Effective Camp
for pastors and ministy professionals
Camp Wisdom Speaks
Lasting and intentional partnership between camps, churches, and families creates an incredibly impactful environment for campers of all ages. Outdoor ministry leaders and local faith community leaders are on the same team, working together to create spaces and expriences for people to get to know God and each other more deeply.
The 5 Fundamentals of Effective Camp lay out an ecology of characteristics of camps that create impact. Learn more about what these look like and how some also apply to your local church.
Share the story
When the 5 Fundamentals of Effective Camp come together, outdoor ministries become an integral part of the faith forming ecology. Use the resources below to help tell the story of how camp and the local church can work together toward effective faith formation.
Shareables
Below you’ll find your easy button on things to share about effective camp. These graphics and written statements help you tell the story of camps like yours and the depth of impact your ministry can offer in partnership with churches and families. The images are downloadable just by clicking. They are sized ideally for Facebook, work great in Instagram and Twitter, and can be embedded in your websites and emails as well.
“The Christian summer camp experience impacts campers in positive ways that extends to their families, churches and others.” Learn more at effectivecamp.com
“90% of those attending a Christian summer camp like ours report that they grew in faith.” Contact us at ______________to learn more and go to effectivecamp.com
“97% of those attending a Christian summer camp like ours report that they had fun!” Contact us at ______________to learn more and go to effectivecamp.com
“Kids report that they feel safe at Christian summer camp because of the powerful relationships they form.” Contact us at ______________to learn more and go to effectivecamp.com
“Kids report that by growing in faith at camp it helps them in their daily life back home.” Contact us at ______________to learn more and go to effectivecamp.com
“Camp doesn’t end when the week is over, research shows that it has lasting effective. Many campers read their Bible more, pray with their family more, and attend church more.” Contact us at ______________to learn more and go to effectivecamp.com
Articles + Blog Posts
Feel free to use and share these posts on your websites, in your newsletters, and in conversations with other leaders, pastors, parents, and supporters.
It Takes a Community: Day Camp at Faith Church
The sidewalks of the junior high are decorated with sidewalk chalk welcoming campers to day camp in Beecher, Illinois, a small town an hour south of Chicago. One hundred and twenty campers, with their parents and guardians, are greeted at the door by counselors in...
Building Leadership: Day Camp at Trinity Lutheran Church
A camper races to the front of the sanctuary, accepts the poster with the song lyrics from a counselor, and holds the poster above his head while the rest of the campers sing along with the piano. He belts out “Radical God” with pride while facing the sanctuary of...
Crossing the Street: Day Camp at Park Hills Church
The SpringHill/Park Hills Church collaboration is longstanding, in no small part due to the fact that the senior pastor at Park Hills is the son of the founder of SpringHill. Park Hills Church comes out of the Evangelical Free religious tradition. It’s a partnership...
VBS+DayCamp Hybrid at Holy Trinity Lutheran
The vacation Bible school and day camp hybrid program at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is best described as a labor of love. The entire congregation, under the passionate leadership of Pastor Katie, makes this an incredible week for the entire congregation. Holy...
Sharing the Ministry: Day Camp at Kingsway
“Merry Christmas, everyone!” A cheer went up from the gathering of 180 elementary-aged campers and 24 SpringHill camp staff members as the snow floated down from the sky. It was late June, and the heat index was near 100 degrees in the Indianapolis suburbs, but that...
A Step of Faith: Day Camp at Granger Community Church
“Here, let me help you.” My tour guide was an 8-year-old girl that I had gotten to talk with during lunch. She was a camp pro, in her fourth summer at SpringHill Day Camp, and she was guiding me through the essential camp ritual of tie-dying. Everyone colors a...
Introducing the Camp2Congregation Project
We are excited to announce that Sacred Playgrounds is directing a new research project on a ministry program called Traveling Day Camp. In these intentional partnerships between a camp and congregational ministry, trained summer camp staff travel offsite to bring the...
The Fundamentals Part 5: Camp is Relational
We close this series on the 5 fundamental characteristics of Christian camping with the one that is most prominent in camper descriptions: Camp is relational. This does not mean that it is more important than the other four. It is, however, the most valued. Let’s hear...
Graphics
You are free to use the 5 Fundamentals of Effective Camp and the Effective Camp Research Project graphics and logo whenever you are sharing about Effective Camp or the Research Project in your communications. The download package is a .zip file with a variety of logo styles and colors. For questions about style and brand standards, contact Jared.
Maximizing Our Impact. Together.
The 5 Fundamentals work. When each of these pillars are intentionally planned and faithfully practiced, the faith forming impact of camp is realized in the lives of participants, and extends to their families and communities back home.
Where do we go from here?
Below you’ll find your easy button on things to share about effective camp. These graphics and written statements help you tell the story of camps like yours and the depth of impact your ministry can offer in partnership with churches and families. The images are downloadable just by clicking. They are sized ideally for Facebook, work great in Instagram and Twitter, and can be embedded in your websites and emails as well.
Talk with a Team Member
