"The most effective way to get campers this summer is to get last summer's campers to come back."

On this episode, Travis Allison from Go Camp Pro joins us to talk through what's actually effective in recruiting and retaining campers and their families. Built from a sense of frustration that so many camp leaders spend so much time, energy, and money on things that don't work, the Camper Recruitment & Retention Playbook by Travis Allison and Joanna Warren Smith lays out why, and most importantly how, to get campers and keep them coming back through clear, effective communication and intentionally improved experience.

Plus, we've got a Quick Qamp Question answered from Jake and Travis' decades of camp experience on the strategic focus of staff versus camper experience, and an eye-opening Stat of the Week on professional leadership turnover from the Foundation on Jewish Camps. Note: The context of the statistic quoted in the episode is clarified in the graphic below so be sure to download that!

Download the #StatOfTheWeek Graphic
Read More in Our Review of the Camper Recruitment & Retention Playbook
Get Your Copy of the Playbook

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A meaningful camp experience can be a powerful catalyst for family faith formation.

That truth is at the heart of the Rhythms of Faith Project, the Lilly Endowment, Inc. funded project that Wheaton College/HoneyRock and Sacred Playgrounds are partnering on. We've spent the last year taking in current and past writing, qualitative and quantitative data, and powerful stories about the impacts of camping ministries on families and the faith formation rooted in home and church life.

On this episode, co-directors Dr. Rob Ribbe and Dr. Jake Sorenson break down 6 promising strategies uncovered in this first phase of the project and share some stories and ways any camp can apply what's been learned so far.

We'll also share a deep #QuickQampQuestion about the risks of camp and if they are worth it. Plus, be sure to download our #StatOfTheWeek sharing parent perspectives on if camp should be equipping and influencing faith at home.

During the episode, we share one ready-to-take action step is to use the promising strategies infographic as a tool to consider what you may be able to apply in your ministry right now and in the months ahead. Download the infographic kit and read more about the promising strategies here.

The Rhythms of Faith Project Phase 2 Sub-grant Request for Proposals is live! Proposals are due October 15, 2024 so be sure to get your camp's submitted to be one of the 9 camps we'll equip and follow for the next 3 years.

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Ministry is about impact. It's what we hope for, plan for, program for, recruit for, market for, evaluate for, and pray for. It's maybe the one thing that aligns the entire outdoor ministry industry. We may not even define impact in the same way (fyi, we don't!). Yet, we're aligned in that our deepest foundational mission is to impact lives for the sake of the Gospel.

So how do we measure impact? We assess outcomes, and that's what we're breaking down on this episode. We've taken multiple data sets and layered the learnings to identify 3 major factors that affect camper outcomes, in particular, outcomes that last beyond camp.

Plus we've got a quick qamp question about camp becoming church, and be sure to download this episode's #StatOfTheWeek!

Quick Links Referenced:

• Sacred Playgrounds Research Hub
• Rhythms of Faith Project
• Rhythms of Faith Findings Webinar
• Rhythms of Faith Request for Proposals
• Effective Camp Project

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Season 4 of the Sacred Playgrounds Podcast is here! We're back behind the mic and behind the research for another season of camp-centric content focused on leaders like you.

On this episode, we'll share a quick what-to-expect from this season, and then dive into what we learned through the Post-Summer Pulse Check survey we launched a few weeks ago. Plus, we've got a quick qamp question about "bugs."

This episode is chock-full of stats, so be sure to share and/or download the Pulse Check Results infographic you can find here.

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finale {n.} the last and often climactic event or item in a sequence

It's the last episode of season 3 of the Sacred Playgrounds Podcast! Whether it's your first time or you've been along for the ride since our first episode, thanks for listening! It's an honor, and a lot of fun, to talk camp with you and for you.

On this episode, we'll run through our season 3 episodes with a quick recap and call to listen back to one or more if there's an idea you're focusing on for the summer ahead. We'll also share some of the most helpful stats about what camp is and the clear impact it has. We've got an entire set of shareable graphics for you on this one, designed to be used as either a swipe-style carousel post great for spaces like Instagram, or to be shared individually.

Thanks for listening, see you soon for SEASON 4!

DOWNLOAD THE #STATOFTHEWEEK GRAPHICS

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On this episode, we're sharing the mic with a good friend and camp research colleague! We're deeply honored to chat with the Senior Director of Research and Education for the American Camp Association (ACA), Laurie Browne, PhD.

Laurie joins us to unpack some key camp research learnings from the big picture at the ACA including important projects like the ACA Youth Impact Study, the Character at Camp Initiative, and the National Economic Impact Study. Not only does she have incredible insight into our industry and ministry, but also makes it accessible and applicable in how she shares it.

Listen close, take notes, and know that you, camp friends, are part of an elaborate, impactful ecosystem of youth development, and the research says your role matters.

Learn more about ACA Research and get involved at acacamps.org/research.

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Every now and then, I get a little bit restless
And I dream of something wild
- Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Eclipse week! Epic, singular experiences are our specialty at camp, and yet, how we prepare campers and families for integration of faith in the totality of life is the real heart of our ministry.

On this episode, we'll hear the story of Jake and his family's adventure into the path of totality for the April 2024 solar eclipse and draw some interesting, actionable connections with our partnered, integrated, connected ministries. We'll share how  Rhythms of Faith is seeking out how we maximize and harness these connections and share a quick project update on RoF as well.

Plus, we'll share some a book recommendation or two in our #QuickQampQuestion and have some fun with eclipse data in our #StatOfTheWeek.

PS, don't burn out their (or your) retinas.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RHYTHMS OF FAITH
DOWNLOAD THE #STATOFTHEWEEK

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It's launch week for Holy Ground 2024!

It's no secret, so says the research, that summer staff are the heart of camping ministry. We know they need support, agency, and faithful community to thrive. That's why we constructed the Holy Ground summer staff guidebook for the third year.

On this episode, we'll quickly share the what, how, and why of Holy Ground. Then, the heart of this episode is two conversations we had with special guests Renzi Ricketts, Director of Summer Camp at St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center and Pastor Val Teppo, Lead Chaplain from Park River Bible Camp and Red Willow Ministries. They'll share some of the specifics on ways their camp communities use this resource and how it helps provide support for summer staff, and even some other partners.

Plus, we've got a #StatOfTheWeek around the impact of resources like this on personal devotion and Bible reading time.

LEARN MORE + ORDER HOLY GROUND 2024
DOWNLOAD THE #STATOFTHEWEEK

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Check!

We're gearing up,  camp family! For many, it's time to begin forming our plans for staff training, even as we continue to recruit and hire staff. We're bringing you 8(+1) items on a summer staff training checklist to help you frame up a successful, impactful staff training experience that gets your summer staff well-equipped and wisely-prepared.

Have an idea to add to this list? Have an idea for a resource for summer staff members? Drop it in the comments wherever you're listening. We'll also dive into what it means and what to do when staff can't make parts of training with our #QuickQampQuestion, and share average weekly counselor salary in our #StatOfTheWeek.

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We're constantly learning. Every season, we take care of each individual and/or group of camps we work with - creating reports, digging in with consults about the findings, and creating ways to help those insights tell stories. And, we take that data and compile it, looking at it from a higher level with richer numbers of responses. We do this to learn and identify trends across our broad outdoor ministry community.

So, we've got 3 interesting, and more importantly, actionable, findings from the collective 2023 camper experience. You'll hear about:

1. The trends on breakdowns in the 5 fundamentals of effective camps
2. The trend in church engagement and family faith practices
3. The experience gap in different types of camper groups

Our #StatOfTheWeek shares a statistically significant story on family church engagement, and our #QuickQampQuestion is one for you or a camp person you know.

DOWNLOAD THE #STATOFTHEWEEK

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