articles
STORIES FROM SACRED PLAYGROUNDS
COVID-19 Slams Outdoor Ministries Like Steel on Flint, Sparking Innovation
In our recent survey of Christian camp directors, Sacred Playgrounds asked a pretty blunt question: “How confident are you that your outdoor ministry center will be operating two years from now?” It was a question born out of sadness, with a touch of despair. COVID-19...
There WILL be Camp! 5 Reasons we will have summer camp in 2021
2020 was a disastrous year for summer camp. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of schools, day care centers, and numerous small businesses. Parents were not only at their wit’s end trying to find childcare and facilitate at-home learning, they also desperately...
New Publication: Christian Camp Shines
Sacred Playgrounds collaborated with other researchers on a new publication about the impacts of summer camp (see the article HERE). Those of us who have experienced the power of camp and witnessed the impacts on hundreds of campers and staff over the years know that...
Expectant Waiting in 2020
There is a blessed rhythm to the liturgical calendar. It compels us to remember, retell, and reenact. Even the most anti-liturgical Evangelicals on the one hand and the secular Christians on the other cannot avoid the annual rhythm of liturgy. The Christmas and Easter...
Camp: A Calm Port in the COVID-19 Storm
Summer camp looked different in 2020. For hundreds of camps across the country, it looked empty and quiet. Many were forced to make the difficult decision of cancelling their in-person programs. Millions of young people missed out on camp this summer, part of a...
Impacts of the Summer Camp Staff Experience
When we think about the impacts of summer camp, we most often think about the camper experience. Indeed, the lion’s share of camp research has focused on the campers (e.g. the Effective Camp Project and ACA’s Impact Study). The research provides compelling evidence...
Comparing Traveling Day Camp Models
Day Camp is a big umbrella term for diverse, community-based camping models. In faith-based ministries, there is a unique model called Traveling Day Camp. Shared characteristics usually include: camp counselors traveling to local communities in partnership with a...
The Importance of Being Day Camp
Traveling Day Camp is a partnership ministry between the camp and congregation in which trained summer camp staff members are deployed to lead interactive programs in the congregational setting. Traveling Day Camp has evolved over the decades and become a staple for...
Finding Direction: Data for Camps in the Midst of a Pandemic
As the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps across the nation and world, leaders have been hampered by uncertainty. It is a new virus, meaning there is uncertainty about infection, treatment options, and death rates. Inadequate testing means we cannot effectively track the...
In a Post-Covid-19 World, We Will Need Camp More Than Ever
Social distancing is not what humans were made for. In fact, we were made for just the opposite. We need face-to-face contact and human touch. Newborn babies come pre-programmed to track and respond to faces. We need to be held and be near one another for our...
Agents of Change: Day Camp at Peace Lutheran
“Bingo!” a young voice sounded out. The young boy was paired with an elderly woman who was unable to speak up loudly enough to be heard from across the room, but she clearly shared his excitement and enthusiasm on their fourth bingo in as many rounds. A runner dashed...
Strength to the Weary: Day Camp at The Chapel
“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...
