Sacred Playgrounds Podcast

Sacred Playgrounds

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CHRISTIANITY

Sacred Playgrounds Podcast

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.

JUN 27 · BONUS

BONUS EPISODE for Summer Camp Staff

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 Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

24 min
MAY 13

Season 4 Finale: 2 Truths & An Untruth

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 Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

34 min
APR 29

More or Less? 7 Up & Down Insights from the 2024-2025 OMC Director Survey

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 Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

46 min
APR 15

Trending, Bending, or Ending: Camp Trends Over the Past 25 Years

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 Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

43 min
APR 1

The Key to Fostering Faithfulness in Summer Staff

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 Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

45 min
MAR 18

10 Tips for Pre-Camp Prep That Impacts Experience & Outcomes

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? Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

42 min
MAR 4

Tips for Summer Staffing in 2025

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 Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

58 min
FEB 18

People Skills & Peer Ministry at Camp with Special Guest Lyle Griner

The most impactful ministry just might happen in the under-programmed times, the times sitting by the well (or the campfire) hearing someone's story. When we give our staff members, and even campers themselves, the "how" - meaning the skills and the practice in listening, welcoming, and connecting-building - we give them a gift they can and will take into the rest of life. On this episode, we chat with Lyle Griner, from Peer Ministry Leadership, who has been equipping people, especially youth and young adults, with vital relational skills as a key, maybe THE key, ministry practice in our world today. Lyle shares where Peer Ministry Leadership came from, and how the skills he and others have spent decades using to empower ministry in churches and communities, comes to camp through staff and camper training and programming (or sometime de-programming) opportunities. Learn more about Peer Ministry Leadership and find your way to a staff training experience at peerministry.org. You can also read Lyle's book, Youth Are Either Leading or Leaving, to explore how we can ensure youth know they are deeply needed in the church and the world today. Download the #StatOfTheWeek Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

42 min

TRAILER

Trailer

Camp enthusiast, this podcast is for you! We're sharing the latest research in outdoor ministry, learning how to apply it in your own sacred spaces, and telling a good camp story or two. Welcome to the Sacred Playgrounds podcast. Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

S1

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5 min

5

out of 5

5 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.

Creator

Sacred Playgrounds
Years Active

2021 - 2025
Episodes

75
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2025 Sacred Playgrounds Podcast
Show Website

Sacred Playgrounds Podcast

Christianity

Christianity

Updated Weekly
Management

Management

Updated Weekly