Summer Prep Tips in 150 Words or Less
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,...
S4 E17: More or Less? 7 Insights from the OMC Director Survey
Some things are up, some things are down, some are holding steady, and it all has meaning and impact for how we can make informed decisions and tell impactful stories for this summer and in the months ahead. We've pulled out seven key insights from the 2024-2025 OMC...
3 Things to Give Church Partners Before Camp
We've said it before and we'll say it again, camp is a critical part of the ecosystem of faith formation. We learned that in the Camp & Church Leadership Project and Episcopal Church Leadership Project. We continue to learn that through Effective Camp. We're...
S4 E16: Trending, Bending, or Ending: Camp Trends Over the Past 25 Years
The more things change, the more they stay the same? The only constant is change? If you’re not riding the wave of change, you’ll find yourself underneath it? Whatever your cliché du jour, the truth is, things aren't the same as they were a quarter century ago, and...
Biblicize Staff Training
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...
S4 E15: The Key to Fostering Faithfulness in Summer Staff
Where will they find spiritual grounding, these summer staff members of ours? These emerging adults that truly make ministry happen at our camps; what does it take to equip and encourage practicing faithfulness in their lives while they are at camp, and foundational...
Staff training as a little Lent
We’re midway through the church season of Lent, a historic season of the church and a time of spiritual preparation for the joyous celebration of the resurrection of Jesus and new life at Easter. I serve as a pastor and am in the midst of guiding the people of the...
S4 E14: 10 Tips for Pre-Camp Prep That Impacts Experience & Outcomes
Good news! Camps are, in general, keeping parents satisfied with the level of communication and preparation prior to camp. We learn that much in this week's #StatOfTheWeek. And, there's an opportunity to go beyond satisfactory amounts of information, to a noticeable...
What is Camp Really About?
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...
S4 E13: Tips for Summer Staffing in 2025
2025 summer camp staffing is top of mind, heart, and task list for many camp leaders right now. We're in the heart of recruiting season, pre-camp prep time is on the horizon, our staff training schedules are maybe beginning to materialize, and our plans for the summer...
Rhythms of Faith Featured in Christian Century Magazine
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...
S4 E12: People Skills & Peer Ministry at Camp with Lyle Griner
The most impactful ministry just might happen in the under-programmed times, the times sitting by the well (or the campfire) hearing someone's story. When we give our staff members, and even campers themselves, the "how" - meaning the skills and the practice in...