Sacred Playgrounds Podcast

<p><b>Character.</b></p><p>This word is, as our guests on this episode will say, a "big tent" concept. As the American Camp Association has been exploring, building, and developing the Character at Camp Initiative and...

<p>They're coming. And then, they're staying, and working, and playing, and praying, and connecting, and serving, and living this moment of their lives together at camp.</p><p>Your staff, when fully equipped throughout...

<p>This episode features good friends of ours, Jess and Jessica, who lead vibrant associations of camps, conference centers, retreat centers, and farms. We'll hear where, how, and why generating insights and then using...

<p>We're in an action phase at camp, or at least we hope they are in an action phase. That "they" is camper parents.</p><p>On this episode, we're laying out five strategies backed by recent insights that can help lead...

<p>On this episode, we're around a table with five incredible camp leaders bringing different perspectives from their role, to geography, to camp journey, to denomination, and more. We're sharing this table while...

<p>There's a shift coming, and it affects camp in significant ways. On this episode, we'll talk about why, how, and when it's coming, and leave you with some ideas to get ahead of it.</p><p>When you lay out the story...

<p>We've learned so much about summer camp staff over the past few years. With insights from more than 2000 summer staff members at more than 120 camps in the last 5 years, plus additional data from projects like the...

<p>On this episode, we welcome Jake back from his journey to Egypt, where we travelled with other camp and church leaders on a pilgrimage that lead them to and through places and spaces with deep Biblical, historical...

<p>Happy New Year, camp and camp-connected friends! It's 2026, and we're kicking off the new year with our annual installment of the New Year's resolutions for camp.</p><p>On this episode, we'll share a fresh set of...

<p>As we release this episode, it's almost Christmas 2025! We're wishing you a very Merry Christmas from our sacred playground to yours. We're ever-grateful to share this space with you.</p><p>On this (shorter) episode...

<p>It's true. Adults are a deeply important audience for your camp in one way or another - or more likely, in many ways. Not just as a donor, parent, or partner, but as one who can have personal, meaningful experiences...

<p>Camp is perfect, right? Right? At least, my camp is...<br/><br/>You've thought it. So have we, and so has every camp enthusiast since the beginning of camp-time. And yet, we know that sometimes people have an...

<p>Our team spent the week at the Outdoor Ministries Connection Great Gathering! It's been an incredible week connecting in person with 500+ of our closest friends. From insightful keynotes to leading and joining...

<p>This is a cutting edge for outdoor ministry right now, and camps, when we understand our role as a catalyst, is poised to have an outsized impact on faith lives of countless campers and families. The connectivity in...

<p>On this episode, we're excited to sit down with Cara Meredith, a lifelong camp enthusiast, experienced camp speaker, and author of the book Church Camp.</p><p>This book has been stirring in many ways for Christian...