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 them well is becoming increasingly impactful and consistently critical to decisions, actions, and strategy at each layer of outdoor ministries.

Jess Elfring-Roberts serves as the Executive Director of Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers and Jessica Gamache serves as the Executive Director of United Methodist Camp & Retreat Ministries. These bright voices bring different perspectives, experiences, skill sets, and organization models, and yet deeply aligned missions.

As a camp leader, you are living and working in the "both/and" often, with a focus on ensuring your individual ministry is thriving, while also knowing you're part of something bigger, spanning geography, theology, and praxis.

Quick Links

ECCC

UMCRM

Camp Research Hub (project findings)

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We're in an action phase at camp, or at least we hope they are in an action phase. That "they" is camper parents.

On this episode, we're laying out five strategies backed by recent insights that can help lead parents to the critical actions we want, and need, them to take right now. We want to lead them to register, recruit, and retain. These key actions, and leading as many parents as possible to take them confidently and decisively, can be catalyzed by our intentional intervention and effective engagement.

Each strategy is then paired with an attainable action that we can take right now that will help lead these parents to action. Grab your favorite notepad or task manager and get ready to contextualize your next steps.

Plus, our #StatOfTheWeek highlights where we were post-camp 2026 with parent likelihood to recommend camp, and helps us wonder what we're doing to equip and empower those enthusiasts to tell our story.

Quick Links

Camper Recruitment & Retention Playbook - Travis Allison

Immersive 1st & Day Camp Community - Dan Weir

Cho-Yeh Cookies

Tic Tac Toe Marketing for Camps

#StatOfTheWeek

Why Camp? Kit

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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 gathered at Camp Wapo in Amery, Wisconsin for CampWell X Sacred Playgrounds - a training event around well-being at camp in partnership with our friends at the Alliance for Camp Health.

We know summer staff are the heart of many of our ministries. We also know that camp builds incredible skills and consequential character. The question is, how? What does it really look like, and how do camp ministry practitioners create space and facilitate an experience that does this?

Jared guides a conversation around the mic with Jess Gulseth from Red Willow Ministries, Jesse Klosterboer from Sugar Creek Bible Camp, Hazel Banisky from Camp Wapo, Aidan Tack from Covenant Point Bible Camp, and Henri Santelman from Luther Crest, uncovering some of the on-the-ground, happening now things that actually build the summer staff experience in a way that impacts these young adults, for life.

Our #StatOfTheWeek shares what can happen when a summer camp staff experience creates space for God to call people to a life of professional ministry.

Quick Links

Camp Builds

CampWell x Sacred Playgrounds

#StatOfTheWeek

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Support the show

Connect with our team. Support the podcast. Ask about advertising opportunities. Find us on Facebook & Instagram.