His camp story started more than 40 years ago, eventually leading him to this - the start of his 17th year as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Christian Camp & Conference Association (CCCA).

On this episode, we get the honor of sitting down with Gregg Hunter, who serves and leads at CCCA, an organization that exists to maximize ministry for member camps and conference centers. CCCA has more than 800 member camps across the country and beyond, who collectively serve around 2.5 million participants each year (*2025 Compass Survey).

We get the chance to here Gregg's camp story, and then journey with him through what we've learned together through projects like the Compass CCCA Member Survey, the Power of Camp Study, and more. We'll chat through how this massive organization uses those insights to craft strategy and maximize ministry. Then, we'll look into what Gregg and Jake see for camping ministry as a whole, as well as CCCA in the months and years ahead.

Plus, listen for the second installment of our new segment, Trending, Bending, or Ending, as we wonder about church engagement trends, and a #StatOfTheWeek hot of the presses from this summer's Power of Camp Study.

Quick Links

Christian Camp & Conference Association
Explore CCCA Membership
Compass Survey
Power of Camp Study

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A question from a camp leader: "How are faith-based camps navigating changes to their denominations and churches as they decline in health and vitality? What novel ways have camps/conference centers found to help bolster those congregations, or train/equip them for more vital ministry?"

We had a number of questions like this from camp leaders after the summer of 2026. The hard, all-too-common truth is that camp leaders and church leaders, on the whole, may be moving apart rather than closer together in terms of trust and reliance on each other to thrive.

On this episode, we're sharing three themes that form the beginnings of a fresh blueprint for connecting camp and congregations for the sake of vital ministry, reciprocal impact, and mission alignment.

Plus, listen for our new segment, The S'more You Know Camp Trivia Challenge, and a #StatOfTheWeek on how many campers show greater interest in attending church after camp.

Quick Links:
Connecting Camp & Church: Pastor Brad Peterson
Rhythms of Faith
#StatOfTheWeek

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What if camp is life as it should be? What if camps are places and spaces where the veil is thin and the inbreaking of the kingdom of God feels close? What if the way we live and breathe and have our being at camp is exactly who we were made to be as people of God, community of Christ, and the whole of creation?

On this episode, we'll begin to break open some of these theological and philosophical ideas that give foundation and relevance to outdoor ministries. We'll talk about 4.5 of many critical observations of our culture and communities today and consider where camp excels in offering an antidote to what's broken and breaking.

We've got a #statoftheweek that speaks to the emotional reality of our youth, a #QuickQampQuestion that begins to call us to our, "What now?", and the debut of a new occasional podcast segment called More or Less.

Book Mentions:
A Common Book of Camping by Jerry Manlove
Theology of Hope by Jürgen Moltmann
Surprised by Hope by N. T. Wright
Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Grit by Angela Duckworth
Together by Vivek H. Murthy

#StatOfTheWeek

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Support the show

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