicated my work to supporting camps and congregations through research and training, and I would love to hear about your ministry.

More About Jake

Let's start with a conversation.

Send me an email to schedule a 30 minute introduction conversation. I’d love to hear about where your ministry could go when informed by actionable, localized research and well-designed, well-facilitated training experiences.

Get Started