Sacred Playgrounds Podcast artwork

Sacred Playgrounds Podcast

55 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratings

We're turning insights to impact as we talk camp and why it matters based on the latest research. Each episode we'll focus on one thing that's making a difference right now in outdoor ministry.

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Episodes

Staff Training Checklist

March 19, 2024 09:00 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MB

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. ...

Learned This. Do That. 3 Actionable Findings from Summer 2023

March 05, 2024 11:00 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MB

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 fro...

Family Camp: S'more than a Vacation

February 20, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MB

We're making a new friend in this episode as we talk with author Maria Warner who wrote a book all about her family's transformational experiences at family camp, a specialized kind of camp that can, as Maria passionately shares, help families thrive. Listen as we hear stories from the book and capture some of the secrets that make family camp work so well, and wonder what might be possible with this kind of experience as a vital part of your outdoor ministry. Embark on a heartwarming journ...

Rewind: Recruiting Emerging Adults

February 06, 2024 10:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MB

We're hitting rewind on an episode from last season where we broke down some of what we know about emerging adults today. Knowing who they are, what they care about, and what motivates them makes a big difference in how we connect and communicate with them, especially during the recruiting process. Rev. Anna Sorenson and I will bring some fresh context to this episode, answer a #QuickQampQuestion from the perspective of a camp-enthusiast-and-board-member/pastor/mom of emerging adults, and s...

4 Things Camp Builds

January 23, 2024 11:00 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MB

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...

5 Camp New Year's Resolutions for 2024

January 09, 2024 12:00 - 45 minutes - 31.1 MB

Happy New Year! We're back with our third annual New Year's Resolutions episode! We're sharing 5 fresh resolutions for sacred playgrounds like yours for 2024. Here's what you'll find: Build resumes Complete the circle Look to the stars Transition well Keep learning We'll also share a bit about what you can expect from our sacred playground in the year ahead, as we work hard to help camps like yours thrive. We've got a #QuickQampQuestion about the role of intentionality and attitude in...

Favorites & Finding Ourselves in The Story

December 19, 2023 21:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MB

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: Favorite Christmas song Favorite Christmas food Favorite Christmas tradition Favorite Christmas memory We'll also wonder together about 3 sets of voices from The Story, and how w...

Spirituality in Camp & Culture

December 05, 2023 19:00 - 46 minutes - 32 MB

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 c...

The Case for the Christ Hike

November 14, 2023 18:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MB

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 nar...

3+ Fresh Findings from Summer 2023

November 01, 2023 13:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MB

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." Support the show Come h...

Rhythms of Faith Launch!

October 17, 2023 10:00 - 36 minutes - 25.5 MB

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 pass...

Life is MESH-y: In Interview with Tracy Gaslin, CEO of the Alliance for Camp Health

October 03, 2023 21:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MB

"Of all the pillars of health, spirituality is the one that has a perfectly inverse relationship with anxiety and depression." - Tracy Gaslin Listen in to this deep conversation with our own Jake Sorenson and Tracy 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 pa...

Life is MESH-y: In Interview with Tracey Gaslin, CEO of the Alliance for Camp Health

October 03, 2023 21:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MB

"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 ...

Ok Boomer? Generational Theory Meets Camping Ministry

September 20, 2023 10:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MB

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. Pl...

Season 3 Kickoff + A Panoramic View of Summer '23

September 06, 2023 15:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MB

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 r...

DON'T FORGET: A Season 2 Finale

May 16, 2023 08:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MB

Eat. Let go. Grateful. Jesus. Giggle. No, it's not a silly camp word game. Ok, maybe a little. The season 2 finale is here! We'll look back at some of the numbers and share our favorite episodes of this season. Hear our longest, shortest, and most listened-to episodes. Any guesses? Then, we beseech leaders to remember some things for the summer ahead as we launch, encourage, and bless you into this season of ministry. Support the show Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, o...

From Campus to Camp

May 11, 2023 11:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MB

Special guest day! We've got two special guests with direct, experiential perspective on the seasonal migration that is about to or recently has happened for thousands of college students (and many high school too) on their way in to serving as summer camp staff.  We'll hear from Jenna, one of those students in the midst of such a transition, and from Pastor Dominique Bucholz who serves as a Campus Pastor at the Minnesota State University Moorhead in Minnesota. Then, Jake talks us through ...

Staff Training Deep Dive

April 19, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 41.6 MB

Staff training is identified by many leaders and summer staff members alike as their favorite part of the summer. There must be something going on here. There is. Something that matters. Your camp culture starts here. The creativity, clarity, and community that is gained in these training and orientation experiences set the tone for the summer, impacting campers and families every week. So how do we do this really well? We use what we've learned to frame staff training in a way that begins...

Fresh Findings from OMC

April 05, 2023 04:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MB

These are some of the most impactful findings on the pulse of outdoor ministry today, draped in a really hopeful outlook. We unpack things like the biggest threat to outdoor ministry this year, what we're learning about director demographics, the four types of faith-focused camps, and more. We just finalized the report on the 5th OMC Director's Survey, a biennial study of camp leaders and the ministries they serve, effectively telling a story of where we've been and indicating trajectory f...

The Best Gift We Can Give Them

March 23, 2023 16:00 - 25 minutes - 17.4 MB

To know and listen - these is the best gifts we can give our camp community. This applies throughout our ministries, from the connection between a counselor and camper, to how we engage our trusted supporters, and everything in between. Life is loud, input is constant, and expectations of production are high. It's part of why set-apart experiences like camp are so vital right now. Sometimes it feels like no one listens anymore. When we listen, and listen well, then act based on what we hear...

Insights to Impact Story: Camp Judson

March 09, 2023 17:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MB

In 2018, after hearing about some of the data from the first Power of Camp Study with Christian Camp and Conference Association ministries, Camp Judson and Executive Director Kevin Saxton decided to join the project. After their first year of data, they were struck with what they learned about where their campers were coming from, and made intentional program choices to meet them where they were at. What they did and what they saw change in subsequent years writes a clear story about the va...

Stories & Steps from the Holy Land

February 22, 2023 06:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MB

Walking in the steps of Jesus is no small thing. True pilgrimage spans the preparation and prayer before, wide-eyed wondering during, and intentional processing and application after these holy experiences in these holy places. We'll hear from Jake and Anna from our Sacred Playgrounds team who recently got to do just that, embark on a long-awaited pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They'll walk us through some of the most impactful places they visited, what struck them, what changed in them, and ...

Recruiting Emerging Adults

February 08, 2023 20:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MB

We're in it. Recruiting season. When we know the systems, life stages, situations, and motivations of the emerging adults that will soon become this summer's incredible staff, we can recruit in a way that sets both the staff member and the ministry up for the best summer ever. In this episode, we'll break down some research and resources that give us all insight into these emerging adults. Plus, we'll talk about some recruiting tactics that come right out of these insights. You'll also he...

Holy Ground 2023 with 2 Special Guests

January 25, 2023 21:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MB

It's here! Holy Ground 2023 is available for pre-order, and we couldn't be more excited. We know these staff are the heart of your summer ministry, and we've learned and learned again that supporting them is absolutely vital. That's why we created Holy Ground. This year's edition comes complete with 12 weeks of brand new for 2023 devotions, updated training and resource content, and a pretty new cover. Holy Ground is a practical, inspirational, and deeply useful companion for every single o...

5 New Year's Resolutions for Camp in 2023

January 11, 2023 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MB

Happy New Year camp friends! It's here - one of our favorite and most downloaded episodes of season 1 gets a 2023 reboot. These 5 New Year's resolutions were built directly from what we heard over the last year and see unfolding in the year to come. Here are your resolution key words to listen for in this episode: identity, hire, mom, agency, & insights. Happy listening, and happy new year. It's going to be a good one for outdoor ministry. Support the show Come help camp thrive with us on F...

Bonus Episode: A Christmas Reflection from Sacred Playgrounds

December 27, 2022 18:00 - 8 minutes - 6.06 MB

Join Rev. Anna Sorenson, our Director of Operations and Associate Pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in La Crescent, WI for a Christmas week reflection on John 1. Merry Christmas! Support the show Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

3 L's, 2 E's, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

December 21, 2022 04:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MB

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 Director of Operations had with Margie Fiedler, Executive Director at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp about how setting up a multi-year, intentional system of listening to camper parents made a big, yet easy-to-implement difference in th...

3 Circles of Gratitude: A Thanksgiving Episode

November 22, 2022 12:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MB

Happy Thanksgiving! There are many studies that connect happiness and even productivity with an attitude of gratitude. We have a lot to be thankful for in our own lives and in our ministries. Can I get an, "Amen?" Starting within ourselves and moving concentrically outward there are circles of impact and influence that should hear words and feel actions of gratitude. We'll call out the ones in these circles and stumble on a few ways and even a bit of a framework for living and acting with g...

What Does the Mom Say?

November 08, 2022 16:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MB

Say it louder for the people in the back - 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 perspective on how things go at camp is so, so vital. We're deep in summer 2022 parent data right now and have compiled and analyzed data from 37+ camps and over 2500 parent responses to important questions about your ministry. Here's some of what those parents had to say. Curious about what...

Plugged Out: Is it Still the Great Outdoors?

October 18, 2022 15:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MB

We hear it and see it from parents, youth, and society - plugged in to some kind of technology is our near-constant state of being. There are precious few places and it takes more intentionality than ever to get ourselves outside - yet it matters as much as ever for our mental, physical, and societal health. Enter outdoor ministry, people and places with opportunity to move the world from a little less plugged in to a little more plugged out. We're meant to be connected - to God and each ot...

Take Me To Your Leaders: An Executive & Board Episode

October 05, 2022 19:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MB

The relationship between your Executive Director and your Board of Directors is a vitally important - maybe the most important - relationship in the infrastructure of your ministry.  There are ways to keep it healthy and thriving, giving foundation from underneath, support from all sides, vision from above, and spirit from within. On this episode, we'll talk about a few keys to executive and board connections, borrowing from and processing through ideas from Joan Garry, a nationally renowne...

S2:E2 A Holy Handoff

September 21, 2022 05:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MB

Pick your analogy, a seamless pass of the baton in the zone while speeding around the track, a quarterback placing the ball squarely in the gut of a tailback headed for the endzone, an instrumental duet with a melody passed perfectly from one first chair to another - when handoffs are done well, it's beautiful and successful and everyone is the better for it. That's the season we're in, right now. Summer camp has ended and both our campers and our staff members are beginning something fresh...

A Holy Handoff

September 21, 2022 05:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MB

Pick your analogy, a seamless pass of the baton in the zone while speeding around the track, a quarterback placing the ball squarely in the gut of a tailback headed for the endzone, an instrumental duet with a melody passed perfectly from one first chair to another - when handoffs are done well, it's beautiful and successful and everyone is the better for it. That's the season we're in, right now. Summer camp has ended and both our campers and our staff members are beginning something fresh...

S2:E1 A 3x3 Camp Summer in Review

September 06, 2022 22:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MB

Season 2 begins now! How was your summer? Did you encounter challenges? Did you experience things worth celebrating? Either way, you're not alone. As we kick off this new season of the podcast, Jake and Jared  take an episode to review the summer and name 3 things worth celebrating in the outdoor ministry community and 3 challenges many of us faced during the summer of 2022. We'll also share a bit of what to expect this season, including opportunities for your voice to be heard on the SP P...

A 3x3 Camp Summer in Review

September 06, 2022 22:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MB

Season 2 begins now! How was your summer? Did you encounter challenges? Did you experience things worth celebrating? Either way, you're not alone. As we kick off this new season of the podcast, Jake and Jared  take an episode to review the summer and name 3 things worth celebrating in the outdoor ministry community and 3 challenges many of us faced during the summer of 2022. We'll also share a bit of what to expect this season, including opportunities for your voice to be heard on the SP P...

EPIC Season Finale

May 24, 2022 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MB

It's the season one finale of the Sacred Playgrounds podcast! It's going to be E.P.I.C. This episode is framed with an epic alliteration of four key things to remember and apply as camp begins for the summer. Think of them as broad-brush questions to ask, focal lenses to look through, key ideas to overlay. Are we being fully participatory? Do we create space to value input? As staff enter into training and campers wind down on school-year things and gear up for summer things, be encouraged,...

Conflicted

May 10, 2022 18:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MB

Meet Amber Hill Anderson, a professional mediator and conflict resolution specialist, not to mention former camp staffer and current ongoing enthusiast. Here's the reality, camp won't be all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes people see and experience things differently. Sometimes there are disconnects. At camp, we have a unique space to approach conflict in a healthy way, given a little direction. We're not just hoping to give campers a good week, but experiences and skills for a good life. ...

Resource Preview - Holy Ground: A Guide for Summer Camp Staff

April 26, 2022 08:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MB

Spoiler alert. The key ingredient in the secret sauce to an effective summer camp experience is a well-equipped, well-trained, faith-filled camp staff. It makes so much sense to give them the support they need to thrive. That's what Holy Ground: A Guide for Summer Camp Staff was created to do. It's a powerful, yet accessible guide and 12-week devotional designed to accompany summer camp staff through the journey they are about to take. In this episode, we'll walk and talk through this resou...

4 Steps to Supporting Staff Mental Health

April 12, 2022 08:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MB

There's a path for summer camp staff to be well, really well, in body, mind, and spirit this summer. When they, and you, are supported in mental wellbeing, it lays a foundation for a season of less staff attrition, more energy, and incredible ministry. On this episode Jake sits down with Joy Hensel, a youth and outdoor ministry veteran with training and experience in mental health care. Joy Hensel, MA, LADC, ADC-MN, is from Duluth Minnesota. Joy attended graduate school at Luther Seminary, ...

So, how Christian are you?

March 22, 2022 08:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MB

How Christian are you? That's a real question, one that camp leaders get. It's a question that parents are wondering when they're making choices about the kinds of experiences to say yes to for their kids. They wonder what happens to their kids if they send them to a camp that's "too religious" just as much, or maybe more, than a camp that isn't faith-centric. They say society is "getting more secular" in our collective understanding of the world. What that means for the Church, how we app...

The State of the Screen

March 10, 2022 05:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MB

99% We share some statistics and such on this podcast, and that's one we don't share very often. 99% of parents say that camp is a place to unplug from technology. What's even more interesting - the kids like it. On this episode, we're giving a bit of a State of the Screen for 2022 - how is technology affecting children and youth and why does it matter. Then, we make the case that camp is one of the last places on the planet where youth and free from screens, and they prefer it that way. S...

Summer Staff: Finding Them in the Findings

February 22, 2022 10:00 - 47 minutes - 32.5 MB

Camp leaders - looking for summer staff? What difference would it make in the recruiting and hiring process if you knew what motivates people to say yes to working at camp? What about in how we support and retain these staff? Church leaders - wonder what difference a summer working at camp would make for someone who has come through your education and youth programs? The Camp and Church Leadership project findings around summer staff, gathered through a layered survey process in the summer...

Canceled! Pivoting When Plans Change

February 10, 2022 05:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MB

We've been there. Everything is prepared, deposits are made, details are nearly sorted, lodging and transportation and meals  - and then the message comes - canceled. Whether it's something epic like the recent cancellation of the ELCA National Young Gathering, a band trip, an important event. Whatever it may be, we acknowledge and maybe even grieve, and then we pivot. In this episode, we're talking about what camp can do to fill the void created when something like this happens, and how c...

Enthusiasts, Accommodators, & Skeptics

January 25, 2022 11:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MB

Which are you? More importantly, which are they. They are your pastoral partners in ministry, and they've got a POV on camp. What does that look like and why does it matter.  In the Camp and Church Leadership Project, we uncovered something we weren't necessarily searching for - a gauge on their engagement - and it turns out there are 3 groups of leaders. It also turns out that the ways we connect with them, serve them, and communicate with them might make a huge difference. Listen in, the...

5 New Year's Resolutions for Camp

January 11, 2022 08:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MB

Happy New Year camp folks! Let's kick off this year with 5 resolutions for camp in 2022. In this episode Jake and Jared offer 5 things camp could focus on this year, based on research, current events, and what might matter most in the months ahead. This episode includes references to: Episode 8: Democracy at Camp Episode 5: The B Word Episode 2: COVID and Camp We're also talking about (and giving away) a simple communications resource to take and contextualize to your events, programs, or...

A Campy Christmas Episode

December 22, 2021 03:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MB

Merry Christmas (and Happy Advent if Jake has anything to say about it)! It's a Sacred Playgrounds podcast Christmas episode. We've got a story or two of our own family traditions to share, and then we explore how ritual and tradition, something that camp is incredible at creating, can be a key to faith formation and a way for camp to come home, entering into holy moments with families and impacting faith. What traditions matter most for you, or for your camp? How are camp traditions, ritu...

Democracy, History, & Camp

December 15, 2021 21:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MB

We're getting a little historical and a little political this episode, and we're not sorry. Camp is rooted in democratic process - one built on participation, shared decision making, and shared outcomes. The space we create has the potential to actually impact dialogue and discourse, values and ideas. If you've ever wondered where and how camp started, we'll go there too, tracing the path back to one of the first camps and the island it started on. Support the show Come help camp thrive wi...

Conference Recaps & Why In-Person Matters for Camp

November 23, 2021 12:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MB

Did you make it to the UMCRM or LOM Annual Confererences? The Sacred Playgrounds team did, and in addition to hearing valuable things from conference presenters and conversations, we paid some attention to the spirit of camp leaders right now, and how important it was to get the chance to gather in person. Camp is meant to be participatory - we know from the research it is most effective when it is designed that way. It seems the same holds true for many of our interactions in life, and if ...

Conversation with Jessica Gamache

November 09, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MB

Meet Jessica Gamache, Director of the United Method Camp and Retreat Ministries Association, an organization connecting more than 180 camp and retreat ministries across the country. Jessica has been leading this association since 2019, and in addition to hearing her journey in outdoor ministry and into this exciting role, we'll hear some encouraging words she has for you, ministry leaders during this uniquely challenging time and into the future. Support the show Come help camp thrive with ...

The B-Word: Bullying

October 26, 2021 05:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MB

Camp has the power to help heal society. That's powerful. The research says bullying has increased in prevalence in the past few years, with a breakdown in positive public discourse, online pathways to saying what shouldn't be said, and a pandemic that stunted social growth for many children and youth. Camp isn't immune to these realities, and may also be created unique space and experience to help in healing, building resilience, learning to be in relationship together, and learning forgiv...