Camp Builds Summer Staff Skills
Camp builds the skills and attributes most needed in the 21st-century workforce. We have all witnessed the life-changing impacts that camp can have on campers and summer staff members. Many of us have experienced these impacts personally. We now have reliable studies...
S3 E10: 4 Vital Things Camp Builds
Camp staff outcomes align remarkably well with the top skills employers identify as most important for the 21st century workforce, including teamwork, communication skills, leadership, and problem solving. Being a member of a Christian summer camp staff builds vital...
The Big 4: A Roadmap to Revitalizing Ministry in the First third of Life
by Dr. Jake Sorenson Sunday school. Summer camp. Campus ministry. The Gathering. These are the Big 4 Ministries, the ones that have proven most consistently impactful for developing young disciples and nurturing leaders in the ELCA. They are keystone ministries,...
S3 E9: 5 Camp New Year’s Resolutions for 2024
Happy New Year! We're back with our third annual New Year's Resolutions episode! We're sharing 5 fresh resolutions for sacred playgrounds like yours for 2024. Here's what you'll find: Build resumes Complete the circle Look to the stars Transition well Keep learning...
S3 E8: Favorites & Finding Ourselves in The Story
Merry Christmas from Sacred Playgrounds! Green beans and great songs and cookies and memories, these are a few of our favorite things! (Sing it or it doesn't count) On this episode, we share some favorite fun in a extended, Christmas-themed #QuickQampQuestion. AND,...
Created to be Connected
We were created to be connected. It is right there in the second creation story, when God said human disconnection is NOT GOOD. We are hardwired to connect, to connect to God, to the natural world and to one another. Camp is perfectly designed to nurture these...
S3 E7: Spirituality in Camp & Culture
Our heart is restless until it rests in you. - ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO "Spirituality." How do we actually define that word? What's the difference between spirituality and religion? Can one be a non-spiritual person? What does it mean to be "spiritual, but not...
Is the Bible Safe?
Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know. Be still. Be. If you’ve been in ministry for any appreciable length of time, you have likely used this devotional technique using Psalm 46 as a way to center a group. I used it recently in a group discussing general...
S3 E6: The Case for the Christ Hike
Have you taken a walk through the life of Jesus? Have you brought your campers through an experience like this in a way that puts them in the story? Immersive experiences have power, especially in the context of camp spaces already so experiential in nature. Bringing...
S3 E5: 3+ Fresh Findings from Summer 2023
We've been doing what we're built for, turning data into stories, and today on the podcast we're sharing some of these findings via 3 questions: What's changed? What's stayed the same? What's surprising? And, most importantly, why do these things matter. We've also...
Rhythms of Faith in the Home
“I guess I just don’t understand why some people have to be jerks all the time.” Our ears perked up, and we sat up a little straighter. We were gathered in our usual spots, but this was a bit unusual. We were more accustomed to getting a perfunctory one-sentence or...
S3 E4: Rhythms of Faith Launch
It's time to set this rhythm in motion. Our brand new project, Rhythms of Faith, launches with waves of energy and anticipation of what we'll learn and the impact those learnings will have. Funded by a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc, we're partnering...