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.

On this (shorter) episode, we're taking a few moments to answer a handful of curious questions from camp leaders. We'll quickly explore things like staff kindness, phrases like "no margin, no mission", staying cool, and the future of tech. Yeah, quite the array.

We'll leave you with a quick Christmas and end-of-year blessing for you and your ministry...

As you step away from the schedules, the cabins, and the constant noise of ministry, may you find a quiet manger for your own soul. You have spent your year creating space for others to encounter God; this Christmas, may you encounter Christ anew for yourself.

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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 at your camp.

On this episode, we're talking about adult engagement at camp, especially in retreat and other year-round opportunities. We've got four reasons why adults belong at camp and, more frankly, need what your camp has to offer. Then, we'll talk through four ways how many camps are creating space for these grownups to experience the unique ministry your site offers. From trust-building to behavior modeling and more, these ideas give us some foundation for why retreat, conference, and other adult engagement ministries matter, and we'd love to hear more from your camp.

Our #StatOfTheWeek shares how things are going with enrollment for retreat ministries, and our #QuickQampQuestion asks the other end of the spectrum - if these retreat ministries are eating our summer ministries.

Quick Links

OMC Director Survey Results

Family Camp Episode & Article

Dave Sherry & The Sherry Group

#StatOfTheWeek

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Camp is perfect, right? Right? At least, my camp is...

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 experience that is less positive than we planned and prepared for. This likely doesn't mean everything at your beloved site is doomed, but it may mean something had or has broken down.

On this episode, we're breaking down what happens when, for one reason or another (likely more than one), there is a deficient experience for some participants. We call them "breakdowns" in the research and project reporting of five fundamentals. We'll talk through how we can go about uncovering these deficiencies in the first place, share what the data tells us about the consequences when breakdowns happen, and where to focus energy in taking steps to restore alignment between hoped-for mission and campers' lived experience.

Plus, we have a doozy of a #QuickQampQuestion about the large-camp/small-camp gap and a #StatOfTheWeek tied to our breakdown conversation.

Quick Links

Character at Camp Episode

OMC Director's Survey

#StatOfTheWeek

Sacred Playgrounds Book Sale (through 11/30/2025) USE CODE: CONFSHIP at checkout. Select Media Mail for free shipping.

5 Fundamentals Self-Assessment

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