Hungry at camp?
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...
S3 E3: Life is MESH-y: Interview with Tracey Gaslin
"Of all the pillars of health, spirituality is the one that has a perfectly inverse relationship with anxiety and depression."- Tracey Gaslin Listen in to this deep conversation with our own Jake Sorenson and Tracey Gaslin, Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for...
Archipelagos, not islands
Each Sunday morning several preschool and young elementary aged students (and occasionally an adult) gather near the piano in worship to lead the congregation in song. The young musicians play the xylophone as the people sing, “Listen to the Word that God has spoken.”...
S3 E2: Ok Boomer? Generational Theory Meets Camping Ministry
Have you heard that phrase? "Ok, boomer..." Or how about the not-insignificant number of millennial-bashing parody songs across YouTube? What leads us to slap these "Gen ___" labels on people? Where did they come from? In this episode, we're unpacking generational...
The Sacred Act of Play
I looked out through the tree branches and stifled a laugh building deep in my belly. It was late October in Wisconsin, and I was fifteen feet up in a tree stand. The first snow of the season was slowly accumulating on the leaf-covered ground. The sight was...
S3 E1: Kickoff & A Panoramic Review of Summer ’23
Welcome to Season 3! We're kicking off this season with a what-to-expect and introducing two new segments we're including in each episode this season. Read more about them and download your free graphic below! We'll be behind the mic every other week bringing you...
Sacred Playgrounds & HoneyRock Partner on 1.25 Million Dollar Grant Project
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...
CCLP Findings Published in Word and World
We're honored to share this article from Word and World on, Luther Seminary’s quarterly journal of theology, in which Dr. Jake Sorenson and Dr. Rollie Martinson share findings from the Camp and Church Leadership Project and why they matter in theological perspective....
Playgrounds for the church
What is a playground? The dictionary tells us a playground is “a piece of land designed and often equipped for recreation, especially for children.” Okay, it’s a place to play. Its purpose is fun. But the purpose of a playground is so much more than a place for...
S2 E18: Don’t Forget! A Season 2 Finale
Eat. Let go. Grateful. Jesus. Giggle. No, it's not a silly camp word game. Ok, maybe a little. The season 2 finale is here! We'll look back at some of the numbers and share our favorite episodes of this season. Hear our longest, shortest, and most listened-to...
S2 E17: From Campus to Camp
Special guest day! We've got two special guests with direct, experiential perspective on the seasonal migration that is about to or recently has happened for thousands of college students (and many high school too) on their way in to serving as summer camp staff....
Strengthening partnerships with congregations
Hi friends, It’s almost May! Your to do list is long before the summer staff arrive. One of the things on your list is probably asking something of pastors or youth ministers. But wait, don’t rush in – read these tips first. This relationships are best when they are...