1

TheCamp2CongregationProject:

LeaderSurveyReport

JacobSorensonandAmberHillAnderson

Datapreparedby:

2IntroductionandContents

ThisreportdetailsthefindingsoftheCamp2Congregation2019CongregationalLeaderSurvey.ThissurveytargetedleadersofChristiancongregationsthathostedtravelingdaycampinsummer2019.Theleadersreflectedbackontheexperienceofhostingdaycampandobservedongoingimpactsontheircongregations.TheCamp2CongregationProject,generouslyfundedbyLillyEndowment,Inc.,isamulti-dimensionalstudyexaminingtheimpactsofChristiantravelingdaycampprogramsoncongregations,families,andyoungleadersinthechurch.Majorfindingsandprojectoutlineareavailableatwww.camp2congregation.com.ThestudycenteredonSpringHill,alargeChristiancampingorganizationwithovernightsitesinMichiganandIndiana.BecauseoftheprevalenceoftravelingdaycampprogramsatLutheranOutdoorMinistries(LOM)camps,acohortoffourLOM-affiliatedcampsservinginthegeographicalreachofSpringHillwasrecruitedtocompareandcontrastprograms/outcomes.ThesefourcampingorganizationsincludedEwaluCampandRetreatCenter(IA),CrosswaysCampingMinistries(WI),LivingWaterMinistries(MI),andLutheranOutdoorMinistriesofIndiana-Kentucky(IN).Thecongregationalleadersurveywasdesignedtoassessimpactsoftravelingdaycamponcongregationsaftertheconclusionofthe2019summer.Participatingcampsinvitedcongregationalleaderstorespondtothesurveyinfall2019.ResponseswerecollectedbetweenOctober29andDecember13,2019.

ContentsofthisReport

SUMMARYOFMAJORFINDINGS........................................................................................................................................................3WHOPARTICIPATEDINTHISSURVEY?.........................................................................................................................................5CampandCongregationPartnership...............................................................................................................................................6TravelingDayCampReflectionsandOverview..........................................................................................................................9TheImpactsofTravelingDayCamp...............................................................................................................................................12ProgramSatisfaction..............................................................................................................................................................................15DifferencesAmongSpringHillandLOMCamps........................................................................................................................17CongregationSizesandCamps..........................................................................................................................................................19C2CLeaderSurveyOpenEndedResponsesSummary..........................................................................................................20

3SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS

1. Faith-BasedFun:Theresponsesandobservationsofcongregationalleadersindicatedthattravelingdaycampexperiencesarefunforthecamperswhoattendandarefaith-centeredexperiences(Figure1).Remarkably,therewasuniversalconsensus(100%agreement)onthesetwopointsacrossdifferentcamps,geographies,andcongregations,evenwhenotherelementswerenotsatisfactory.

2. SupplementalMinistry:Mostdaycampparticipantscamefromthehostcongregations.Onlyaboutaquarterofrespondents(27%)indicatedthatmorethanhalfoftheparticipantscamefromoutsidethecongregation(Table4).Althoughusuallyaminority,afairnumberofparticipantscamefromoutsidethecongregation,with60%ofrespondentssayingthatatleastaquarterofparticipantswerefromoutsidethecongregation.Asagroup,congregationalleaderssawdaycampmoreasaneducationalministrytosupplementtheirownministriesthananoutreachministrytowelcomenewfamilies,butaslimmajoritygaveatleastsomeweighttobothofthesepriorities(Figure4).Inadditiontotheemphasisonmembersofthehostsite,threequartersofrespondentsagreedthatnewfamilieswereintroducedtothecongregationthroughdaycamp,demonstratingitssignificanceforoutreach(Fig.5).

3. ImpactsEvident:Alargemajorityofleaders(84%)agreedthatdaycamphadasignificant,positiveimpactontheircongregation.Allbutonerespondent(99%)identifiedatleastoneof12positiveoutcomes,andtwo-thirds(67%)identified6ormore.Whilesomeoftheseoutcomesweresuperficial,likecamperswantingtoreturnthenextyearorsingingthesongstheylearned,othersweresubstantial,likeincreasedfamilyinvolvementinthecongregationandvolunteerism(Figure5).

4. MajorDifferencesinModel:ThereweremajordifferencesevidentinthemodelofdaycampbetweenLutheranOutdoorMinistry(LOM)sitesandSpringHillsites.

a. ProgramSize:SpringHilldaycampsweremuchlargerthanLOMcamps.Thiswastrueforcampernumbersbutmostespeciallywithcampstaff:SpringHillaveragedjustunder5timesasmanycamperspersiteastheLOMaveragebut6timesasmanycampstaff.Thisisattributable,inpart,tothesizeofhostcongregations.SpringHillservedlargecongregationsalmostexclusively,withaverageweeklyworshipattendanceoftheirministrypartnersexceeding1000andonlyahandfulaveragingfewerthan250,whilethesesmallcongregationscomprisednearly90%ofLOMsites.

b. Cost:SpringHillprogramscostmuchmorethanLOMprograms,whichwereoftentimesfreeforparticipants.HighprogramcostwasaconcernformanySpringHillhostpartners,withmorethanhalf(53%)agreeingthatcostpreventedmanychildrenfromattending.

c. ProgramQuality:SpringHillsiteleadersexpressedahigherlevelofoverallsatisfactionthanLOMleadersinnearlyeveryaspectoftheexperience,particularlycampstaffandprogram(Tables9and10).Itisclearthat,duetothesuperiorprogramquality,SpringHillleadersweremuchmorelikelytoexpressadesiretohostdaycampagaininfutureyears(Figure2),andtheyobservedmuchmorefrequentlythatcampersexpressedadesiretoattendagaininthefuture(Table6).

d. PartnershipwithCongregations:LOMhostpartnersindicatedstrongeroverallpartnershipswiththeircampsthanSpringHillsites.Thesepartnershipswererobustintermsofamultitudeofpartnershipministriesinadditiontodaycamp(Table1)anddurableinthesensethatevenwhenprogramqualitywaspoor,thepartnershipenduredwellbeyondthesummer.

5. PartnershipisEssential:Regardlessofthestrengthofpartnershipbetweenthecampandcongregationatlarge,thequalityofpartnershipinthespecificministryofdaycampmatteredagreatdealtotheimpactofthedaycampexperience.EventhoughLOMsitesexhibitedrobustanddurablepartnershipswiththecamps,thisdidnotalwaysresultinaneffectivepartnershipinthespecificministryofdaycamp.Therewereseveralkeyfactorsrevealedinthesurveytobeindicativeofstrongpartnershipsindaycampministry:

4a. ValuingVolunteers:Mostministrypartnerswantedanactiveroleinshapingthedaycamp

experience.Theywantedcongregationalvolunteersintimatelyinvolvedintheprogrammingandrelationshipbuildingwiththecampers.Whenleadersthoughadultvolunteerswereundervalued,therewasalsolessongoingimpactobserved.Thisalsoextendedtoyouthvolunteers(oftencalledcounselorsintraining,orCITs).Theiractivepresenceandparticipationintheprogrammingwasakeypartofvaluingcongregationalvolunteers.

b. CareforContext:Congregationalleadersexpectedcampstafftoadjustprogrammingtofittheircontext.Theyalsoexpectedcampstafftocarefortheirbuildingandgrounds.

c. Communication:Partnershipssufferedwhencommunicationbrokedown.Thisoccurredmostfrequentlyinthedaysandweekspriortothedaycampexperience(usuallyabreakdownincommunicatingcampstaffnumbersandspecialaccommodationsneeded),thoughitalsoincludedanexpectationfromcongregationalleadersthattheywouldbeinvolvedindecision-makingandwell-informedduringtheweekofdaycamp.

6. StrongerPartnershipandQualityStaffResultsinMoreImpact:Thesetwofactors,alongwithCITinvolvement,stronglyaffecteddaycampoutcomesrelatedtocongregationalministries.Therewerenomajordifferencesinkidshavingfun,showingexcitement,orprofessingfaithinChrist.Thedifferenceswereinongoingcongregationalinvolvement.Whencongregationalleadersrecognizedthatthestaffwaswell-trained,sawtherelationshipwiththecampasmoreofaministrypartnershipthantransactionforservices,andhadyouthfromthecongregation(CITs)involved,therewerecleardifferencesinimpact(Figure6).Mostespecially,theseimpactsrelatedtoincreasedvolunteerisminthecongregation(foryouthandadults),engagementandinvolvementofnewfamilies,andincreasedinvolvementamongfamiliesthatwerealreadyconnectedtothecongregation.Whenthethreefactorswereidentified,92%ofleadersagreedthatdaycamphadasignificantpositiveimpactontheircongregation,comparedwith67%ofrespondingleadersforwhomjustoneofthefactorswasabsent.

5

ResponseSummary: #ofSites

SpringHill 71Crossways 3Ewalu 12LivingWater 8LOMIK 1Total 95

39%ofdaycampsbeganinJune

46%beganinJuly

15%beganinAugust

6sitesheldmultipleweeksofdaycamp

RoleinCongregation:

73%ofrespondentswerechildren’s/youthministrydirectorsorpastorswithspecificresponsibilityforchildrenoryouth

95congregationsspreadacross8states

SpringHillsitesaveraged250kids

LOMsitesaveraged38kids

63%hadmorechildren’sministryattendeesthanthenumberthatattendeddaycamp.ThiswastrueforhalfofLOMsitesandtwo-thirdsofSpringHillsites.

Full-time,paid:59%

Part-time,paid:30%

Volunteer11%

2500+,10%

1000-2500,17%

550-1000,31%

250-500,16%

100-20020%

Fewerthan1008%

AverageWeeklyWorshipAttendance

29%

28%

17%

16%

10%

Morethan200

101-200kids

51-100kids

21-50kids

20orfewer

Children'sMinistryAvg.Attendance

#ofdaycampersrangedfrom10to900#campstaffrangedfrom3to60Averagenumberofcampers:134SpringHillavg:167campers,24staffLOMsitesavg:34campers,4staff

WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS SURVEY?

Weeklyworshiprangedfrom22to8,000Averageofallsites:1,025AverageofSpringHillsites:1,311AverageofLOMsites:150

6

Camp and Congregation Partnership Figure1:NumberofYearsSitehadHostedTravelingDayCamp

Figure2:IntentionsofHostingDayCampinFuture,LOMandSpringHillComparison

PartnershipSummary:Basedonopen-endedresponsesfromcongregationalleadersinaseriesofinterviewsinspring2019,surveyparticipantsweregiventhreebroadoptionstocharacterizetherelationshipbetweenthecampandcongregationwhenitcametotravelingdaycamp:

Robustpartnership:“Daycampispartofarobustpartnershipthatincludesmanyministryopportunities.Thecampsupportsourcongregationinmultipleways,andwesupportthecamp.”Complimentaryrelationship:“Thecampisaresourceforourcongregation,comingalongsideourstaffandvolunteerstoprovideaprogramcomplimentarytoourchildren’sministries.”

Contractforservices:“Wecontractwiththecamp,andtheybringtheirdaycamptoourcongregation.”Figure3:PartnershipSummary,SpringHillandLOMinComparison

5%33%

19%

27%

16%

10+

6-10

4-5

2-3

One

#ofYearsHostingDayCamp

0%

3%

97%

25%

4%

71%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Unsure

No

Yes

Areyouplanningtohostdaycampagainnextsummer?LOMSites SpringHillSite

42%

43%

16%

50%

12%

38%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

ContractforServices

Complimentaryrelationship

Robustpartnership

LOMSites SpringHillSite

TherewerenosignificantdifferencesbetweenLOMandSpringHillsitesinnumberofyearshostingdaycamp,thougheveryLOMcamphadoperatedtravelingdaycamplongerthanSpringHill.ThisisoneofseveralindicationsthatSpringHillhadabetterretentionrate.SeealsoFigure2below.

7Table1:Inwhatotherwaysisyourcongregationconnectedtocamp?(n=94) All(n=94) SpringHill LutheranChildren/youthattendovernightcamp 56% 49% 79%Wetraveltocampforyouthretreats/events 26% 21% 38%Adultsfromthecongregationattendretreatsatthecamp 18% 16% 25%Pastoralstaffparticipateincampingministry 9% 1% 29%Repsfromcampcometochurchatleastannuallytolead/participateinworship/Christianeducation

10% 4% 25%

Congregationsupportscampwithannualfinancialcontributions 16% 3% 54%NONE.Daycampistheprimary(oronly)waywepartner 36% 46% 8%

• LutherancampersweremorelikelythanSpringHillcamperstoattendovernightcamp,althoughoverhalfofallcongregationsareconnectedtocampswithovernightcampers.

• SpringHillwasdescribedinalmosthalfofthecongregationsasonlypartneringthroughdaycamp.Lutherancongregationsweremorelikelytopartnerinmorewaysthanjustdaycamp.Thiscameoutinmultiplemeasures,includingattendingretreats,participatingincampingministries,andcamprepresentativesjoiningthechurchannuallytoparticipateinworship.

• InmorethanhalfoftheLutherancongregations,partnershipwiththecampsincludedfinancialgiving.Only3%ofSpringHillcongregationssupportedthecampfinancially.FinancialcontributionsforSpringHillcampers,however,werecommon(seeTable3).

MinistryPartnershipv.TransactionforServicesThesurveyquestionmostclearlyaddressingthequalityofpartnershipaskedhowmuchtherespondentagreedwith,“Theexperiencefeltmorelikeatransactionforservicesthanaministrypartnership.”AsshowninFigure4,only6%ofrespondentsagreedwiththisstatement.However,anadditional11%indicated“neitheragreenordisagree.”Takentogether,thisgrouprepresented16sites,takenproportionatelyfromLOMandSpringHill(almostexactly17%ofeach).Thissub-groupwascomparedstatisticallywithallthosewhodisagreedwiththestatement(n=79)todeterminewhichspecificelementsofdaycampcontributedortookawayfromfeelingsofpartnership.

1. Valuingvolunteers:Oneofthemostsignificantdifferencesbetweenthetwogroupswasinagreementwith“Churchvolunteersfeltincludedandvalued.”Thoseconsideringtheexperiencetransactionalagreedmuchlesswiththisstatement,t16,75=3.673,p<.01(only50%agreed,comparedwith93%oftheothergroup).Additionally,transactionalrespondentsreportedbeingsignificantlylesssatisfiedwith,“Intentionalengagementwithandinvolvementofchurchstaffandvolunteers”(t16,77=3.007,p<.01).

2. Careforcongregationalcontext:Transactionalrespondentsreportedbeingsignificantlylesssatisfiedwith,“Careshowntochurchfacilitiesandgrounds”(t16,79=2.573,p<.05)and“Attentiontoourcongregation’sspecificcontextandneeds”(t15,70=3.845,p<.001).

3. Communication:Thereweretwomainareasofdissatisfactionwithcommunicationpriortodaycampforthosewhofelttheexperiencewasmoretransactional:communicationaboutprogramneeds/specifics(t16,79=2.780,p<.01)andcommunicationaboutstaffhousinganddietaryneeds(t16,79=2.622,p<.01).

4. Programspecifics:Thosewhofelttheexperiencewasmoretransactionalalsoreportedsignificantlylesssatisfactionwiththeoverallprogram(t16,77=3.034,p<.01).Specifically,theywerelesssatisfiedwiththesmallgroupcurriculum(t16,74=2.443,p<.05)andtheclosingprogramforparents(t15,78=2.065,p<.05).

Thosewhofelttheexperiencewasmoretransactionalstillagreedthatthechildrenhadfunandthatitwasafaith-centeredenvironment.However,theyweresignificantlylesslikelytoagreethat“theexperiencehadasignificant,positiveimpactonmycongregation”(t16,72=4.010,p<.001):56%agreed,comparedwith90%ofnon-transactional.

8VacationBibleSchool(VBS)DayCamphasaninterestingrelationshipwithVBS,withsomecongregationscallingdaycampVBSbecausetheyworryaboutconfusingfamilies.Notably,thiswasonlycommonamongtheLOMcongregations.ManyofthesecongregationsreplacedtheirownVBSprogramwithdaycamp,whileotherscontinuedoperatingtheirownVBSinadditiontodaycamp.ThosethatoperatedbothorreplacedtheirVBSwithdaycampwereaskedtocomparethetwoprograms.

• DayCampOnly:56%ofrespondentssaidthattheyruntravelingdaycampbutnotVBS.

• Replaced:20%saidtheyranVBSinthepast,butdaycamphasreplacedtheprogram.

• Both:24%indicatedthattheyruntheirownVBSprograminadditiontotravelingdaycamp.

DayCampasaReplacementforVBSForthosewhooptedtoreplaceVBSwithDayCamp,themostfrequentreasongiven(58%ofrespondents)wasthatoperatingVBSwasverydifficult,particularlythechallengeofrecruitingvolunteers.Theyvieweddaycampas“easier,”asoneLOMleaderputit.ASpringHillleaderexclaimed,“VBSisALOTOFWORK!”Thesecondmostfrequentreason(32%ofrespondents)wasthatthecampofferedabetterqualityprogramthantheycouldoffer.Asoneleaderputit,“SpringHillwasabletoprovideaquality,turn-keyprogramthatengagedourkids.”Anothersimplysaid,“Campismuchmorefun!”Thenextmostcommonreasonleadersgave(16%ofrespondents)wasthattheywantedtooffersomethinguniqueintheircommunity,withseveralindicatingthatothercongregationsoperatedVBSwiththesamecurriculum/program.Asonesaid,“Iwantedtoofferthecommunitysomethingnewanddifferent.”DayCampasaSupplementtoVBSForthosewhooperatedtheirownVBSinadditiontohostingdaycamp,therewereseveralcommondifferencestheynotedbetweentheprograms.VBSServesYoungerchildren(29%):ThiswasparticularlycommonamongtheLOMsites,severalofwhichrantheirownprogramsforpreschoolerssimultaneoustodaycamp,whichwasgenerallylimitedtoelementaryschoolkids.VBSisFree(24%):ThiswasthemostcommondifferencementionedamongSpringHillrespondents.TheynotedthattheyofferedVBSprogramsfreeofcharge,whichsomeofthemsaidallowedthemtoservedifferentdemographicsthandaycamp.SomenotedthatVBSdrewmorepeoplefromthecommunitythandaycampbecauseofthecost.DifferentProgramFocus(29%):SomerespondentsindicatedthattheirownVBSprogramswereuniqueprogrammatically,providingthemaindifferencefromdaycamp.Forexample,onecongregationrana“BroadwayBootcamp”programfocusedonmusicanddrama,whileanothersaidthatVBSsendspeopleoutintotheneighborhoodsforprogramming,whiledaycampcallschildrentothechurchbuilding.Otherdifferences:SomerespondentsindicatedthatVBSisgenerallyshorterthandaycamp(intermsofhoursofprogrammingperday),andothersnotedthatVBSismoreworkforcongregationalvolunteers.

9Traveling Day Camp Reflections and Overview

LeaderswereaskedaboutTravelingDayCamppartnershipsandimpactsoncongregations.Figure4:Howstronglydoyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatementsaboutthedaycampexperience?(n=95)

• Leadersconsistentlyagreedthatkidshadalotoffunattravelingdaycampandthattheexperiencewasa

faith-centeredenvironment.

• Mostleadersreportedthatchurchvolunteersfeltvaluedandincluded(86%),althoughsomedisagreedwiththestatement(3%).Thishadimplicationsforunderstandingthetravelingdaycampasapartnershipministrybetweenchurchesandcamps.Forexample,leadersoftenvieweddaycampascrucialtotheministryofthecongregation(70%),yetfewervieweditasasupplementalministrytotheirChristianeducationprograms(60%).Evenstill,mostleadersdidnotfeelthattheexperiencewastransactional,ratherthatitisapartnershipwiththecamps(83%).

4

6%

7%

12%

18%

20%

42%

42%

55%

88%

95%

5%

46%

40%

11%

40%

42%

50%

42%

45%

31%

12%

5%

11%

25%

18%

25%

23%

20%

18%

15%

4

11%

83%

25%

36%

57%

25%

20%

12%

9%

3

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Theexperiencefeltmorelikeatransactionforservicesthanaministrypartnership

Schedulingconflictsandotheractivitiespreventmanyfamiliesfromattending

Thecostofdaycamppreventsmanyfamiliesfromattending

Thisyear,daycampwasnotasgoodaspreviousyears

Daycampisprimarilyanoutreachministry,designedtogetnewfamiliesinvolvedinthechurch

Daycampisprimarilyaneducationalministry,designedtosupplementtheministriesofourChristianeducation

Daycampisacrucialministryofourcongregation

Thedaycampexperiencehadasignificant,positiveimpactonmycongregation

Allofthedaycampstaffwerewell-trained

Churchvolunteersfeltincludedandvalued

Daycampwasafaith-centeredenvironment

Thechildrenhadalotoffun

Agreestrongly Agreemoderately Neitheragreenordisagree Disagree

10Table2:ComparingtheSpringHillandLOMExperience(n=95)

All(n=95) SpringHill LutheranThechildrenhadalotoffun 4.95 4.93 5.00*Daycampwasafaith-centeredenvironment 4.88 4.87 4.92Thisyear,daycampwasnotasgoodaspreviousyears 2.23 2.12 2.52Allofthedaycampstaffwerewell-trained 4.20 4.24 4.08Churchvolunteersfeltincludedandvalued 4.35 4.19 4.79***Thecostofdaycamppreventsmanyfamiliesfromattending 2.96 3.27*** 2.04Schedulingconflicts/otheractivitiespreventmanyfamiliesfromattending 3.25 3.19 3.42

Daycampisprimarilyanoutreachministry,designedtogetnewfamiliesinvolvedinthechurch 3.36 3.34 3.42

Daycampisprimarilyaneducationalministry,designedtosupplementtheministriesofourChristianeducation 3.52 3.39 4.00*

Daycampisacrucialministryofourcongregation 3.77 3.64 4.17*Theexperiencefeltmorelikeatransactionforservicesthanaministrypartnership 1.74 1.73 1.75

Daycamphadasignificant,positiveimpactonmycongregation 4.25 4.18 4.43+p<.10,*p<.05,**p<.01,***p<.001

• Bothcamps’leadersreportedoverwhelminglythatkidshadalotoffunduringtheirdaycampexperience.LOMcamps’resultsweresignificantlyhigher.

• Withinthecongregations,LutheranleaderssignificantlyreportedthatdaycampiscrucialtotheministryofthecongregationandprimarilyaneducationalministrytosupplementotherChristianeducation.Theyalsoagreedsignificantlymorethatchurchvolunteerswereincludedandvaluedatdaycamp.

• SpringHillstaffwerereportedlywell-trained,althoughresultswerenotsignificantlydifferent.Leadersinfrequentlyfeltlikedaycampwasatransactionforservices,ratherthanaministrypartnership.Notably,thecostofdaycamppreventedfamiliesfromattendingSpringHillsignificantlymorethanLOMcamps.Morethanhalf(53%)ofSpringHillrespondentsagreedthatthecostofdaycamppreventsmanyfamiliesfromattending,comparedwithonly25%ofLOMrespondents,allofwhoonly“moderatelyagreed.”

• Forleaderswhoreportedthatdaycampisacrucialministrytotheircongregation,theresultsweresignificantthattheyalsoplannedonreturningthefollowingyearacrosscamps.Similarly,whenleadersreportedthatthedaycampexperiencehadasignificant,positiveimpactontheircongregation,theyweresignificantlymorelikelytoreportthattheyplanonhostingdaycampagainthefollowingyear.

Table3:Approximatelywhatpercentageofdaycampparticipantsreceivedachurch-sponsoredscholarshiptoattend?(n=95)

Allsites SpringHill LutheranNone 7% 3% 22%Lessthan10% 11% 9% 17%10-25% 25% 30% 9%26-50% 14% 19% 0%51-75% 10% 11% 4%76-99% 12% 16% 0%Allcampers 22% 13% 48%

• Aspreviouslynoted,thecostoftravelingdaycampaffectsparticipation.Almosthalf(48%)ofLutheranchurchesprovidedfinancialhelpforallcampers,includingmanythatofferedtheprogramfreeofchargetoallparticipants.Conversely,SpringHill’schurch-sponsoredscholarshipssupportedallcampers13%ofthetime,andthemajorityofthesewerenotfullscholarships.

11Table4:Approximatelywhatpercentageofdaycampparticipantscamefromoutsideyourcongregation?(n=95)

Allsites SpringHill LutheranNone 1% 0% 4%Lessthan10% 10% 7% 17%10-25% 30% 33% 21%26-50% 32% 35% 25%51-75% 18% 19% 17%Morethan75% 9% 6% 17%

• Manycongregationsusedaycampasanoutreachtooltothecommunity.Lutheranleadersreportedthat59%ofthetime,atleastaquarterofthecamperscamefromoutsideofthecongregation.Similarly,60%ofSpringHillleadersreportedthatatleastaquarteroftheircamperscamefromoutsideofthecongregation.

DifferencesBasedonWeekoftheSummerParticipatingcampsoperateddaycampoverthecourseof12weeksduringsummer2020,4weekseachinJune,July,andAugust.Therewerenotabledifferencesrelatedtothecampstaffmembersbasedonweek.Agreementwiththestatement,“Allofthedaycampstaffwerewelltrained”increasedprogressivelyoverthecourseofthesummer,withamodest78%ofleadersfromJunedaycampsagreeing(only24%stronglyagreeing),amuchbetter91%ofJulyleadersagreeing(40%stronglyagreeing),andanevenlarger96%ofAugustleadersagreeing(includingasolid77%stronglyagreeing).Table5:PerceptionsofCampStaffOverCourseoftheSummer

June(n=37)

July(n=35)

August(n=22)

Energy level of camp staff Satisfied 16% 28% 27%

>Expectations 62% 67% 55%

Theological/biblical knowledge of camp staff Satisfied 64% 62% 77%

>Expectations 15% 29% 23%

Ability of camp staff to connect and interact with children Satisfied 32% 22% 18%

>Expectations 57% 69% 73%

Ability of camp staff to connect and interact with children Satisfied 32% 22% 18%

>Expectations 57% 69% 73%

Small group curriculum, education Satisfied 62% 62% 64%

>Expectations 21% 32% 36%

Overall quality of camp staff Satisfied 43% 44% 36%

>Expectations 43% 50% 55%

• Reflectionsontheoverallqualityofdaycampstaffwereneverparticularlylow(86%atleastsatisfiedinJune),buttheratingincreasedoverthecourseofthesummersothatbyAugust,91%wereatleastsatisfied,including55%thatsaidstaffqualityexceededtheirexpectations.

• Threespecificareasofimprovementthatwereevidentamongcampstaffoverthecourseofthesummer,accordingtoleaders,wastheirabilitytoconnectandinteractwithchildren,theirtheological/biblicalknowledge,andthesmallgrouptime.CongregationalleadershadthelowestsatisfactionwiththeseaspectsinJune,whilethoseinJulyandAugusthadmarkedlyhigherlevelsofsatisfaction.Importantly,thelevelofsatisfactionwasneveralarminglylow.Itsimplyshowedimprovement,likelybasedonexperience.

• Satisfactionwiththeenergylevelofthestaffwasinconsistentoverthecourseofthesummer.Satisfactionwashighestinthemid-summerweeksofJuly.Thisconfirmsanobservationduringopen-endedinterviewswithleadersthatstaffmembersaresometimesunderexperiencedintheearlyweeksofthesummerandseemmoreexhaustedattheendofthesummer.

12The Impacts of Traveling Day Camp

Asnotedabove,84%ofrespondentsagreedthatthedaycampexperiencehadasignificant,positiveimpactontheircongregation.Thisincluded83%ofSpringHillrespondentsand87%ofLOMrespondents.Subsequentsurveyquestionsaskedaboutthefrequencyinwhichrespondentsobservedspecificimpacts.Figure5:ObservedImpacts(n=95)

• Allbutone(99%)respondentidentifiedatleastoneoftheabove12impacts,including96%identifying3

ormoreandtwo-thirds(67%)identifying6ormore.Averagenumberofimpactspercongregationwas7.

• Oneofthemostcommonimpactsreportedabouttravelingdaycampwasthatchildrenwantedtoreturnaftertheirexperience(91%).

• Manychildrenwereobservedbyleadersashavingfaith-filledexperiences,includingprofessionsoffaithinChrist(72%)andseemingmoreexcitedaboutchurchengagement(63%).CITsalsowereobservedasbecomingmoreinvolved(59%).

• Thereissomeevidencethatdaycampencouragesinterestinchildrenforattendingovernightcamp(51%)accordingtocongregationalleaders.

ProfessionsofFaithInvitingdaycamperstomakeprofessionsoftheirfaith,ortodedicatetheirlivestoChrist,wasacommonprogrammaticelementatsomesites,particularlythoseaffiliatedwithSpringHill.Consideringallrespondents,almostthree-quarters(72%)indicatedseeingthisasanimpactinatleastoneortwocasesattheircongregations.Asexpected,thiswasmuchmorecommonaccordingtoSpringHillrespondents(92%)comparedwithLOMrespondents(17%).

11%

12%

12%

21%

21%

22%

25%

26%

33%

35%

48%

77%

27%

26%

41%

30%

32%

37%

50%

37%

40%

21%

24%

14%

19%

13%

21%

21%

10%

14%

8%

14%

7%

11%

11%

4

43%

49%

26%

28%

37%

27%

17%

23%

20%

23%

17%

5%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Familiesthatwerealreadyconnectedtothecongregationhavegottenmoreinvolved.

Congregantswithoutyoungchildrenhavegottenmoreexcitedaboutandengagedinthechildren'sministry

Familiesthatwereintroducedtothecongregationthroughdaycamphavecontinuedinvolvement

Childrenwanttoattendovernightcamp

Daycampresultedinvolunteerismandengagementamongthecongregation

Youthvolunteers(orCITs)havebecomemoreinvolvedincongregationalministries

Newfamilieswereintroducedtothecongregationthroughdaycamp

Childrenseemmoreexcitedaboutandengagedinchurchthanbefore

Childrenstilltalkaboutoneormoreofthecampcounselors,byname

Childrenaresingingorrequestingsongsfromdaycamp

Atdaycampthisyear,childrenprofessedfaithinChristforthefirsttime

Childrenhaveexpresseddesiretoattenddaycampnextyear

Yes,3ormoretimes Yes,1-2times Unsure No

13FactorsContributingtoImpactMinistryPartnershipThosewhodisagreedthattheexperiencefeltlikeatransactionforservices(seeabove)weremorelikelytoidentifypositiveoutcomesinseveralareas,allrelatedtoongoingcongregationalinvolvement:

• Familiesalreadyconnectedtothecongregationhavegottenmoreinvolved(identifiedby41%ofnon-transactional,comparedwithonly25%oftransactional)

• Familiesthatwereintroducedtothecongregationthroughdaycamphavecontinuedinvolvement(identifiedby54%ofnon-transactional,comparedwithonly44%oftransactional)

• Youthvolunteers(orCITs)havebecomemoreinvolvedincongregationalministries(identifiedby62%ofnon-transactional,comparedwithonly44%oftransactional)

• Daycampresultedinvolunteerismandengagementamongthecongregation(identifiedby59%ofnon-transactional,comparedwithonly25%oftransactional)

• Congregationmemberswithoutyoungchildrenhavegottenmoreexcitedaboutandengagedinchildren’sministry(identifiedby41%ofnon-transactional,comparedwithonly25%oftransactional)

CITInvolvement:Manycongregationssuppliedyouthvolunteerstohelprunthedaycampprograms.Inmanycases(particularlywithSpringHillsites),therewerespecificleadershipdevelopmentprogramsdesignedfortheseyoungpeople,whowereoftentimesdesignated“CounselorsinTraining”(CITs).93%ofsiteshadCITshelpingwiththeprograms,includingathird(34%)withmorethan10CITs.

• OfallsitesthathadCITs,64%indicatedtheCITsbecamemoreinvolvedincongregationalministries

• Ofsiteswith10ormoreCITs,81%indicatedtheybecamemoreinvolvedincongregationalministries

• IncreasednumberofCITsdidnotcorrelatewithincreasedfeelingsofpartnershipbetweencampandcongregation,suggestingthequalityofrelationshipswasmoreimportantthantheprogramitself.

Well-trainedStaff:Respondentsagreeingthatallofthecampstaffwerewell-trainedweremorelikelytoidentifycertainimpacts,incomparisonwiththosewhodidnotagree.Similartothepartnershipv.transactionfindings,theimpactsweremostidentifiableconcerningongoingcongregationalinvolvement.Campersstillhadfun,wantedtocomebackinfutureyears,andmadeprofessionsoffaithinequivalentnumbers.However,thereweredifferencesinpost-campoutcomes.

• Notsurprisingly,leadersthatindicatedtheyhadwell-trainedstaffalsoindicatedthatchildrenweretalkingaboutthecampcounselorsbynameintheweeksfollowingcamp(73%,comparedwith50%).

• Thosewithwell-trainedstaffweremorelikelytoobservethat“familiesthatwerealreadyconnectedtothecongregationhavegottenmoreinvolved(38%,comparedwith25%).

• Thosewithwell-trainedstaffweremorelikelytoobserve,“Newfamilieswereintroducedtothecongregationthroughdaycamp”(79%,comparedwith57%).

• Thosewithwell-trainedstaffweremorelikelytoobserve,“Familiesthatwereintroducedtothecongregationthroughdaycamphavecontinuedinvolvement(58%,comparedwith25%).

143KeyFactorsforCongregationalImpactWhenall3oftheabovecharacteristicswereinplace(1.respondentdisagreedthattheexperiencefeltmoretransactionalthanapartnershipministry,2.hadCITsinvolvedintheprogram,AND3.agreedthatallthestaffwerewell-trained),therewerecleardifferencesinprogramimpact.Siteswithall3keyfactorsaccountedfor50SpringHillsitesand17LOMsites,almostexactly70%ofeach.Figure6:ImpactsObserved,BasedonPresenceof3KeyFactors

• Thepatternofimpactisclearwhenexaminingthethreekeyfactors.Someofthemostidentifiableimpacts

ofthedaycampexperiencearenodifferentbetweenthegroups.Inbothgroups,newcampersprofessfaithinChristwithaboutthesamefrequency,talkaboutthecampcounselors,expressadesiretoattenddaycampinsubsequentyears,andevenseemmoreexcitedabout/engagedinchurchthanbefore.

• Thebigdifferenceisseeninongoingimpactoncongregationalengagement.Whenthethreekeyfactorsarepresent,moreleadersreportnewfamiliesgettinginvolvedinthecongregationandstayinginvolvedinthemonthsfollowingdaycamp.Theyalsoreportmorefrequentlythatconnectedfamiliesbecamemoreinvolvedandcongregantswithoutchildrenbecamemoreengagedinthechildren’sministry.

• Mostclearly,thereisincreasedvolunteerism,bothingeneralandwithincreasedyouthinvolvement.Inthesecases,thedifferencewasalmosttwo-foldintermsofleadersidentifyingimpacts.

29%

25%

46%

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93%

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Congregantswithoutyoungchildrenhavegottenmoreexcitedaboutandengagedinthechildren'sministry

Familiesthatwerealreadyconnectedtothecongregationhavegottenmoreinvolved.

Childrenwanttoattendovernightcamp

Familiesthatwereintroducedtothecongregationthroughdaycamphavecontinuedinvolvement

Daycampresultedinvolunteerismandengagementamongthecongregation

Childrenseemmoreexcitedaboutandengagedinchurchthanbefore

Youthvolunteers(orCITs)havebecomemoreinvolvedincongregationalministries

Childrenaresingingorrequestingsongsfromdaycamp

Atdaycampthisyear,childrenprofessedfaithinChristforthefirsttime

Childrenstilltalkaboutoneormoreofthecampcounselors,byname

Newfamilieswereintroducedtothecongregationthroughdaycamp

Childrenhaveexpresseddesiretoattenddaycampnextyear

Agree:Thedaycampexperiencehadasignificant,positiveimpactonmycongregation

Agree:Churchvolunteersfeltincludedandvalued

All3factorspresent(n=67) Missingatleastonefactor(n=28)

15Program Satisfaction

Figure7:SatisfactionwithCommunication(n=95)

• Communicationwithcongregationsappearstobeagrowthareaforthecamps,withjust19%of

respondentsstatingthatoverallcommunicationexceededtheirexpectations.39%ofleadersdesiredimprovedcommunicationaboutstaffhousinganddietaryneeds.Onefifthofleaderssaidthatcommunicationcouldbeimprovedorthattheyweredissatisfiedwiththecommunication.

Figure8:SatisfactionwithStaff(n=95)

• Campstaffarefrequentlywellregardedbyleaders.Staffreportedlydemonstratedanabilitytoconnectand

interactwithchildren,accordingto91%ofleaders.Evenonthelowendofthesatisfactionspectrum,85%ofleaderswereatleastsatisfiedbytheenergylevelofcampstaff.

• Thechurchfacilitiesweretreatedwithcare,accordingto90%oftheleaders.

• Theareaforthemostgrowthforcampstaffmaybetheirtheologicalandbiblicalknowledge,consideringonly22%oftheleaders’expectationswereexceededandanother67%weresatisfied.Eveninthisarea,thedissatisfactionwasverylow.

• Theoverallqualityofthestaffwassatisfactoryorbetterfor91%oftheleaders.

14%

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Communicationaboutstaffhousinganddietaryneeds

Overallcommunicationpriortoyourweekofcamp

Communicationaboutprogramneeds/specifics

Schedulingtheweekofdaycampandthecontractingprocess

Easeofgettingaholdofcampstaffwithquestions/concerns

Communicationandresourcesformarketingtheexperience

Exceededexpectations Satisfied Adequate,butcouldimprove Dissatisfied

62%

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Energylevelofcampstaff

Theological/biblicalknowledgeofcampstaff

Abilityofcampstafftoconnectandinteractwithchildren

Careshownforchurchfacilitiesandgrounds

Intentionalengagementwithandinvolvementofchurchstaffandvolunteers

Overallqualityofcampstaff

Exceededexpectations Satisfied Adequate,butcouldimprove Dissatisfied

16Figure9:SatisfactionwithProgram(n=95)

• Therewasahighdegreeofsatisfactionwithcamps’accommodationsforchildrenwithspecialneedsand

attentiontosafetywith91%oftheleaders.Travelingdaycampprogramsoverallprogramswereratedhighlywith94%ofleaders.

• Programmaticelementswerehighlyrated,suchasthemusicandsongs(94%),largegroupgatherings(93%),andincorporatingChristianfaithintoactivities(94%).

• Theleastpopularprogrammaticelementsappearedtobesmallgroupeducation,withonly29%ofleaders’expectationsbeingexceeded,and30%oftheclosingprogramforparents.Theclosingprogramforparentswasrankedonly“adequate”by13%ofleaders.

29%

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Smallgroupcurriculum,education

Closingprogramforparents

Attentiontoourcongregation'sspecificcontextandneeds

Largegroupgatherings

Activitiesandgamesatdaycamp

Musicandsongsledbycampstaff

IncorporationofChristianfaithandteachingsintoactivities

Overalldaycampprogram

Attentiontosafety

Accommodationsforchildrenwithspecialneeds

Exceededexpectations Satisfied Adequate,butcouldimprove Dissatisfied

17Differences Among SpringHill and LOM Camps Impactsobservedbycongregationalleadersvariedbycampanddaycampprogram.ThefollowingtabledisaggregatesSpringHillfromLOMcampstonotethedifferencesindaycamps’impacts.

Table6:ObservedImpactsbyCamp(n=95) All(n=95) SpringHill LutheranFamilies that were already connected to the congregation have gotten more involved. 38% 36% 46%*

Congregants without young children have gotten more excited about and engaged in the children's ministry 38% 32% 54%*

Families that were introduced to the congregation through day camp have continued involvement 53% 54% 50%

Children want to attend overnight camp 50% 48% 58%*Day camp resulted in volunteerism and engagement among the congregation 53% 54% 50%

Youth volunteers (or CITs) have become more involved in congregational ministries 59% 62%* 50%

New families were introduced to the congregation through day camp 75% 76% 74%

Children seem more excited about and engaged in church than before 63% 66%* 57%

Children still talk about one or more of the camp counselors, by name 73% 70% 79%

Children are singing or requesting songs from day camp 66% 63% 75%*At day camp this year, children professed faith in Christ for the first time 73% 92%* 17%

Children have expressed desire to attend day camp next year 90% 94%* 78%*Observedimpactssignificantlymorefrequently

• Requestingsongs:50%ofLutheransitessaidtheyhadobservedthis3+times,comparedwithonly30%ofSpringHillsites.

• ProfessingfaithinChristforthefirsttime:Only8%ofLutheransitessaidtheyhadobservedthis3+times,comparedwith62%ofSpringHillsites(seebelow).

Table7:Atdaycampthisyear,childrenprofessedfaithinChristforthefirsttime(n=95) All(n=94) SpringHill LutheranYes,Ihaveobservedit3+times 48.4% 62% 8.3%Yes,in1or2cases 24.2% 29.6% 8.3%No,Ihavenotobservedthis 16.8% 4.2% 54.2%Unsure 10.5% 4.2% 29.2%

18Table8:SatisfactionwithCommunicationbyCamp(n=95) All(n=95) SpringHill LutheranScheduling the week of day camp and the contracting process 3.22 3.19 3.29Communication and resources for marketing the experience 3.15 3.23 2.92Communication about program needs/specifics 3.07 3.13 2.92Communication about staff housing and dietary needs 2.66 2.65 2.71Ease of getting ahold of camp staff with questions/concerns 3.13 3.17 3.00Overall communication prior to your week of camp 2.96 3.03 2.74+p<.10,*p<.05,**p<.01,***p<.001

• Noresultsweresignificantregardingsatisfactionwithcommunication.Marketingresourcesweretheclosesttoindicatingasignificantresult.

Table9:SatisfactionwithStaff(n=95) All(n=95) SpringHill LutheranEnergy level of camp staff 3.43 3.55* 3.08Theological/biblical knowledge of camp staff 3.10 3.17+ 2.92Ability of camp staff to connect and interact with children 3.55 3.65* 3.25Care shown for church facilities and grounds 3.36 3.31 3.50Intentional engagement with and involvement of church staff and volunteers 3.20 3.22 3.17

Overall quality of camp staff 3.35 3.44+ 3.08+p<.10,*p<.05,**p<.01,***p<.001

• SpringHillcongregationalleadersweresignificantlymoresatisfiedwiththeenergylevelofcampstaffandtheirabilitytoconnectandinteractwithchildren.Thereisalsosomestatisticalevidencethatleadersweresatisfiedwiththetheologicalandbiblicalknowledgeofstaff,alongwiththeoverallqualityofstaff.

• Lutherancongregationalleaderresultswerenotstatisticallysignificant.Althoughnotsignificant,careforthechurchfacilitiesandgroundsdidappeartobeastrengthforLutherancamps.

Table10:SatisfactionwithProgram(n=95) All(n=95) SpringHill LutheranSmall group curriculum, education 3.20 3.32*** 2.88Large group gatherings 3.30 3.39** 3.04Music and songs led by camp staff 3.36 3.43* 3.17Activities and games at day camp 3.30 3.48*** 2.79Attention to safety 3.42 3.50* 3.17Incorporation of Christian faith and teachings into activities 3.38 3.50** 3.04Accommodations for children with special needs 3.48 3.60** 3.00Attention to our congregation's specific context and needs 3.27 3.27 3.26Closing program for parents 3.17 3.20 3.08Overall day camp program 3.43 3.50 3.22+p<.10,*p<.05,**p<.01,***p<.001

• SpringHill’sleadersreportedsignificantlyhighersatisfactionwithnearlyeveryprogrammaticelement,particularlytheactivitiesandgamesatdaycampandthesmallgroupeducation(p<.001).TheywerealsosignificantlymoresatisfiedwithSpringHill’slargegroupgatherings,accommodationsforchildrenwithspecialneeds,andincorporationofChristianfaithandteachingsintoactivities(p<.01).SpringHill’sattentiontosafety(p<.05)wasalsosignificantlynotedbyleaders.

• NoresultsweresignificantlyhigherforLutherancamps,althoughtheywerestatisticallyequivalentintheirattentiontocongregation’sspecificcontextandneeds.

19Congregation Sizes and Camps SpringHillservedmorelargecongregationsthanLOMcamps.Congregationsizesweregroupedwiththedataintoaboutathirdofthesample.Smallcongregationsincluded1-250worshipingmembers,mediumincluded251-850worshipingmembers,andlargecongregationsincluded851-8,000worshipingmembers.SpringHillservedall29ofthelargecongregationsand32ofthe34mediumsizedcongregations.LOMserved21ofthe29smallcongregations.ThismakesdifferentiationbetweenSpringHillandLutheranssomewhatdifficult.Thefollowingtableincludesallofthecamps.

Table11:CongregationSizeandDayCampExperience(n=92) Small

(1-250)Medium(251-850)

Large(851-8,000)

Thechildrenhadalotoffun 5.00* 4.97 4.86Daycampwasafaith-centeredenvironment 4.93 4.88 4.83Thisyear,daycampwasnotasgoodaspreviousyears 2.33 2.07 2.29Allofthedaycampstaffwerewell-trained 4.34 4.26 3.96Churchvolunteersfeltincludedandvalued 4.52 4.25 4.26Thecostofdaycamppreventsmanyfamiliesfromattending 2.24* 3.18 3.36Schedulingconflictsandotheractivitiespreventmanyfamiliesfromattending

3.28 3.34 3.21

Daycampisprimarilyanoutreachministry,designedtogetnewfamiliesinvolvedinthechurch

3.59 3.52* 3.07

Daycampisprimarilyaneducationalministry,designedtosupplementtheministriesofourChristianeducation

3.96* 3.03 3.69

Daycampisacrucialministryofourcongregation 4.07 3.75 3.55Theexperiencefeltmorelikeatransactionforservicesthanaministrypartnership

1.83 1.68 1.76

Thedaycampexperiencehadasignificant,positiveimpactonmycongregation

4.36 4.33 4.07

+p<.10,*p<.05,**p<.01,***p<.001

• Smallcongregations’leadersagreedmorestronglythatthechildrenhadlotsoffun.ThiscomplimentsandaffirmstheParentSurveyReportwhereparentsoverwhelminglyreportedthattheirchildrenhadfunatdaycamp.Smallercongregationalleadersagreedsignificantlylessthatdaycampiscostprohibitive.Largercongregationsagreedthatthecostofdaycampprohibitsattendance.ThisislikelyduetolargecongregationsusingSpringHillmoreoften,whichismoreexpensivethanLOMcamps.Leadersatsmallercongregationsalsovieweddaycampasaneducationalministrymorethanthosefromlargerchurches.

• Largecongregations’resultswerenotsignificantlydifferentfromtheothers.

• WhenonlySpringHillcongregationswereincluded,noneoftheresultsweresignificantforcongregationsize.Therefore,thedifferencesappeartobebetweentheprograms,ratherthancongregationalsizes.

20C2C Leader Survey Open Ended Responses Summary Leaderswereprovidedwithanopportunitytogiveopen-endedcommentsabouttheirdaycampexperiencesandreflections.Thefollowingisasummaryofthoseresponses.Notably,71SpringHillleadersresponded,comparedto24Lutheranleaders.Therefore,resultsshouldbeinterpretedwiththeunderstandingofthedifferenceinquantitybetweenthetwogroups.

BothSpringHillandLutherancongregationalleadersfoundtravelingdaycamptobevaluable.Lutheranleadersspecificallynoted14timesthattheyvaluethecampstaffwhoservedasrolemodelswithintheircongregations(58%).Elevenleadersnotedthebenefitsforkidsthatdaycampbringstotheirchurch.Oneleaderstated,“Overallwehavebeenhappyeachyearwithdaycampandourchildrenreallylookforwardtothisweekeachyear.”Another10leadersnotedthevalueofthelocalcommunityaccessofdaycampintheircontext.Similarly,40SpringHillleadersnotedthatdaycampisbeneficialforkids.Theyhad33mentionsofthehigh-qualitystaffwhoservedaspositiverolemodelsforcampers(46%).Oneleadernoted,“WelovedtheenergyandgenuineloveforGodtheyoungstaffsharedwiththekids.”Theresultsindicatethatcongregationalleaderstooknoteofthevaluethatdaycampbringstotheircongregations.

Themajorityofleadersreportedthattheyintendedtorepeattheirtravelingdaycamppartnership.Forty-oneSpringHillleadersand14Lutheranleaderssaidthattheywouldrepeat(58%foreach).Only2SpringHilland1Lutheranleadersaidno.ThetwoSpringHill“no”responsesreportedlowattendanceasthemainissuefornotcontinuing,oneofwhichwasinitiatedbySpringHillandtheotherwasinitiatedbythechurch.TheoneLutheran“no”responsereporteddifficultywithrecruitingvolunteersandthecostofprovidingmeals.SixLutheranleaderswereunsureaboutcontinuingdaycampduetoeithercost,schedulingorvolunteerrecruitmentchallenges.

Aswithanyprogram,therewereareasforimprovementnotedbycongregationalleaders.FifteenSpringHillleadersnotedcommunicationchallenges,makingthisthegroup’sleadingconcern.Oneleaderexplained,“Thecommunicationisastruggle.Iknowthattheyarehostingothercampsthroughoutthesummer,butitwouldbenicetoknowallergies,numberofstudentsinhosthomes,etc.closerthanaweekoutforournewerhosthomes.”Manyofthecommunicationchallengescenteredaroundhosthomesandpreparationforhousingstaff.Therewere14commentsaboutuntrainedandinexperiencedstaffmembers(20%ofallSpringHillrespondents).Oneleaderwrotepointedly,“Manyofthestaffwerenewtodaycampanddidn'tknowthepoliciesandprocedures.OurCITsweremoreknowledgeableabouthowthingsrunatcamp.”Anotherstated,“CampDirectorisoutstanding.Afewstaffwereoutstanding,severalwereverynewhiresandstruggledwithsomeofourkids.Ifeltsomewhatunsureofthequality[with]regardstoministrytokidsandpreviousexperience.Stafftochildratiosweredefinitelyinadequateincomparisontopreviousyears.”Eightleadersalsonotedthestaffpartnershipdynamicswiththecongregationcouldbeimproved.Asonestated,“Iwastold‘it’sgreatthatyou'resoinvolved,butwe'vegotthis.’MyunderstandingwasthatSpringHillcomestohelpourchildren'sministry‘win’inabigway,sothatthekidsfromourcommunitywanttoengagewithusregularly.MyexpectationwasthatIwouldbenotonlyincluded,butINVITEDtointeractwiththekidsmore.Yourteamleaves,andthekidsfromourcommunityneedaconnectionwithmeandmyvolunteersgoingforward.Thatwasmybiggestdisappointment.Thusthe‘transactional’feeling.”Asnotedpreviously,partnershipdynamicsenhancethedaycampexperience,whereastransactionaldynamicshindertheexperience.

Similarly,9Lutherancongregationalleadersnotedthatstaffseemeduntrainedandattimesunengagedwiththekids.Thisnumberrepresents38%ofallLutheranresponses,makingitadominantthemeandabouttwiceasprevalentasintheSpringHillresponses.Oneleadernoted,“Iwasdissatisfiedwiththewayourcounselorshavebeentrainedoverthelastfewyears.Theyhavetreatedourweekofdaycamplikeavacationfromcampanduseditasanopportunitytocheckoutfromwork.Evenparentsofkidsinourprogramhavecommentedonapparentlazinessofcounselorsinthelastfewyears.The

21counselorsseemtohavealackofdiscipleship,andthenareunabletodiscipleourstudents.”Twoleadersspecificallynotedmoretrainingwasneededforworkingwithfirstandsecondgradecampers.Anadditional9commentsnotedcurriculumandprogramchallenges.Oneleaderstated,“Wehopetocontinueencouragingthestaffastheylearnnewmaterials,keeptheirpresentationslivelyandnew,andareabletoadapttotheministrycultureandcontextinoursetting.Themutualcommitmenttoyouthleadershipdevelopmentisimportantto[ourchurch].”Anotherleaderwrote,“Itseemedlikesometimesthecraftsandconnectionswiththethemewerealittleweakanddidn'tengagethekidsasmuch.Thegamesastimefillerswererepetitive.Andthereseemedtobemoretimefillingduetothecraftsbeingalittleweak.”RevitalizingthestaffandtheprogramsappearedtobeareasforimprovementfromtheLutheranleaderperspective.

C2C Leader Survey Conclusions

Congregationalleadersoverallreportedthattravelingdaycamphadsignificant,positiveimpactsoncampers’faithandtheircongregationsasawhole.Thestudyincludeddifferingcampmodels,withdiverseprogramsizes,costs,programqualities,andpartnershipdynamics.Strongerpartnershipsbetweenthecampsandthecongregationsenhancedimpacts.Valuingvolunteers,goodcommunication,andcareforthecongregationalcontextgreatlymattered,whereasmoretransactionalpartnershipsdiminishedtheimpacts.Thequalityofthecampstaffalsohadalargeimpactonthetravelingdaycampexperience.Asasupplementaleducationalministry,travelingdaycampsupportedandprovidednovelexperiencesforcongregationsandcampers.Participantsoverwhelminglyenjoyedthefaith-basedfunattravelingdaycampacrossgeographies,camps,andcongregationalcontexts,andtheseexperiencesshowedevidenceforclearpositiveimpacts.