Sacred Playgrounds Podcast

Camp staff outcomes align remarkably well with the top skills employers identify as most important for the 21st-century workforce, including teamwork, communication skills, leadership, and problem-solving. Being a member of a Christian summer camp staff builds vital skills needed for impactful careers and faithful lives.

On this episode, we're breaking down 4 things camp builds in summer staff members that can make a significant difference in their vocations and careers. This is part of the kickoff and continuation of the Camp Builds _______. Campaign we recently launched to equip, inform, and activate influencers in the lives of emerging adults around these career readiness skills and experiences.

We've got a whole set of resources for you to join in spreading the good news that camp staff experiences have lasting impact. Use the links below to explore CampBuilds.com, download your kit of ready-to-share assets, share a story of what camp has built for you, and more.

VISIT CAMPBUILDS.COM

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1. Build resumes
2. Complete the circle
3. Look to the stars
4. Transition well
5. Keep learning

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Merry Christmas from Sacred Playgrounds!

Green beans and great songs and cookies and memories, these are a few of our favorite things! (Sing it or it doesn't count)

On this episode, we share some favorite fun in an extended, Christmas-themed #QuickQampQuestion. AND, we'd like to hear yours.

 Here's the list:

1. Favorite Christmas song
2. Favorite Christmas food
3. Favorite Christmas tradition
4. Favorite Christmas memory

We'll also wonder together about 3 sets of voices from The Story, and how we journey, worship, and give with them, finding ourselves smack dab in the middle of the greatest story ever.

Our #StatOfTheWeek reminds us that summer staff faith formation is often just as much a focus for leaders as camper faith formation. Download a shareable graphic below!

DOWNLOAD THE #STATOFTHEWEEK GRAPHIC SET

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Our heart is restless until it rests in you.   - ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

"Spirituality." How do we actually define that word? What's the difference between spirituality and religion? Can one be a non-spiritual person? What does it mean to be "spiritual, but not religious" as many have described themselves? And, as we should always be asking, why does it matter to our wellness as beings, or our conversation as communities?

In this episode, we'll unpack the word and bring it into context at camp and in culture. We'll talk through why spirituality as a human capacity matters deeply to our health and wellness, according to an increasing volume of faith-based and non-faith-based research.

We call back a bit of our conversation with Tracey Gaslin from the Alliance for Camp Health. You can listen back to that episode here.

We also share a book title or two from Lisa Miller, Professor at Columbia University and founder of the Spirituality, Mind, Body Institute (SMBI), a NYT Bestselling Author of The Spiritual Child and The Awakened Brain.

Plus, we'll share a #QuickQampQuestion about camp denominations, and a #StatoftheWeek about campers and how much they love being in nature. Download your stat graphic below!

Want a camp question featured on the podcast? Send us a message below, submit an audio file of your questions, or send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.

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Have you taken a walk through the life of Jesus?  Have you brought your campers through an experience like this in a way that puts them in the story?

Immersive experiences have power, especially in the context of camp spaces already so experiential in nature. Bringing The Story to life is an honor, and we have an opportunity to make a connection between Jesus' story and our own, and that of our campers.

What kind of spaces and experiences does your camp create to immerse campers in the narrative of God's story? Share in the comments!

Our #StatoftheWeek is around camper financial support. Feel free to download and add your own link, QR code, or messaging around supporting your campership programs before you share.

DOWNLOAD THE #STATOFTHEWEEK GRAPHICS

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We've been doing what we're built for, turning data into stories, and today on the podcast we're sharing some of these findings via 3 questions: What's changed? What's stayed the same? What's surprising? And, most importantly, why do these things matter.

We've also got a  Quick Qamp Question about attending different camps or sticking with what's familiar, and a Stat of the Week around the level of agreement with the question, "I am happy about my life and who I am."

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It's time to set this rhythm in motion.

Our brand new project, Rhythms of Faith launches with waves of energy and anticipation of what we'll learn and the impact those learnings will have. Funded by a $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, we're partnering with Wheaton College and Honeyrock, their center for leadership development, on this exciting project.

On this episode, we'll hear from the Rhythms of Faith Project Co-Directors, Jake Sorenson and Rob Ribbe. They'll share the passion behind this initiative, a breakdown of how the project will phase out, and how you can participate and follow along, as we seek to establish rhythms of faith in the lives of campers, their families, their churches, and their communities.

Engage with Rhythms of Faith
Download the Stat of the Week Graphic

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"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 Camp Health about why and how establishing a culture of health and wellbeing at camp is both possible and a priority, and how everyone at your camp is on the wellness team. Hear how the MESH+ framework gives us real things to pay attention to as we build a community living really well.

Learn more about CampWell
Connect with the Alliance for Camp Health
Download your MESH+ Guide

Download your free #StatoftheWeek Graphic

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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 theory, exploring what may be helpful and not helpful in this way of sociological thinking, and wondering how we approach this for our ministries as we seek to connect with the next generations of staff, campers, and families.

Plus, we've got a Quick Qamp Question about creation care and our #campstatoftheweek = 90%

DOWNLOAD THE EP2 STAT OF THE WEEK GRAPHICS

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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 fresh insights from the latest data, all on a mission to help camping ministry thrive.

Ever seen an amazing panoramic photo, or used the setting on your smart device? This episode features a "panoramic" take on a 2023 summer in review. We'll talk through and help you create 3 quick, clear deliverables to tell, connect, and prepare.

Quick Qamp Question (New Segment for Season 3!)
Each episode, we'll feature a quick qamp question from you. Yep, you! You can submit your question on Facebook, Instagram, direct message, text, email, or carrier pigeon. Want to level up your question? Send us an audio file and we'll try to share it in the episode!

Camp Stat of the Week (New Segment for Season 3!)
Each episode, we'll take a minute to highlight a fresh statistic from the latest research and also give you a simple set of downloadable graphics so you can share it with your camp communities.

DOWNLOAD THE EP1 STAT OF THE WEEK

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