Sacred Playgrounds Podcast

Each fall, early in our podcast season, we try to spend time talking through some of our, really your, learnings from the summer. We aggregate data from Effective Camp and Power of Camp projects - those that focus on campers and families - and run it through a variety of statistical and strategic lenses, including comparing this year to previous year's data. This allows us to uncover something deeply valuable in data and in decision-making - a trend.

On this episode, we're looking at a few key insights around camper self-confidence and data trends we're seeing over time, all the way back to 2018, through our COVID summers, and up through the summer of 2025. We'll share what has increased, decreased, what camp is doing to impact confidence, and what we can do going forward.

We also talk through a #QuickQampQuestion about creating resilient leaders ready for long-term camp leadership, and offer a #StatOfTheWeek that surprised us in the direction it changed when we added a single word to a camper parent survey question.

Quick Links:
Camper Confidence Graph - Summer 2025
Post-Camp Pulse Check Results Episode
The Anxious Generation
Elevating Well-Being at Camp
#StatOfTheWeek

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If you've ever planned an event, fundraiser, conference, or other significant gathering, you know that there is so, so much that goes on behind the scenes to make that happen.

On this episode, Jake and Jared are joined by the Co-Directors of the Outdoor Ministries Connection Great Gathering, Cat Holbert and Joanne Kovac-Roberts. These dynamic leaders guide the OMC Great Gathering planning team and the dozens of volunteers it takes to make this gathering happen. We'll ask some questions about gathering design that the average attendee may not know, like the #nervousnightmares.

Then, we'll share insights and stories about why the intentional cross-denominational camp partnerships like the ones this gathering brings about really matter, and are worth giving energy to in your own ministries. The power of these partnerships is what makes this gathering next-level special for every attendee.

Quick Links

OMC Great Gathering Website

Gathering Facebook Page

CampWell X OMCGG

OMC Director Survey

#StatOfTheWeek

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We're back! Welcome to season 5 of the Sacred Playgrounds Podcast!

On this episode, we've got some words of welcome, a quick summer in review from our Sacred Playgrounds team, and what to expect from this season.

Then, we dive right into some impactful insights from our Post-Summer Camp Leader Pulse Check survey, where we asked camp leaders some simple but critical questions about how things went this summer. We got a great response from more than 100 camps and the findings can help us understand and get curious about how your camp did this summer, and how you're doing as the summer fades into fall.

Be sure to download the results infographic below!

Quick Links:

Download the Pulse Check Infographic

OMC Director Survey Report & Insights

OMC Director Survey Podcast

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Bonus episode of the Sacred Playgrounds podcast! Summer camp staff, this one's specifically for you!

It's mid-summer for many camps, or will be soon, so we're taking a few minutes to offer 3 things specifically for summer camp staff to encourage, equip, and embolden them for the rest of their summer of ministry.

Camp leaders, be encouraged to carve out some time soon to listen to this episode with your staff, or send to them with a call to listen and then facilitate a quick conversation about what they heard.

Thanks for listening. We'll see you in a couple of months for Season 5!

Quick Links
#StatOfTheWeek
Rhythms of Faith
Effective Camp
5 Fundamentals of Effective Camps for Summer Staff Training

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It's the season 4 finale! So, we decided it's a good episode to play a classic camp game, with a sacred playgrounds twist.

On this episode we're playing 2 Truths and An Untruth, often used as a get-to-know-you game at camp, in four rounds from the perspective of key camp audiences: campers, parents, directors, and summer staff. In each round, we'll share 3 statements, and your job as a listener is to identify which one is not true, and which two are true.

Keep score! If you listen as a group, compete and compare with your staff or group members. See if you're an official camp data nerd ("official" badge available here).

We've had a great season of exploring through sacred playgrounds with you, uncovering fresh insights, learning from each other, and applying all we're discovering to our own settings, all for the sake of the hearts and souls of those we serve. Thanks, listeners, for an incredible season!

Quick Links
#StatOfTheWeek Research Hub
Rhythms of Faith
Effective Camp
ECLP & CCLP
5 Fundamentals of Effective Camps for Summer Staff Training

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Some things are up, some things are down, some are holding steady, and it all has meaning and impact for how we can make informed decisions and tell impactful stories for this summer and in the months ahead.

We've pulled out seven key insights from the 2024-2025 OMC Director Survey findings, and sharing the up, down, and steady movement we've seen when comparing to the last decade of findings from this survey. It's an exercise in identifying trends and discerning how to apply in your own ministry.

The full OMC Director Survey Report is nearing completion, but we wanted to take this opportunity to share some of the initial learnings during this season of the podcast.

Quick Links
2022 OMC Director Survey Findings
3 Things to Offer Church Partners Article
Frontier Cove @ New Life Ranch
Jake's Camp Hair Don't Care Hat
Download the #StatOfTheWeek + 6 Findings Bonus Graphics

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The more things change, the more they stay the same? The only constant is change? If you’re not riding the wave of change, you’ll find yourself underneath it? Whatever your cliché du jour, the truth is, things aren't the same as they were a quarter century ago, and outdoor ministry is not immune to the shifts.

On this episode, Jake and Jared welcome Chad Hershberger from Camp Mount Luther on to talk about trends in camp over the past quarter-century, and if those trends will continue (trending), change directions (bending), or stop in their tracks (ending). We're covering shifts in staffing, parenting, technology, facilities and expectations, and church engagement.

We need your thoughts too! Comment trending, bending, or ending on Facebook, Instagram, or our website.

Quick Links
Meet Chad @ Camp Mount Luther
The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt
Download the #StatOfTheWeek

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Where will they find spiritual grounding, these summer staff members of ours? These emerging adults that truly make ministry happen at our camps; what does it take to equip and encourage practicing faithfulness in their lives while they are at camp, and foundational habits that last beyond our time with them?

On this episode we'll talk about the key to fostering the kind of faithfulness in summer staff that not only affects their lives in lasting ways, but also brings the deepest impact to your summer mission and ministry.

One of the options for this kind of equipping that we'll talk some about in our conversation is Holy Ground, a guide and devotional designed specifically for summer camp staff, by summer camp staff. Holy Ground 2025 is live right now for ordering in our Sacred Playgrounds store.

Links & Resources:
Holy Ground 2025
About Holy Ground
2024 "How We Holy Ground" Guest Podcast Episode
Holy Ground 2025 Sampler
Works of Bonhoeffer

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Good news! Camps are, in general, keeping parents satisfied with the level of communication and preparation prior to camp.  We learn that much in this week's #StatOfTheWeek. And, there's an opportunity to go beyond satisfactory amounts of information, to a noticeable shift into mission and faith formation, even during this often-underutilized phase of pre-camp prep, when families have signed up, but camp isn't here yet.

On this episode, we're sharing 10 quick tips we can apply now during this pre-camp phase that will positively impact camper experience, camper and family outcomes, and key partnerships. Grab a checklist and follow along, then be sure to add yours in the comments wherever you're listening!

Links Referenced:
Tips for Staffing in 2025 Podcast Episode
Rhythms of Faith Project
Camper Recruitment & Retention Playbook
Why Camp?

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2025 summer camp staffing is top of mind, heart, and task list for many camp leaders right now. We're in the heart of recruiting season, pre-camp prep time is on the horizon, our staff training schedules are maybe beginning to materialize, and our plans for the summer staff experiences have their foundation laid.

The data tells us emerging adult staff are after 3 things when they are considering choosing camp for their summer. We'll unpack what these motivators are, where they come from, and how we use them right now and throughout the summer in recruiting, preparing, training, and retaining the summer staff that bring your mission to life.

Links & References:
#StatOfTheWeek Graphic - 54%
Camp & Church Leadership Project
Episcopal Church Leadership Project
Community of Common Purpose Graphic

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