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?

Emerging from the Data

by Jake Sorenson | Jan 18, 2019 | uncategorized

Sorry for the long delay in communication! We have been immersed in data from all the camps who participated in various studies with us in 2018, including 10 new camps in the Effective Camp Project and 9 in its related study, the Power of Camp Study. It has been a...

Thinking about Safety at camp

by Anna Sorenson | Dec 12, 2018 | Camp Research, Parenting, Staff Training Tidbits

Dear camp professionals, This week, Don Johnson at Lutheran Outdoor Ministries brought this disturbing news report to our attention. “Hundreds of sexual abuse cases reported at children’s camps across US,” the headline screams. That’s scary! A closer read shows that...

Cultivating Teen Faith

by Jake Sorenson | Oct 31, 2018 | Book Reviews

Cultivating Teen Faith has finally hit the bookshelves of libraries across the country, and ministry leaders are digging into this resource’s valuable findings and insights. The book cover shows many hands of diverse types, looking ready to start some game or...

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 Power of Camp Study is an ongoing initiative through CCCA. We are directing the summer camper survey and evaluation portion of this project.

Jacob Sorenson, PhD

Founder/Lead Researcher/Consultant

Hi, I’m Jake. I am known as a camp guy, and I suppose that is fair, since camping ministry is one of my primary passions. I am engaged in many other minstries of the church, as well. I am a practical theologian and researcher who has a deep interest in bringing scholarly attention to ministry, especially outdoor and highy experiential ministry. I have a PhD from Luther Seminary and a Masters of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. I have more than fifteen years of experience in youth ministry and camp ministry, and have published multiple articles on camping ministry. I love spending time with my amazing wife, Anna (a Lutheran pastor), and our two boys Elijah and Nathanael. On the best days, you can find me 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.

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