"Take them to camp." The very first thing I ever did as a pastor was go to camp with a group of kids. Well, that is not entirely true. I wasn’t actually a pastor yet. I was still a month away from my ordination, and about seven weeks from my start date as pastor of...
Welcome to season 5 of the Sacred Playgrounds Podcast! We're back! On this episode, we've got some words of welcome, a quick summer in review from our Sacred Playgrounds team, and what to expect from this season. Then, we dive right into some impactful insights from...
It's the season 4 finale! So, we decided it's a good episode to play a classic camp game, with a sacred playgrounds twist. On this episode we're playing 2 Truths and An Untruth, often used as a get-to-know-you game at camp, in four rounds from the perspective of key...
The thing about our team at Sacred Playgrounds is that we really love camp. Really, really love camp. This sure isn't just a job for us - it's vocation and calling and passion. We've also been where you are right now, ramping up for a summer of camp as a director,...
This summer, normalize the regular use of scripture at your camp. This involves more than just having Bible study every day or repeating a theme verse. The aim is to Biblicize every activity, program, and tradition. We lay the foundation for this when we Biblicize...
Camp builds better people. It is not about the games or the novel activities. It is not about the campfires, s’mores, or silly songs. It is not even really about the new friends or laughing together until your sides hurt. These are the accoutrements, the methods, and...
Kindled in the Wild Article featuring Rhythms of Faith, authored by ROF Advisory Team Member, Bishop Meggan ManloveKindled in the Wild The Rhythms of Faith Project and some of our findings were featured in an article in Christian Century magazine, authored by our...
Election day: November 5, 2024. I woke up early this morning and could not get back to sleep. The polls have yet to open. All I wanted to do this morning was write about the clear choice in this election. But that is not where this is going. Disagreeing with those I...
Another summer is in the books! I continue to marvel at the amazing ministry happening at Christian camps across the country. It is a true privilege to walk alongside camp professionals in their work of proclaiming that the Kingdom of God has come near. I often lament...
Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know. Be still. Be. If you’ve been in ministry for any appreciable length of time, you have likely used this devotional technique using Psalm 46 as a way to center a group. I used it recently in a group discussing general...
“I guess I just don’t understand why some people have to be jerks all the time.” Our ears perked up, and we sat up a little straighter. We were gathered in our usual spots, but this was a bit unusual. We were more accustomed to getting a perfunctory one-sentence or...
I looked out through the tree branches and stifled a laugh building deep in my belly. It was late October in Wisconsin, and I was fifteen feet up in a tree stand. The first snow of the season was slowly accumulating on the leaf-covered ground. The sight was...
This quick, impactful read lays foundation for effective outdoor ministry. Sacred Playgrounds explores the wisdom of camping ministry for Christian education and faith formation, examining its rich history and fundamental characteristics with compelling stories, groundbreaking research, and theological grounding.
