Effective Camp
for parents
Camp Wisdom Speaks
When camp experiences are wrapped around faith-forming conversations and relationship at home, that’s when lives are truly changed. Camp experiences are awesome, yes, but they can’t stand alone. The research is clear: the primary place of faith formation is the home.
The 5 Fundamentals of Effective Camp help us all understand how the environment of healthy, thriving outdoor ministries can help what you do as a parent.

Find a Camp for your child!
Let us help you find a camp for your child! There are still openings for the summer! Enter one of the portals at right. When searching for a camp, one of the easiest markers to ensure that it is well-run is to look for the ACA logo, which indicates that the camp is nationally accredited and regularly inspected by other camping professionals.
Share the story
When the 5 Fundamentals of Effective Camp come together, outdoor ministries become an integral part of faith forming ecology. Have you and your family had a great experience at a healthy, vibrant camp? Use the resources below to tell those stories of impact and 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.
Articles + Blog Posts for Parents
These posts are specifically related to parenting and parental concerns. Feel free to share these with other parents or ministry profesionals, either through email links or on social media. You can participate in the conversation by commenting on the posts.
S2 E7 3 L’s, 2 E’s, and A Partridge in a Pear Tree
Parents spend so much energy giving to and for their kids, let's give them a few gifts from the camp community. We've packaged up our ideas in 3 "L's" that are the impactful, keep-on-giving kind. Plus, we'll hear a chat Pastor Anna Sorenson, Sacred Playgrounds...
Happy, Healthy, Unplugged
Who is your primary client? You might say the campers who attend camp during the summer. But who actually registers those campers, pays their registration fees, and often takes time off work to bring them to camp? Yup – the campers’ parents. The parents are the...
S2 E5 What Does the Mom Say?
Say it louder for the folks in the back! For outdoor ministries focused mostly on kids and families - parents are your primary constituents. Camp is one of the spaces where the final decision makers are not necessarily the ones having the experience, yet their...
What do camper parents need most?
When I was a camper - a long time ago – I forgot to pack my toothbrush. I wrote a letter to my mother and posted it on the first morning of camp. The next evening, I had a toothbrush and a note from my mom. The mail reached her in 24 hours and she was able to drop...
The 5 Fundamentals
This infographic lays out the basic ideas behind the 5 fundamental characteristics we’re finding in effective camps. Click to download, then share with leaders in your church and other parents.
Bringing camp wisdom home
The impact of expriences at camp are solidified when a connection is made back home. Stay tuned for creative ways to bring camp 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 Fellow Parent
We’ll connect you with a team member and fellow parent with first-hand experience in bringing the impact of camp expriences home and making them last.. Send us a message to get started, and we’ll be in touch.