articles
STORIES FROM SACRED PLAYGROUNDS
Diversity matters
We have another historic first: President Biden’s nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States. If confirmed, she will be the first black woman to sit on the court. I applaud this move toward greater diversity and representation. I...
The Big 4 Ministries
There are four key ministry spaces that are particularly important for faith formation and call to ministry. I focus a lot of my writing on camping ministries. I do this because camping ministry has gotten surprisingly little scholarly attention over the years. This...
No Shadow this time: camp is on!
We all have COVID-fatigue. Two years into the pandemic, activities continue to be canceled, and we wonder how long it will last. Tradition has it that the groundhog can predict the coming of an early spring. It comes at a time when most people are getting tired of...
3 tips to find the best camp staff
It is that time of year again for camps across the country. It is the most exciting and oftentimes the most stressful time of year for program staff and directors: summer staff recruiting! I remember the craziness when I was on year-round camp staff. Confession: I...
A return to democracy at camp
Democracy is in peril. Not everyone agrees with this, of course. That, in itself, is part of the problem. Pope Francis had something to say about this in a December 4 speech. He called it “a retreat from democracy.” He reflected, “Democracy requires participation and...
A Place at the table
The simplest and the greatest joy: time together with loved ones. This blessing was mine on Thanksgiving Day. We had not been together for two years, but there we were: gathered around a single table. Both of my parents were there. Both of my brothers were there,...
New Life from Death at Camp
We made it up the mountain at midday. It was the day after camp ended. Most of the summer staff had already departed, and the rest were packing up. Exhaustion was in the air, almost palpably. I distinctly remember the feeling. After weeks of expending tremendous...
Sacred Playgrounds has arrived!
At long last, a project that was nearly a decade in the making has made it to print! From the back cover: Sacred Playgrounds explores the wisdom of camping ministry for Christian education and faith formation, examining its rich history and fundamental characteristics...
Summer Camp Staff Experiences and Call to Ministry
Call stories are unique and complex. When I was a camp program director, it was a privilege to accompany people on their faith journeys. I heard call stories from visiting pastors, retreat participants, campers, and summer staff members. I saw many camp staff called...
Ministers who Undervalue Camp, Group 3: Skeptics
Not all pastors value camp. Some are benignly dismissive, while others are almost hostile. We collectively call this group the camp skeptics. In our recent survey of ELCA pastors and deacons, just under one in five (18%) were categorized as skeptics. These folks do...
Ministers who Tolerate Camp, Group 2: Accommodators
Most congregational leaders value camping ministries. In the previous post, we took a closer look at the most fervent supporters, which we call camp enthusiasts. Those are the folks that bring congregation members to camps and retreats, give of their time and...
Ministers who Value Camp, Group 1: Enthusiasts
Most congregational ministers recognize the value of outdoor ministries. When we probe a little deeper, we reveal three categories of pastoral connection to camp. We uncovered these categories in a large survey of pastors and deacons in the Evangelical Lutheran Church...