My definition for camp is simple: Camp is a set-apart space that facilitates relational encounter between the self, the other, and God. Relational encounter with others is the primary pedagogical tool of summer camp. It is why camp works. Notice that the relational...
It is the most important part of what we do. When we center everything on our faith in Jesus Christ, all the other characteristics of camp are transformed and aligned with the coming reign of God. Camp becomes what it is meant to be: a glimpse of God’s kingdom here on...
Our Plugged-In World The world moves at a frenetic pace. We all feel it, and social scientists rush to define it. It is a loneliness epidemic. An anxious generation. A lack of grit. A surreal state of being “alone together.” A nature deficit disorder. We are more...
Promising Strategies for Impacting Youth Development Systems From Christian Summer CampsJacob Sorenson, PhD, Sacred PlaygroundsRachael Botting, Wheaton CollegeKaren K. Melton, Baylor UniversityRob Ribbe PhD, Wheaton CollegeAbstract As research on summer camp continues...
“You are on God’s belay.” My friend and mentor Paul Hill always signed his emails and letters this way. Even in retirement, Paul has always been a self-proclaimed “adrenaline junky,” feeling most at home paddling through a surprise rainstorm in the Boundary Waters of...
Happy Advent! In this season of expectant waiting, here is a riddle for you: This thing all things devours:Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;Gnaws iron, bites steel;Grinds hard stones to meal;Slays king, ruins town,And beats high mountain down. So spoke Gollum to Bilbo...
Camp builds the skills and attributes most needed in the 21st-century workforce. We have all witnessed the life-changing impacts that camp can have on campers and summer staff members. Many of us have experienced these impacts personally. We now have reliable studies...
by Dr. Jake Sorenson Sunday school. Summer camp. Campus ministry. The Gathering. These are the Big 4 Ministries, the ones that have proven most consistently impactful for developing young disciples and nurturing leaders in the ELCA. They are keystone ministries,...
“He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak!” Nearly 100 elementary-age campers shouted the words in unison, as they first flexed their muscles and then drooped in a bodily display of weakness. They continued without hesitation through the...
There was a collective gasp in the crowd, as everyone’s attention focused immediately on our guest. “This is Tulip,” she announced affectionately. Rarely have I seen a presenter so effectively capture their audience, especially when the audience consists primarily of...
“Merry Christmas, everyone!” A cheer went up from the gathering of 180 elementary-aged campers and 24 SpringHill camp staff members as the snow floated down from the sky. It was late June, and the heat index was near 100 degrees in the Indianapolis suburbs, but that...
“Here, let me help you.” My tour guide was an 8-year-old girl that I had gotten to talk with during lunch. She was a camp pro, in her fourth summer at SpringHill Day Camp, and she was guiding me through the essential camp ritual of tie-dying. Everyone colors a...
Join us March 3-4, 2026 at Camp Wapo for CampWell x Sacred Playgrounds, a training experience for Christian camps and their leaders to create and sustain a difference-making culture of well-being in campers, families, staff, and beyond. Learn more & register at sacr.pl/campwellxsp or enter your email and we'll send you to the registration page.
