This month at Sacred Playgrounds, we are deep in parent survey data from 21 different camps that worked with us. One or two weeks after campers returned home, these camps sent a survey to parents, asking about their child’s experience. Parental observations offer...
In 2018, after hearing about some of the data from the first Power of Camp Study with Christian Camp and Conference Association ministries, Camp Judson and Executive Director Kevin Saxton decided to join the project. After their first year of data, they were struck...
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...
We were on the ledge. The Going-to-the-Sun Road was a dizzying 100 feet below us. I tried to exude confidence, but I was, in fact, a little nervous. We were on the first mile of our hike on the famous Highline Trail at Glacier National Park in Montana. The ledge was...
When I was a backpacking guide at Sky Ranch, I often read from Deuteronomy to help my campers prepare themselves physically and spiritually for life in the backcountry. You see, it is important for a Christian to understand when to read scripture literally and when to...
It was a truly extraordinary group of boys. There were eight in the cabin group, and it was the third day of camp. They were all in high school, and they were physically fit, very successful athletes. They worked together and thrived on competitive activities. The...
He was not quite in a panic, but there was clear concern in his voice when my brother called on Sunday afternoon. He had just dropped off my niece for her first week ever of summer camp at Bethel Horizons near Madison, WI. He had met the director and had a nice...
My socks were wet. You know the feeling. We were slogging up a soggy trail that wound up a steep wooded hill. The snow was still visible in patches, but most of it had melted in the mild spring weather of the past three days, turning the...
We rounded the first corner of the island and felt the wind buffet the side of the canoe. We had to concentrate on the paddling in order to keep from going off course. I chanced a look around and saw the disaster that was befalling our group. We were only a few...
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.
