So, when I moved to Minnesota in the late 90s to start seminary, I was amazed how much emphasis was placed on camp ministry. I saw among my Lutheran classmates that would speak of how they pursued a call to church ministry primarily because of church camp. Even in my region of the Disciples of Christ the camp ministry is strong and popular.
I went ot church camp a time or two as a kid, but camp was never a formative experience for me, but I’ve learned it is incredibly important to the lives of many people, young and old. There is evidence out there that kids feel the impact of church camp long after the campfires goes out. According to the Effective Camp Research Project, a survey of 1000 campers and 300 parents showed that while there is a temporary “camp high” there are positive long-term effects as well including the relevance of faith in everyday life and increased interest in spiritual practices like Bible Study and church attendance.
Today, I’m talking with Jared Rendell. Jared is the Director of Communication and Innovation at Sacred Playgrounds a kind of “think-tank” and research and development organization geared towards camp ministry. Jared is a communications and web consultant, a musician and also the host of the sacred playgrounds podcast. Let’s listen to Jared as we talk about the future of camp ministry.
The Clockwork Pastor 
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