We've got incredible news to share. In partnership with Wheaton College's HoneyRock Center for Leadership Development, Sacred Playgrounds is embarking on a 5-year initiative, a project titled Rhythms of Faith that will engage more than 25 camps, 500 congregations, and...
Let’s get something straight: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” is not in the Bible. (All the camp directors give a collective sigh of relief.) We love building nice-looking church buildings “for the glory of God.” We hang beautiful artwork, ensure the communion wear...
The church is about connection. You know the analogies: vine to branches (John 15), different parts to make one body (1 Corinthians 12), grains of wheat gathered to make one bread. The church connects the people of God to one another and connects them all to Christ....
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...
Looking to have the greatest impact, to generate the most bang for your buck? You may need to shift your gaze. Whenever I go over the findings from a new study, people always ask me if I found anything surprising in the data. I usually have to make something up or...
Morning at the Sorenson household. Pandemonium. It is a school day. And it is the middle of winter. Dry skin, tired eyes, and noise – lots of noise. Where’s the coffee? Watch out for running children as you move about the house, trying desperately to reach the sounds...
Why is there a disconnect between ministries of the Church? It sometimes seems as if the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. Ministries that are natural partners do not support or mutually reinforce one another. I often cannot figure out if this is...
I was speaking with a colleague and mentor about my camp research a few weeks ago. We were talking about the unique educational model of summer camp and how that model might be transferrable to congregational ministry. We were reflecting on the role of the camp...
Christian camping is about ministry. Previous posts in this series have emphasized that camp is much more than fun and games. Camps are centers of faith formation. The ministry at camp focuses on meeting participants where they are in their faith journey and...
Brand new research shows that the summer camp experience has a lasting impact on communal religious practices. With the increased focus on individual spirituality, should we pay attention to this new evidence? Bonhoeffer says we should.Have you done your devotions...
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.
