Campfire Collective Annual Conference

How Do You Know What You Need If You Don't Know What You Have?

By Dave Sherry

This workshop is part of the track sponsored by the Sherry Group

Site and facility inventory is where a good site and maintenance plan start. We will talk about how to complete a good site and facility inventory, what it should look like and what it should include. It's a great project for staff and volunteers to work together and an absolutely necessary first step towards site planning. We need to know what we have and what we can expect so we can plan accordingly. Participants will walk away with the understanding of what they need to do to get started and why it's so valuable to their camp.

Dave is a senior consultant and team leader of The Sherry Group, LLC (TSG). Dave has spent over 30 years as a camp pro, including eighteen years as executive director of a camp in Iowa. Dave has successfully turned around camper registrations and finances at two camps under his leadership and is now helping camps and other nonprofits find their unique success. Dave has been married to Kate for over 30 years and they have three adult children and one grandchild. Dave believes no time is better than family time and looks forward to the opportunities to have his group all together.

Outdoor Worship Pizzaz

By Sarah Werner

This workshop is part of the track sponsored by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Christian Formation

In this workshop we will explore how to incorporate elements of the natural world into camp worship experiences in a variety of ways. We will discuss different types of camp worship experiences—morning watch, evening devotionals, prayerful wandering, outdoor prayer stations, and interactive outdoor Bible study. We will discuss some logistical challenges of worshiping outdoors with young people and offer practical resources for each outdoor worship experience.

Sarah is the communications coordinator for Central District Conference, part of Mennonite Church USA and leader of Olentangy Wild Church in Columbus, Ohio. She teaches theology and biblical studies courses at PATHWAYS, a theological education program affiliated with the United Church of Christ. She is the author of Rooted Faith: Practices for Living Well on a Fragile Planet (Herald Press, 2023). She grew up attending Camp Gilmont in Texas (affiliated with Grace Presbytery) and now enjoys camping throughout the Midwest.

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The Subversive Art of Telling a Story

By Kent Busman

"Sometimes people need a story more than they need bread" - Barry Lopez, Crow and Weasel

Being able to tell a good story ought to be part of our job descriptions, but too often we see stories only as a way to make a specific point or to simply fill time between more 'important' activities. But what if we began to frame our activities, facilities, promotions, and development around the greater narratives that whisper around us? What if we began to partner with stories to allow campers, congregants, and boards to imagine God moving in much more hidden, even subversive ways? Join in exploring this oldest. and ever new. art.

Kent Busman has been the director of Fowler Camp and Retreat Center in the Adirondack Mountains long enough to watch the trees grow. His commitment to caring for the world has transformed the mission of the camp and helped to make it both more sustainable and able to address many of the needs of the campers in this era. Kent has been a member of the Capital District Storycircle in NY for more than 2 decades and has performed his stories on stage in numerous venues.

Zephyr Point Facilities and Grounds Tour

By the Zephyr Point Staff

As Zephyr Point celebrates 100 years along the shores of Lake Tahoe, join the staff on a tour to learn more about the past, present, and future of camping ministry at Zephyr Point. This half-mile walking tour will begin in front of the Tallac Center Dining Hall and continue along our lakefront road for a full loop of the property. A golf cart shuttle will be available for participants requiring additional assistance.

Monday from 1:15-2:30pm

Creating a Coaching Culture for Empowered Leadership

By Dr. Diane Weible

This workshop is part of the track sponsored by Insurance Board

The premise of this workshop is that when working with staff (and encouraging staff in their work with campers), we start with the belief that each person knows the best way forward in overcoming challenges and building relationships. During our time together we will discuss tools such as generous (active) listening, powerful questions and starting with curiosity, to create a culture of empowered leadership in your community.

A certified professional coach with the International Coaching Federation, Diane is passionate about the work of coming alongside individuals and organizations seeking to move forward, grow, and transform. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and former Conference Minister of the Northern California Nevada Conference UCC, Diane spent most of her professional life working with churches and organizations in Japan, Hawaii, Northern California and Northern Nevada, journeying with them to reach their full potential and discover the vitality that is within.

Workshop Resource

Site Planning Strategies to Align Your Program, Site, and Facilities

By Tom Neppl

This workshop is part of the track sponsored by the Sherry Group

As open spaces become increasingly rare in our communities, it is critical these areas are thoughtfully considered to provide needed amenity, respite, and balance in our increasingly urban and complex lifestyles. A challenge with this process is aligning one’s program goals for how the space or structure is to be used with the opportunities (and constraints) of the site. This is a nuanced process of fitting, or situating, the program to the site in a way that supports the functional requirements while being sensitive to the physical, environmental, and ecological qualities of the site. This presentation will explore methods, processes, and techniques for developing thoughtful, significant, and sensitive comprehensive site plans.

Tom is a practicing Landscape Architect and Professor of Practice in Iowa State University’s Landscape Architecture program. In his private practice, he works with camps and retreat centers, and outdoor and environmental education centers to develop comprehensive plans and site designs on projects ranging from a few to several thousand acres. His work aims to create significant, inspirational, and environmentally sensitive outdoor spaces for his clients and their campers and program participants.

Bringing the Bible to Life

By Sarah Werner

This workshop is part of the track sponsored by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Christian Formation

The Bible is full of stories about how our spiritual ancestors spoke with God in their own sacred landscape. In this workshop we will explore several stories from scripture that can help campers and visitors of all ages connect to the natural world and to the Creator. When Jacob was at the River Jabbok, afraid of his brother’s wrath, he wrestled with God and received a blessing for his struggle. When Elijah was on Mount Horeb and in crisis, God spoke to him in the voice of silence. And after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John, he spent forty days in the wilderness with angels and wild animals. Retelling these stories in particular landscapes—by a river, in a desert, on a mountain—can help bring them to life in an entirely new way. In this workshop we will discuss how you can use the natural features of your own camp or conference center to highlight particular stories from scripture and encourage campers to imagine what it was like when these stories took place.

Loving the World

By Kent Busman

Building on Biblical and environmental practices, this time will be spent re-framing our understanding of what our first priority is at camp: to care for the creation we have been entrusted with. While numbers and budgets consume most of our energy, rediscovering the role of Earthkeeping may be the key to the health and wellbeing of your camp, your staff, and those you serve

Zephyr Point Facilities and Grounds Tour

By the Zephyr Point Staff

Monday from 3:00 - 4:15pm

Fire in the Wildland Urban Interface

By Nikhil Nakrhede

This workshop is part of the track sponsored by Insurance Board

The Fire Adapted Nevada Partnership is a program between the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, University of Nevada Reno, and Nevada Division of Forestry. This workshop will observe best practices to mitigate wildfire risk on properties in the Wildland Urban Interface. Participants will learn about defensible space and home hardening techniques, then apply them in a round table discussion of their camp properties. Outcomes include handout materials about defensible space and home hardening, a basic understanding of home triage, and discussion of common hazards and how they may be reduced.

Nikhil serves as the Fire Adapted Nevada Coordinator for Nevada’s Division of Forestry. As a graduate from the University of Arizona, Nikhil holds a passion for connecting people with the natural environment around them. In his current position, Nikhil is tasked with educating Nevadans about ways to reduce wildfire risk to properties with attention to defensible space and home hardening practices.

Building a Leadership Development Program That Delivers - Creating Your Own Staff Pool

By Dave Sherry

This workshop is part of the track sponsored by the Sherry Group

Staffing a camp is a large and often daunting project. Finding summer staff that can deliver your program and mission can be challenging. Developing a leadership development program can answer several of the problems. What if I told you we could increase your teen camper retention, increase your camp staff hiring pool, improve the quality of your staff, have your staff all certified before staff training, increase the numbers of summers your average staff stay by at least twice if not three times the amount or more, have new staff each summer that already have experience in your program areas, have a good work ethic and know all your traditions, and more. It is happening in other camps. It can happen in yours as well. Fix most of your summer staff woes with a good, intentionally designed leadership development program. We will show you how in this session.

Workshop Slideshow

Wild Church Toolkit

By Sarah Werner

This workshop is part of the track sponsored by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Christian Formation

In this interactive workshop, we will explore the growing wild church movement and offer resources you can use to do wild church at your camp or conference center. We will talk about the origins of wild church and look at different examples of what worship looks like for wild churches. We will also discuss logistics and strategies for how you can develop a wild church practice that works in your camp setting. Resources will include liturgies, prayer cards, worship orders, how to include young people, and practical tips on choosing a space, accessibility, and more.

Loving and Hating Volunteers

By Kent Busman

Volunteers are critical for the survival of many of our camps and retreat centers. Why are they so often such a pain? What can we do to improve the connection volunteers have between the ministry of our camps and the desire to offer help? Let's discuss best practices and learn from each other how we might be better caretakers and stewards of our volunteers.

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Making Your Best Ideas Better: Stretching Your Ministry Imagination

By Kenda Creasy Dean

Participants will take part in 4-5 different ministry design exercises aimed at making your camp or organization's offerings more faithful, more feasible, and more fun. Come with a ministry in mind (one that exists, or one you're just dreaming about) and we'll get to work!

As one of our keynote speakers, Kenda Creasy Dean’s bio can be found under Conference Leadership.

Tuesday from 4:15 - 5:30pm

Listening...and Taking Action. A Plan for Legacy Giving

By Joseph Moore

Sponsored by the Presbyterian Foundation

Join us for a Legacy/Planned Giving conversation centered around listening, communicating, and developing a legacy giving plan with a diverse donor base. Participants should plan to leave with a tangible plan for starting, strengthening, and growing a legacy giving program for their camp and conference center. This workshop won't be all theory...the primary of goal of our time together will be for you to leave with a doable, contextually appropriate, effective legacy giving plan.

Joseph is a Presbyterian Pastor and the Ministry Relations Officer for the Southwest. He works with churches, organizations, and individuals to help create faithful cultures of generosity. Working with camp and conference centers is one of his favorite parts of his job. Camp folks tend to naturally think outside the box, and Joseph believes that the gospel thrives outside the box. He lives in Colorado with his family. He is an avid fly-fisherman...in so much as he loves to fly fish and doesn't really care if he catches anything or not.

Embodied in Nature

By Sarah Werner

Sponsored by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Christian Formation

This workshop will explore how to help campers and staff experience the natural world through the miracle of their bodies. Body issues can prevent us from connecting to nature, ourselves, and other people. In this workshop we will offer resources for encouraging campers to trust their bodies and their strength as well as help them to feel connected to the community of creation. This workshop will also include a toolkit for using all of your senses to experience the natural world.

Soul Collage: Transformation Through Images and Reflection

By Denise Shannon

Sponsored by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Christian Formation

Spiritual growth can take many forms and creating is one of the best ways. Through guided meditation, creation of a soul collage of images and reflection, participants will gain insight into their own faith, spirituality, and the state of their soul. This is an excellent offering for a day or weekend retreat and is perfect for ages 15 and above and serves an intergenerational group well.

Denise is an ordained PCUSA pastor, hospice chaplain, spiritual director and soul collage trained facilitator. She also serves as Co-Moderator for the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network (POAMN). Her passions include spiritual formation by utilizing creative modalities to help others connect with their own spirituality and faith and serves as a companion along their transformative journeys. Denise has a particular passion for finding intergenerational ways for people to connect and facilitate their spiritual growth.

Apps for the Outdoors

By Kyle Branin

Tired of the distractions smartphones introduce into camps and retreats? While there is much to be said for screen-free environments, you can also turn a smartphone into a tool for better outdoor programming for you, your staff, and your campers and retreat guests. Come learn about some great phone apps and websites for strengthening outdoors programs or even introducing new ones.

Kyle Branin is a longtime outdoor educator and camp professional who is passionate about connecting people with nature and the transformational experiences the outdoors provide. He has worked or volunteered in a professional capacity with camps and outdoor programs with Massachusetts Audubon, Southern Utah University, Amherst College, Appalachian Mountain Club, Leave No Trace, Scouting America, and more. Kyle is currently the Executive Director at Holmes Camp & Retreat Center in New York.

One Body with Many Parts: Refreshing 1 Corinthians 12 for Staff and Creation

By Tommy Campbell

Over the course of a staff training program at any faith-based camp, you are almost guaranteed to hear a Director leading a session based on "There is one body made up of many parts," a tried-and-true scripture often used in the service of informing and enforcing staff community and structure. In this session, we'll reframe and refresh 1 Corinthians 12 for use by camps through exploring ideas of embodiment/disembodiment and staff relationships to each other, to camp, and to creation. Pulling from a variety of areas, including recent congregational/denominational leadership resources, feminist and eco-theology, as well as numerous passages of scripture, you can look forward to leading these important staff training conversations next summer better equipped and with a renewed approach.

Tommy Campbell is a final-level M.Div student at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and PC(USA) Inquirer. He spent the last year serving two small churches in the Pennsylvania coal country as supply Pastor. As a camp professional, Tommy most recently served at Johnsonburg Camp and Retreat Center as the Associate Director, as well as the Director of Kirkwood Camp and Retreat Center; he has also been a summer staff member at Camp Hanover, Massanetta Springs, and Meadowkirk at Delta Farm. He invites you to start a conversation about houseplants.

Beyond the Blame Game: Cultivating a Culture of Accountability

By Lauri SoJourner

During this workshop, we'll explore the principles of accountability to enhance team dynamics and performance. You will learn practical strategies for addressing unmet expectations, broken commitments, and other accountability challenges. We'll discuss how to navigate difficult conversations and foster a culture of responsibility. By the end of the workshop, attendees will be equipped with the tools needed to hold their teams accountable effectively while maintaining trust and respect. This workshop is relative to year-round and seasonal staff leaders.

Lauri SoJourner is an experienced facilitator, teacher, and nonprofit leader who has worked in retreat and camp ministry for 18 years and higher education for 10 years. Lauri earned her BA in English/Professional Communications and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Winthrop University and her MA in Student Affairs Administration from Ball State University. She is a Compass Points faculty member, teaching the Nonprofit Management section of the program. As a coach, consultant, and trainer, Lauri journeys with leaders as they seek clarity, hold boundaries, and map strategies to get them where they want to go. She is currently serving as Interim Executive Director at Camp Weed & Cerveny Conference Center in Florida.

Workshop Slideshow

Bridging Perspectives: Navigating Relationships Among Supporters with Divergent Views

By Jessica Gamaché

Camp and conference ministries have always been a "bridge" between people with differing ideas, theologies, and life experiences. Being a "bridge" means that your ministry enables those with differing beliefs to shift their focus toward being in a community of believers. As our society becomes increasingly polarized, camp and conference leaders are seeing secular conflicts impact their ministry. This workshop will explore the strategies that many United Methodist camps are utilizing to respond to an uneasy time within their denomination, and how this experience can provide insight to relationship building and conflict response at your ministry location.

Jessica Gamaché serves in ministry as the Association Director for the United Methodist Camp & Retreat Ministries Association (UMCRM). In this role, she guides the association and its members in resource development, strategic visioning, and collective sustainability. After earning her Masters degree in Recreation Management from Slippery Rock University, Jessica served various camps and retreat centers in both the United Methodist and Lutheran connections. She believes that being immersed in the outdoors through a camp experience brings all people closer to God and one another.

Wednesday from 10:45am - 12:00pm

The Joy of Giving: Reframing Fundraising to Inspire Camps of All Shapes and Sizes

By Stefanie Marsden

Sponsored by the Texas Presbyterian Foundation

This innovative new workshop from Stefanie Marsden, TPF Relationship Manager, will focus on fundraising strategies, plans, and proven tips and tricks that can transform your fundraising efforts today. With an intentional focus on challenges faced by smaller camps, this workshop is the perfect joyful addition to your journey of learning, listening and responding, at this inspirational event.

Stefanie is an expert relationship grower, legacy planning professional, and generosity advocate. As Relationship Manager at Texas Presbyterian Foundation since 2010, Stefanie is responsible for working closely with TPF’s Partners to grow relationships, as well as their assets. Additionally, Stefanie identifies and cultivates new partnerships in and around the United States to educate churches and nonprofits on expansion of their mission efforts. With more than 20 years of business and development experience, Stefanie leverages these experiences as she works to implement educational and growth initiatives. She is past President and member of The Dallas Council of Charitable Gift Planners, loves working with churches and nonprofits to support them as they strive to change the lives of others, together. In addition to her many roles at TPF, is also a jazz vocalist, elder at her church and most importantly, mom to two crazy boys.

Workshop Resources

Resilient Leadership: Aligning Mind, Body, and Spirit

By Dr. Regina Groff

The alignment of mind, body, and spirit enhances our well-being and bolsters resilient leadership. In this workshop, we will discuss the value of prioritizing rest, release, and renewal to cultivate inner strength and model a balanced approach to life and leadership. Together, we will explore tools and practices we can proactively apply to maintain harmony between the mind, body, and spirit. We will leave this workshop with personal plans to care for our whole selves, enabling us to effectively lead and support our teams.

Regina serves as Director, Education for Wholeness for the Board of Pensions PC (USA). In her role, she designs education programs aligned with the Board of Pensions’ mission, vision, and values, with a focus on the wholeness of all plan members. Coalescing her ministry and education backgrounds, she develops and presents educational content that integrates A Theology of Benefits and promotes the intersection of financial well-being with spiritual, health, and vocational well-being. Regina's background is in learning and development, facilitation, curriculum design, and program development. She has served in both pastoral and church ministry leadership roles for more than 25 years. Currently, she serves on the ministerial team at Faith A.M.E. Mission, Woodbridge, Virginia. Regina earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees from Duke University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in education (curriculum and instruction) from the University of Denver. She is an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Building Sacred Community with a Culture of Belonging

By Tivvi Pare and Tim Hughes

"I can be my true self here and know I'll be accepted for who I really am", "I feel closer to God here than anywhere else", "This is my home away from home", "I can't imagine my life and who I'd be without this camp". These are quotes from various Horton Center Campers. In this workshop we'll share how we plan, train and nurture staff, volunteers, and even campers, to intentionally build a sacred community each week at Horton Center. Furthering a culture of belonging has become part of the DNA there. Returning campers see themselves as inviters to new and younger campers and help them belong too. Nurturing campers into volunteers and summer staff has been integral to our successful program. We'll share how we do it: what works, what hasn't worked, and how to tell the difference! There will be takeaways you can slot into your own programs. We are always looking for new ways to improve, collaborate and creatively include everyone so this workshop will include a time to share ideas that have worked at your camp. Maybe we'll even invent a new program together! We welcome long-time camp leaders or those brand new to camp. Join us, you’ll fit right in!

Tivvi Pare has been at Horton Center, the New Hampshire UCC Outdoor Ministry Site, most of her life. She attended Horton Center for 10 years as a camper and was then on Summer Program Staff (2016 - 2017), Program Director (2018), Summer Director (2019 - 2023), and is now the Executive Director. Tivvi received her Masters of Elementary Education at Clemson University and taught for 4 years in South Carolina before accepting the position of Executive Director at Horton Center. She also now serves as the New Hampshire Representative on the New England Association of United Church Educators and as the New England Representative to the National Association of United Church Educators.

Tim Hughes has been in leadership roles at UCC Outdoor Ministry (OM) consistently since 1978. At Silver Lake Conference Center, the UCC OM site in Connecticut: as a volunteer counselor (1978-1986); a summer staff member 1986-1990); a volunteer Dean (1987- 1997); on the Board of Directors (1996-2003), and finally as Executive Co-Director with Anne Hughes (2003 - 2015). Then he came out of retirement as the Executive Director at ACA accredited Horton Center, the New Hampshire UCC OM Site (2018- 2023). An active member of the UCC Outdoor Ministry Association (OMA) since 2003, Tim now sits on the OMA Board of Directors. He has attended PCCCA and Methodist Camp gatherings whenever possible over the years and brought Horton Center in as a member of the Campfire Collective. Since retiring (again) in September 2023, Tim has been involved on the national UCC Outdoor Ministry scene doing consulting, attending OMA and PCCCA events and running the UCC's Camp Fellows Grant Program for Summer 2024.

Best Practices for Board Development

By Pam Harris

Take a deep dive into Ten Best Practices for boards that can transform how your board functions. The health of your board is the most critical part of your operation. Good oversight and sound direction from your board make all the difference in the overall effectiveness of your ministry and your ability to accomplish the goals of your organization. Even really good boards can get better, and if your board needs improvement, this will give you a practical framework in which to move forward.

Pam is the Principal Consultant of Run River Enterprises, an organization that specializes in strategic service for Camp and Retreat Ministries. Run River has supported camp and retreat ministry organizations for nearly 30 years. Pam brings a wealth of experience and skill to all facets of camp and retreat ministry, but above all, she brings the fervent commitment that we cannot be the church God calls us to be without Camp & Retreat Ministry.

10 Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence in Your Outdoor Ministry

By Joe Richards

Find out how AI can make your programs better, help with work of your team and yourself, and offer fun learning experiences outdoors for the campers and guests. We will work through simple ways to use technology, like making admin tasks easier and teaching campers about nature. Learn new ideas to mix tech with outdoor activities, making your camp or retreat more exciting and helpful for everyone.

For the past 20 summers Joe Richards has been the Executive Director of Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility in Iona, Ontario. Joe has worked at summer camp since the summer of 1988. Joe believes strongly in the power of summer camp - it changed his life and now his mission is to help change the lives of others. Joe is the author of the Camp Counsellor's Manifesto, co-host on the CampHacker podcast, curator of the Canadian Camping Magazine Archive, and a wood artist.

Workshop Slideshow

Best Practices in Strategic Planning

By Ryan Moore

What does it mean to have a 'strategic plan' or to use 'strategic' thinking? They aren't just magical words; there are core best practices to use in creating good strategic plans and making strategic decisions. This workshop will demystify what it means to have a strategic plan for your camp and give you the tools to chart a course forward.

Ryan is a Consultant with Kaleidoscope, Inc, a national firm that works exclusively with camps and retreat centers to help them thrive. Prior to joining Kaleidoscope, Ryan's career was marked by moving multiple camps (including a PCCCA site) through change and seasons of tremendous growth. Ryan has great skills in strategic leadership and analysis, working well with clients to gain clarity in purpose and visioning potential models for the future.

Nonprofit Management 101

By Jessica Gamaché

Camp and conference centers are faith-based nonprofits. The nonprofit sector has tools and philosophies that can be effectively applied to your ministry. This workshop highlights 101 practical ideas and tips from across the seven major nonprofit management disciplines. This workshop is packed with easy-to-implement, high-value ideas for your camp and conference ministry.

Thursday from 10:45am - 12:00pm

Bible Study 101

By Tori Smit

Sponsored by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Christian Formation

Sponsored by the Presbyterian Foundation

No matter the curriculum (or lack of curriculum) you've got at your camp, there a few key principles to keep in mind when you're planning a bible study for any age group. Together we'll experience a short lesson and then explore what makes for a meaningful and engaging lesson plan. We'll look at some 'don't forgets' to keep in mind and talk about the variety of learning needs and styles of participants. Then we'll work on plans of our own to practice what we've explored together. At the end of the workshop you'll go home with the power point and handouts you can use in staff training at your camp.

Tori Smit went to her first church camp when she was five years old, initiating a life-long relationship that has included camper, counsellor, lifeguard, chef, chaplain, board member, parent, workshop leader, plenary speaker, curriculum writer and best of all - cheerleader! With a diploma in Christian education, a degree in religious studies and a doctorate in educational ministry, Tori has served as a Diaconal Minister and church educator with the Presbyterian Church in Canada for the past 42 years (she started out when she was very, very young). She has also served as adjunct faculty at Columbia Theological Seminary (Atlanta), Emmanuel College (Toronto) and Knox College (Toronto). Tori is presently the president of the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE)

Spiritual Development with College-Aged Staff

By Allison Wehrung

Sponsored by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Christian Formation

What are emerging adults searching for in their own faith life? How can we give staff the tools and confidence to lead Bible study and worship with campers, or to nurture campers' curiosity about faith even as staff continue developing their own? Using feedback from recent camp counselors, we'll dig in to these questions and more, as we consider training practices and ideas for spiritual support throughout the season.

Rev. Allison Wehrung is glad to be at Annual Conference representing the UKirk Collegiate Ministries Association. She lives in Oxford, MS where she serves as the Campus Minister at UKirk Ole Miss, along with supporting the good people at Camp Hopewell. Over the years she's also worked at camps in both Carolinas, Florida, and Georgia. She is passionate about nurturing inclusive faith-based spaces where young adults can ask questions and explore creative ways to worship and pray. (She is also easily excitable about birding, National Parks, and her three-year-old nephew.)

Camp Director 101 for New Camp Directors

By Bill Bourdon

We will focus on three areas of camp management and culture.

Fiscal responsibility (do's, don'ts, planning tools, budgeting, forecasting)
The culture of Camp (volunteers, alumni, donors, parent organization, staff, camper families)
The Property Matrix (evaluating property and planning for long term maintenance)

Bill serves as the part- time Executive Director of the 34 United Church of Christ Camps since his retirement from full-time camping in 2016. He was the Executive Director of Blowing Rock Conference Center for 15 years and for 24 years served on the Conference Staff of the Illinois Conference United Church of Christ. He consulted with Richard K Chamberlian and Associates on over 50 projects and holds a Masters in Recreation Administration.

Using Data-Driven Insights to Listen Well, Learn Continually, and Respond Impactfully

By Jared Rendell

From campers to community and parents to pastors, when we use the right tools and processes to listen well, we generate insights that help us make the right decisions on programs, and help us tell the stories that bring more people to camp. Through projects like Effective Camp, Power of Camp, the Camp and Church Leadership Project, and OMC Directors and Compensation Studies, Sacred Playgrounds has spent years researching and equipping impactful outdoor ministry. In this session, we'll walk through current camp data from Campfire Collective and other outdoor ministry associations and share success stories from camp leaders who have used data-driven insights in program decisions and marketing strategies. We'll lay out why and how to gather impactful data, learn from it, and apply it to maximize ministry impact.

Jared Rendell serves as the Director of Communications and Innovation for Sacred Playgrounds, LLC, an organization dedicated to helping camp thrive by generating insights, equipping leaders, and connecting partners. He guides creative efforts, communications & marketing strategies, and supports innovative projects. He co-hosts and produces the Sacred Playgrounds Podcast. Jared and his wife, Anna, along with four kids live in Farmington, MN. He spent a number of years in both parish and outdoor ministry, serving as Executive Director and Program Director at camps in North Dakota, in communications and community engagement in a Twin Cities church, and as a coach and designer for camps, churches, and other organizations across the country. Outside of helping camps thrive, Jared loves coaching his kids, playing guitar, drinking more than his fair share of coffee, and paddling his canoe.

Your Retreats are Eating Your Summer Campers

By Dave Sherry

We will look and discuss the cost of running a retreat program. In particular we will look at how that retreat program may be having a negative impact on your summer camp and the overall financial health of your camp. It's not always a popular opinion, but you may want to consider taking a closer look at your retreat season, or retreat program all together. We will look at the "Cost of Opportunity" and break down some basic impact numbers that may have you doing your own math. Is summer camp full? If the answer is no, it may be because your retreat program is eating your summer campers......

Five Essential Staff Training Philosophies

By "Mike" Burcher

Every camp director dreams of a staff that works together so well the director can take a break! Experienced staffers and first-timers will respond well to these key principles. Learn ways to strengthen participation, eliminate gossip, and engage staffers those who have "done it a million times."

A Presbyterian Camp Director for nearly 30 years, Mike has worked with staff who started as beginner campers, and international staff who just stepped off the plane. She currently serves as an Interim Pastor in Hampton, Virginia and is still striving for a home run in her senior softball league.

Expectations and Communications: Working with Gen Z

By Allison Wehrung

Join this part-presentation, part-conversation workshop to dig into what it's like working with college-aged summer staff. How can we communicate what working at camp is really like? What kind of feedback works, or doesn't? What keeps them coming back? There might not be one-size-fits-all answers, but we'll look at some thoughts compiled from actual summer staffers, and have the chance to share our own questions and experiences too.

Rev. Allison Wehrung lives in Oxford, MS where she is the Presbytery of St. Andrew's Associate Executive Presbyter. She wears a lot of hats in that role, but two of her favorites are serving as the Campus Minister at UKirk Ole Miss, and supporting Camp Hopewell. Allison is a former board member of the UKirk Collegiate Ministries Association, and feels passionately about nurturing spaces where young adults feel welcomed and supported as they figure out who they are, and what God has to do with it.

Thursday from 2:45 - 4:00pm

It’s All About Connecting, Servant Leadership and Championing Our Staff!

By Chantal Jackson

Every human needs and wants to feel valued and appreciated in their place of service, no matter which generation they belong to. It’s human nature! People innately want to feel inspired, empowered, acknowledged, connected and seen. As directors and supervisors, we need to cut through the noise, and remember what servant leadership looks like and feels like, so we can better serve our people. Through this workshop we will discuss strategies and specific ways that we can connect and then articulate value and appreciation to our people. Connection only leads to stronger relationships, further trust, additional empathy, better work ethic and an establishment of reciprocal respect.

Chantal has spent 10 seasons Directing, and an additional 8 serving on staff at the Cairn Family of Camps, in Baysville, Ontario Canada. She currently is working in the Hospitality industry and has started her own coaching business - Match Impact. She feels called to share her well-rounded experience in leadership development, servant leadership, community building and advanced facilitation to further connect with people within the camping industry. She hopes to use her training as a certified coach to further serve, enable and empower camping professionals, both personally and professionally.

Song Leading 101

By Matthew Black

Music and singing are essential to the experiences and cultures of many of our programs and camps. We'll discuss best practices for teaching songs in informal settings. And we'll practice teaching each other songs in a supportive environment, so participants leave feeling empowered to lead and teach singing around the campfire or in the dining hall. Appropriate for everyone regardless of musical experience or credentials (just like camp).

Matthew Black is a singer-songwriter and worship leader with deep roots in the Presbyterian Church (USA). The literal son of a preacher man, Matthew left his job as a mild-mannered IT manager in 2022 to make music full-time. Most of what he knows about leading music was learned as a summer camp counselor during his college years. His sophomore album was released in May 2024, and is available wherever you listen to music and at https://matthewblackmusic.com.

Conservation Easement Case Study: How a Camp in Texas Protected their Land Forever and Generated $3.5 Million

By Henry Owen

In 2024, John Knox Ranch, a summer camp and retreat center in Texas, partnered with Hill Country Conservancy, a land trust, to establish a conservation easement on a portion of camp property. In exchange for agreeing to never develop or subdivide the easement acreage we received $3.5 million that was used to establish an endowment for camp ministry and other high impact projects. In this session we will review the details of this project and help you determine if a conservation easement is a good fit for your site.

Henry Owen is the Executive Director of John Knox Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, where he has significantly expanded the organization’s impact, including more than doubling camper enrollment. With over a decade of experience in nonprofit leadership, including roles at Houston’s Nature Discovery Center and Charlotte’s Friendship Trays, Henry has a passion for blending environmental stewardship, community partnerships, and engaging programs.

Think Again: How to Help Our Budget Say Yes (and No) To Opportunity

By Ryan Moore

Money isn't the ultimate goal for your ministry, but it does determine if your ministry will be here tomorrow. Tight budgets make life difficult for organizations, and that makes for hard choices. How can we move from making guesses about programs or facilities to making confident decisions that can chart a path forward? This workshop will provide a framework for evaluating your organizations usage and budget against industry norms and thriving camps so that you can move forward with confidence.

Ryan Moore serves as the Executive Director of NaCoMe Camp and Retreat Center in Tennessee, managing all aspects of the operation. In addition to serving in this role, Ryan is also a consultant with Kaleidoscope, Inc, providing services to help camps thrive. He excels at data analysis, strategic thinking, and helping leaders set visions for the future.