Only 12 Campers??
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...
Creating Safe Spaces
Summer camp began this week at thousands of camps across the country on the same day as the worst mass-shooting in American history. It is a great testament to the enduring strength of camp that parents of millions of young people still feel comfortable sending them...
5 Fundamental Characteristics of Camp
Those of us who love camp think we know what it’s all about. The camp critics think the same thing. Ask around and you will hear all sorts of things about camp. Camp is life-changing. Camp is theologically shallow. Camp is a mountaintop experience. Camp offers a brief...
A Theological Playground
Christian Summer Camp in Theological Perspective A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Luther Seminary Christian camping ministry is a vibrant and well-established form of ministry in the church, but it has received shockingly little scholarly attention. Supporters and...
Sign your Child up for Church Camp!
Spring is here. Christ is risen! Summer is fast approaching. Have you signed your children up for camp yet? The word “camp” is now used to mean so many different things that my question may be confusing. The reality is that many kids are signed up for multiple...
4 Types of Mainline Protestant Camps
Christian camping ministry in the Mainline Protestant tradition is often broken down along denominational lines. We have Lutheran camps, Methodist camps, and so forth. These distinctions are not always helpful because camps have varying programmatic goals and ministry...
Religion as Cosmic Gambling
I was paying for my coffee at the local convenience store, and the clerk looked at me like I was an alien. “No Powerball ticket?” she asked incredulously, informing me that I was the first customer of the day who did not purchase one. The lottery jackpot apparently...
Movie Review: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” – A Search for Identity
I do not review movies often, but Star Wars has a special place in my heart. The original was my favorite movie as a child, and it maintains that status to this day. Imagine my delight when I went to summer camp for the first time and my cabin counselor was a Star...
Confirmation Camp in Finland
Camping ministry is gaining the attention of the international scholarly community. This attention was precipitated in large part by the collaborative work of a team studying confirmation work in Europe. The first phase of the study (2007-2008) examined survey data...
Outdoor Ministries Connection
Connections are important. Life depends on them. The nature of matter, from the subatomic to the cosmic, depends on them. Our brains depend on them. We'll run with that example because I think brains are fascinating. You have probably heard about neurons and the...
6 Big Ideas from Camp Research
As we begin to integrate some of the research from the Confirmation Project, last fall's survey of camp directors, and the 4 site visits from this past summer, some BIG IDEAS are emerging. I had the chance to share some of the emerging research findings in a webinar....
Transforming the Spiritual Storehouse
A Portrait of Confirmation Camp in Finland The Christian camp experience has tremendous potential for faith formation and spiritual transformation. The confirmation camp program in Finland offers important les-sons to the international community about camp’s role in...