1

TheCamp2CongregationProject:SummerStaffSurveyReport

JacobSorensonandAmberHillAnderson

Datapreparedby:

2IntroductionandContents

ThisreportdetailsthefindingsoftheCamp2Congregation2019SummerStaffsurveys.TheCamp2CongregationProject,generouslyfundedbyLillyEndowment,Inc.,isamulti-dimensionalstudyexaminingtheimpactsofChristiantravelingdaycampprogramsoncongregations,families,andyoungleadersinthechurch.Majorfindingsandprojectoutlineareavailableatwww.camp2congregation.com.ThestudycenteredonSpringHill,alargeChristiancampingorganizationwithovernightsitesinMichiganandIndiana.BecauseoftheprevalenceoftravelingdaycampprogramsatEvangelicalLutheranChurchinAmerica(ELCA)camps,acohortoffourELCA-affiliatedcampsservinginthegeographicalreachofSpringHillwasrecruitedtocompareandcontrastprograms/outcomes.ThesefourcampingorganizationsincludedEwaluCampandRetreatCenter(IA),CrosswaysCampingMinistries(WI),LivingWaterMinistries(MI),andLutheranOutdoorMinistriesofIndiana-Kentucky(IN).Thesummerstaffsurveywasdesignedtoassessimpactsontheyoungleadersservingoncampstaff.Staffmembersfromeachofthefiveparticipatingcampscompletedapre-summersurveyuponarrivalatcampatthebeginningofthesummer(MayorJune2019).Theywerealsoencouragedtocompleteapost-summersurveyonthedayofdeparturefromcampattheendofthesummer.Distributionofthepost-summersurveywasdelayedforsomeparticipants,sosomewereencouragedtocompletethesurveyinthetwoweeksfollowingdeparturefromcamp.Staffprovidedananonymouscodethatallowedthetwosurveystobematched.Questionsinthesurveysweredevelopedtomeasureoutcomesofthesummerstaffexperience,qualityoftheexperience,anddifferencesbetweendaycampandresidentialstaff.

ContentsofthisReport

SUMMARYOFMAJORFINDINGS........................................................................................................................................................3WHOPARTICIPATEDINTHISSURVEY?.........................................................................................................................................4TheFaithLivesofSummerStaffmembers....................................................................................................................................5MOTIVATIONforWorkingatSummerCamp...............................................................................................................................7StaffLearningGoals/Outcomes:....................................................................................................................................................8

THESUMMERSTAFFEXPERIENCE..................................................................................................................................................9THEIMPACTSOFWORKINGONSUMMERSTAFF..................................................................................................................12FactorsthatImpactedStaffOutcomes......................................................................................................................................14DemographicDifferencesinOutcomes....................................................................................................................................16DifferencesbetweenDayCampandOvernightCampstaff............................................................................................17

StaffPerceptionsofCampTakeaways...........................................................................................................................................18

3SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS

GeneralObservations:

• Therewasalargedrop-offinresponsesfromthebeginningtotheendofthesummer,bothatSpringHillandtheLutheransites.Thisgreatlyimpactsourabilitytotrackchangeovertime.Somefindingsarenon-significantbecausethenumberofmatchedsurveyswaslowerthanexpected.Thedifficultyincollectingend-of-summerresponsesmayberelatedtostaffburn-out/exhaustion,whichwasanimportantthemeinthesurvey.

• Alargemajority(aboutthree-quarters)ofsummerstaffmembersgrewupasregularchurchattendees(atleastmultipletimespermonththroughoutgradeschool).Mostparticipatedinregularreligiouspractices(e.g.personalprayer,Biblereading,andfamilyprayer),andfaithconversationsinthehomewerenormal(Figures1and2).

• Thevastmajorityofstaffenteredthesummerwithveryhighmeasurementsofbelief,leavingverylittleroomformeasuredgrowth(Figure5).Staffwerealsohighlymotivatedtogrowintheirpersonalfaithduringthesummer(Figure6andpage8).

StaffExperienceandOutcomes

• Moststaffmembersindicatedverypositiveexperiences.Open-endedresponseswereoverwhelminglypositive(pages18-19),andlargemajoritiesagreed(Figure13)thattheygotalongwithfellowstaffmembers(94%)andfeltsupportedbysupervisors(84%).Mostalsoindicatedthatcampfeltlikehometothem(85%agreed).

• Theexperienceofworkingonstaffwasalsoveryimpactfultotheserespondents:97%ofreturningstaffagreedatthebeginningofthesummerthattheirpreviousexperiencesatcamphadasignificantimpactontheirlives(Figure7).Attheendofthesummer,92%ofstaffagreedthattheexperiencethatsummerhadasignificantimpactontheirlives,90%agreedtheywerestrengthenedintheirfaith,and91%agreedtheygrewinself-confidence(Figure14).Interestingly,manyoftheseimpactsweredifficulttomeasurefromthebeginningofcamptoendofcampbecauseofdifferingcampexperiences(Tables1and2),somostitemsshowednosignificantchanges.

• Leadershipabilitywastheclearestitemofoverallgrowthamongparticipatingstaff.Inadditionto98%ofstaffagreeingthattheygrewinleadershipabilities(Figure14),theitem“Ifeelconfidentinmyabilitytobealeader”wastheonlyitemtoshowsignificantpositivegrowthfromthebeginningtoendofsummeracrossallcampsandqualitiesofexperience(Table2).Thiswasalsoamajorthemeintheopen-endedresponses(Page18).

• Daycampstaffmembersshowedsomeimportantdifferenceswiththosewhoservedallormostofthesummeratovernightcamp.Inparticular,daycampstafftendedtogetmoresleeponaverageandfeltmoresupportedbytheirsupervisors.Bothofthesefactorscontributedtolowerstaffburn-out.

ChallengesandPotentialGrowingAreas:• Manystaffmembersindicatedfeelingphysicallyand/oremotionallyexhaustedorburntoutattheend

ofthesummer(Figure10).Thesestaffmembersweresignificantlylesslikelytoshowgrowthinmultipleoutcomes(particularlyrelatedtoself-confidenceandcongregationalconnection),andmanydeclinedinthesemeasurementsduringthesummer,affectingmanyoftheitemsinTables1and2.

• Severalkeyfactorscontributedbothtodecreasedexhaustion/burnt-outandincreasedstaffoutcomes.Theseincludedgettingmoresleepeachnight,increasedfeelingsofagency,greatersupport(byfellowstaffandsupervisors),moreeffectivestafftraining,andhealthyconflictresolution.

• Theexperienceofservingonsummerstaffseemedtohaveasmallnegativeimpactonperceptionsofcongregationalministries.Thedeclinewasmostapparentamongstaffwhofeltexhausted/burnt-out.

4

Weheardfrom615staffmembersage18+110respondentswereunder18anddisqualified

ResponseSummary(age18+): Pre-Summer Post-Summer MATCHED

SpringHill 395 231 125Crossways 23 16 11Ewalu 29 18 14LivingWater 24 11 11LOMIK 25 17 13

Total 496 293 174

Denomination:Non-denominational 40%Lutheran 21%Baptist 9%JustChristian 8%Catholic 6%Presbyterian/Reformed 4%OtherEvangelical(e.g.AOG) 7%OtherMainline(e.g.UMC) 5%

Averageagewas19½,with15%under18and59%ages18-20

72%female28%male

75%wereenrolledincollegefull-timeinfall2019

4%

9%

14%

23%

50%

Four+

Three

Two

One

None

#summersonstaffpriorto2019

Mixedrace/other,3%Asian,3%

Hispanic,4%

Black,5%

White85%

Race/EthnicityofStaff

Leadership30%

Activity7%

Support6%

Counselor57%

PrimaryRoleonStaff

60%hadneverbeenacamperattheircamp,while24%werecampers5ormoretimes

Over½werecampersatadifferentcamp:53%1in4wasneveracamperatanyChristiancamp9%attendeddaycampaskids,72%didVBS

72%servedonatleastonedaycampin201937%servedonmorethan5daycampsin2019Ofreturningstaff,67%hadservedondaycamp

WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS SURVEY?

AtSpringHill,20%served5orfewerweeksAtLOMcamps,only9%served5orfewerweeks

5The Faith Lives of Summer Staff members

Summerstaffmemberswereaskedabouttheirfaithlivesandpracticesbeforecomingtocamp(pre-summersurvey)andduringtheirtimeonstaff(post-summersurvey).Figure1:ChurchParticipationinHomeGrowingUp(pre-summer)

• Alltold,three-quarters(74%)ofstaffmemberswereregularchurchattendees(multipletimespermonth

orweekly)throughoutgradeschool.Another10%wereuninvolvedorinfrequentlyinvolvedbeforehighschoolandthenbecamehighlyengaged.Theremaining16%hadinfrequentorinconsistentchurchengagementduringgradeschool,including5%thatneverattendedmonthly.

Figure2:FrequencyofReligiousPracticesinHomeGrowingUp(pre-summer)

Figure3:FrequencyofReligiousPracticesTHISYEAR(2019)(pre-summer)

WhenconsideringTHISYEAR(2019),77%ofincomingstaffmembersreportedprayingatleastseveraltimesperweek(52%prayeddaily).63%ofstaffreportedreadingtheBibleatleastweekly(17%readdaily).

• Asagroup,summerstaffmembersfollowedasimilarpatterntoemergingadultsinAmerica,showingadecreaseinchurchengagementfromthehighschoolyearstotheemergingadultyears.However,thisdeclinewasfarlesspronouncedthaninthegeneralpublic.Weeklychurchattendancedroppedfrom71%inhighschoolto63%inthecurrentyear.

• Personalreligiouspractices,ontheotherhand,increasedamongthesestaffmembersduringtheiremergingadultyears.Personalprayershowedamodestincrease,butpersonalBiblestudyincreasedfrom42%readingweeklyormoreintheirhomegrowingupto63%reportingthesamein2019.

60%

71%

70%

67%

18%

20%

16%

18%

8%

4

7%

7%

14%

5

7%

8%

Participateinchurchyouthgroupinhighschool

Attendworshipservicesin9-12grade

Attendworshipservicesin6-8grade

AttendSundayschoolinK-5school

Weekly Monthly+ Afewtimesperyear (Almost)Never

17%

25%

45%

42%

64%

77%

11%

8%

21%

27%

9%

13%

22%

9%

18%

22%

11%

7%

50%

58%

16%

9%

16%

3

ReadBiblewithfamily

Praywithfamilyatbedtime

HaveconversationswithfamilyaboutGod/faith

ReadBiblealone

Praywithfamilyatmeals

Prayalone

Weeklyormore Atleastmonthly Afewtimesperyear (Almost)Never

7%

21%

47%

63%

11%

22%

17%

19%

19%

22%

6%

6%

37%

27%

14%

9%

26%

8%

16%

3

DonatedmoneytoChristianorganization

Volunteertoservepeopleinneed

ParticipateinaChristiansmallgrouporBiblestudy

Attendworshipatchurchorcampusministry

Weeklyormore Severaltimespermonth Aboutonceamonth Afewtimes (Almost)Never

6Figure4:FrequencyofReligiousPracticesDuringtheSummer(post-summer)

• Duringthesummer,personalfaithpracticesincreasedmarkedly.Lookingonlyatthe165staffmemberswhocompletedbothsurveys,thosewhoreadtheirBibleontheirownatleastseveraltimesperweekincreasedfrom32%to61%.Similarly,thosewhoprayeddailyormoreincreasedfrom50%to59%.

Attheendofthesummer,90%ofstaffmembersagreedthattheywerestrengthenedintheirpersonalfaith.Figure5:Pre-Summeragreementwithfaithstatements(pre-summer)

16%

20%

58%

33%

42%

29%

23%

23%

9%

28%

15%

4

Shareprayerrequestsandpraywithanotherperson

PersonalBiblereading,onowninitiative

Personalprayer,onowninitiative

Dailyormore Multipletimesperweek Aboutweekly Lessthanweekly

12%

2

4

4

5

38%

53%

47%

64%

55%

67%

68%

64%

78%

79%

86%

86%

95%

95%

10%

17%

14%

21%

24%

41%

35%

48%

22%

37%

27%

26%

33%

14%

19%

10%

13%

4

4

WeearnGod'sloveandforgivenessbydoinggoodthings

Oftentimes,myactionsdonotalignwithmybeliefs

IoftentimesthinkthatChristianitywouldbebetteroffwithoutanorganizedchurch

IamoftentimesunhappyaboutmylifeandwhoIam

Whensomethingbadorfrustratinghappens,Ihavetroublebouncingbackandfindingjoy

Ilikegoingoutofmycomfortzoneandtryingnewthings

TheChristianChurchisaforceforgoodintheworld

Iamgoodatsolvingproblemswithateamofpeople

Regularworshipattendanceisimportantformyfaith

Ifeelconfidentinmyabilitytobealeader

IhaveChristianfriendsthatIcanturntointimesofneed

IknowthatIcanmakefriends

Ihaveimportantthingstoofferthechurchandtheworld

5yearsfromnow,IplantobeactiveinaChristianchurch/congregation

FaithinGodhelpsmeinmydailylife

TheBibleisthewordofGod

TheHolySpiritisactiveintheworld

Godcreatedtheworld

IbelievethatJesusrosefromthedead

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

7MOTIVATION for Working at Summer Camp

Figure6:Importanceofcertainmotivatingfactorsfor1styearstaffworkingatcamp(pre-summer)

49%ofrespondentswerereturningstaffmembers,40%hadbeenovernightcampers,and9%

hadbeendaycampers.23%hadneverbeenacamperatanyChristiancamp.Figure7:ReturningStaffPerceptionsofPreviousStaffExperiences(n=230)

• Therewerenosignificantdifferencesinagreementbetweenthosewhoservedondaycampin2019andthosewhodidnotinanyoftheabovevariables(including“Campfeelslikehome”),withtheexceptionof“Iwouldratherserveatovernightcampthanontravelingdaycampstaff.”Inthiscase,thosewhodidnotworkondaycampstaffweresignificantlymorelikelytoagree.

7%

24%

34%

39%

47%

47%

45%

56%

65%

67%

4

16%

30%

33%

17%

32%

36%

31%

24%

25%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

PositiveexperiencesIhadataDayCamp

PositiveexperiencesIhadasanovernightcamper

Afriendormentorencouragedmetoapply

Tohavefun

GivetocamperswhatIreceivedincampexperiences

Toworkwithyoungpeople

Experiencecommunityandmakefriends

Growinmypersonalfaith

IbelievethisiswhereGodiscallingmetoserve

WanttoimpactothersforthesakeofChrist

Extremelyimportant Veryimportant

38%

48%

51%

65%

82%

8%

12%

33%

30%

27%

15%

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

Ihavehadmanynegativeexperiencesatcamp

Iwouldratherserveatovernightcampthanontravelingdaycampstaff

Myexperiencesatcamphavehelpedmedeterminemylifedirectionandcareer

Camphashelpedme,personally,throughadifficulttimeinmylife

Campfeelslikehome

Mycampexperienceshavehadasignificantimpactonmylife

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

8Staff Learning Goals/Outcomes:

Thepre-campsurveyalsoincludedanopen-endedquestionaskingincomingstaffmemberswhattheyhopedtogetoutoftheirsummerworkingatcamp.407staffmembersansweredthisquestion,including87Lutheranstaffand320SpringHillstaff.Thepercentagesbelowdonotaddupto100%becausemanystaffmemberslistedmultiplelearninggoals.Themajorthemesarelistedbelow:

1. Growinpersonalfaith(51%)–Thenumberonedesiredoutcome,byfar,wasahopetogrowinpersonalfaithinGod.Staffmembersexpressedthisasstrengthening/growing/renewingtheirfaith,growingintheirunderstandingofGod,andgainingastrongerrelationshipwithGod/Jesus.ThiswasslightlymoreprevalentamongLutheranstaff(54%)thanSpringHillstaff(50%).

2. Buildrelationships/community(35%)–Thesecond-mostmentionedoutcomewasbuildingrelationshipswithotherpeople.Somestaffmembersexpressedthisspecificallyintermsoffaith,sayingthattheywantedastrongChristiancommunity.Otherssaidmorebroadlythattheyhopedtomakenewfriends,thoughfaithwasoftenimpliedintheirresponse.

3. Impactothers(32%)–Aboutathirdofincomingstaffmemberssaidthatwhattheyhopedtogetoutofthesummercenteredatleastpartiallyonservicetootherpeople.Theywantedtohaveanimpactonothers,particularlythecampersthatwouldbeintheircare.Manyoftheirresponsesincludedreferencestofaith,suchaswantingtoimpactothersforthesakeofChristorhelpothersgrowintheirrelationshipwithGod.Therewasalsoacommonmetaphorofhopingto“pourinto”others.ForLutheranstaff,thisthemewasmoreprevalentthanbuildingrelationships.

4. Lifeskills(28%)–Manystaffmembersindicatedtheywerehopingtogaincertainlifeskills.Themostcommonwasleadershipskills(17%ofthetotal).Otherswerehopingtogainskillsthatwouldhelpthemintheircareers(especiallyexperienceworkingwithkids)orgainskillsofevangelism.SpringHillstaffweremorelikelytoindicatewantingtolearnnewskills(29%)thanLutheranstaff(21%).

5. Personalgrowth(16%)–Inadditiontogrowinginfaith,staffmembersindicatinghopingtogrowinotherways,particularlynotingadesiretogrowinself-confidenceandlearnmoreaboutthemselves.Severalindicatedadesiretofindaplaceofbelonging,andotherswerehopingtofindmentorsoracommunitythatcouldhelpholdthemaccountable.

6. Fun,newexperiences(8%)–Thedesiretohavefunandhavenewexperiencesshowedupasaminortheme,mentionedbyfewerthan8%ofincomingstaffmembers.ItwasmuchmoreprominentamongSpringHillstaff(9%)thanLutheranstaff(2%),thoughitremainedaminorthemeincomparisontotheabove5themes.

LessCommonthemes:Otherthemesaccountedfor5%orfewerofthecomments.Theyincludeddesirestoexploretheircalling/careerpath,findfulfillment/refreshment/rest,haveexperiencesofGod,andworkthroughspecificpersonalstruggles.

9THE SUMMER STAFF EXPERIENCE

Manystaffmemberswerelivingbusyandstressedlives.Inthemonthsleadinguptocamp,22%ofincomingstaffmembersreportedhavingthoughtsofself-harmatleastafewtimes,includingasmallnumber(6%)thathadthesethoughtsatleastmonthly.

Muchmorecommonwerefeelingsofoverwhelminganxiety:54%ofincomingstaffmembersreportedhavingsuchfeelingsatleastmonthlyin2019,including18%reportingweeklyormore.

Almostascommonasanxietywasfeelingverydownorhopeless:42%ofincomingstaffmembersreportedhavingsuchfeelingsatleastmonthlyin2019,including8%reportingweeklyormore.

Figure8:IncomingStaffMemberSelf-Perception(pre-summer)

• Asagroup,theseyoungpeoplewerefairlywell-groundedandhadhealthyself-perceptions.

However,almostathird(31%)feltoverextended,andaquarterindicatedfeelingunhappyabouttheirlifeandidentity(Figure5).

Figure9:Averageamountofsleeppernightduringthesummer(Post-summer)

• Whilesleepneedsvaryfrompersontoperson,itisgenerallyacceptedthatcollege-ageyoung

peopleneedatleast8hoursofsleeppernight.Anylessthan7hourspernightwouldgenerallybeconsideredsleepdeprived.Nearlyhalf(45%)ofrespondingstaffmemberscouldbeconsideredsleepdeprivedinsummer2019,withanotherquarterborderlineat7hourspernight.

• Thosewhoreportedthattheydidnotserveondaycampatallduringthesummergotlesssleep,onaverage,thanthosewhowentonatleastonedaycamp.Ofthoseservingonnodaycamps,54%gotlessthan7hoursofsleeppernight,comparedwith41%whoservedonatleastonedaycamp.Thosegettingthemostsleepwerestaffmemberswithamixofon-campanddaycampweeks.

• Counselingstaffgotslightlymoresleep,onaverage,thanleadershipstaff.Activitystaffgottheleastamountofsleep,withtwo-thirdsreportinglessthan7hourspernight.

• Sleepdifferencebetweendaycampandoncampwasmostpronouncedamongleadershipstaff.62%ofon-campleadershipstaffgotlessthan7hourspernight,comparedwithonly29%ofdaycampleadership.

10%

11%

5%

31%

13%

18%

26%

51%

Iplantoworkfull-timeinacongregationorotherchurch-basedorganization

IamunsurewhatIwanttodoforacareer

Iamcurrentlyfeelingoverextendedandinvolvedintoomanythings

Iamcurrentlyfindinggoodbalanceinmylife

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

<6hrs.7%

6hrs.26%

6.5hrs.12%

7hrs.25%

7.5hrs.16%

8+hrs.14%

Averageamountofsleeppernightduringthesummer

10Figure10:Endofsummer"StateofBeing":Physical,Emotional,andSpiritual

• Staffreportedamuchhigherrateofphysicalandemotionalexhaustionthanspiritualexhaustion.Themajorityofstaff(57%)reportedfeelingspirituallyinvigoratedorenergizedattheendofthesummer,thoughnearlyathird(31%)reportedfeelingemotionallyexhaustedorburntout.

• Consideringallthreecategories,41%ofstaffreportedbeingexhausted,drained,orburn-out,whileanequalpercentagewasfreshorinvigoratedoverall.Theremaining18%fellinbetween,reportingtirednessinmultiplecategories.

• Physicalandemotionalstate-of-beingwasdirectlycorrelatedwithsleep,asshowninFigure11.Spiritualwellbeingseemedunrelatedtosleep,thoughthosewith8ormorehoursweremorelikelytoreportfeelingspirituallyfresh/normalorinvigorated/energized.

• Thenumberofweeksworkedalsohadasignificantimpactonend-of-summerstate-of-being.Thosewhoworked4weeksorfewerwereunlikelytofeelexhaustedorburnt-outphysically(14%)oremotionally(4%).Thosewhoworked9ormoreweeksweremuchmorelikelytoexperienceexhaustionorburn-outphysically(36%)oremotionally(36%).

Figure11:TheRelationofSleeptoEnd-of-SummerEmotionalandPhysicalStateofBeing

6%

BurntOut7%

2

Exhausted/Drained22%

Exhausted/Drained24%

3%

Tired,butnotdepleted46%

Tired,butnotdepleted29%

12%

Fresh/Normal20%

Fresh/Normal27%

Fresh/Normal26%

6%

13%

Invigorated/Energized,57%

Physical

Emotional

Spiritual

BurntOut Exhausted/Drained Tired,butnotdepleted Fresh/Normal Invigorated/Energized

37%

22%

18%

34%

30%

23%

17%

29%

41%

37%

39%

54%

Fewerthan7hourssleep/night

7to7.5hours/night

8ormorehourssleep/night

Fewerthan7hourssleep/night

7to7.5hours/night

8ormorehourssleep/night

FreshorInvigorated ExhaustedorBurnt-OutEmotionalStateofBeing

PhysicalStateofBeing

11Figure12:Frequencyofsupportandperceptionsaboutbeingatcamp(Post-summer)

Figure13:SummerStaffExperiencesduringSummer2019(Post-summer)

• Thosewhoindicatedfeelingexhausted/drainedorburntoutattheendofthesummerwerecomparedwiththerestofstaffmembersonallanswersshowninFigures12and13.Thereweresignificantdifferencesin14ofthe18surveyitems.Ineachcase,thosereportingexhaustionorburn-outalsoreportedmorenegativeexperiences,onaverage.Forexample,58%agreedthattheyfeltliketheycouldexpressdoubtsaboutGodandreligion,comparedwith78%ofthosewhodidnotreportexhaustionorburn-out.Additionally,31%saidtheyhadtohidetheirtrueselvesatcampatleastsometimes,comparedwith18%whodidnotreportexhaustionorburn-out.

2

26%

47%

53%

54%

2

4

2

3

43%

35%

32%

38%

11%

14%

21%

18%

24%

14%

14%

5%

86%

81%

76%

77%

7%

4

1

3

Itwasdifficulttobeawayfromtechnology

Iwaspickedonorleftoutbyotherstaffmembers

Iwashomesick

IfeltlikeIhadtohidemytrueselfatcamp

Ifeltlikemyopinionsandinputwerevalued

Ifeltsupportedbyleadershipstaffandsupervisors

Ifeltsupportedbymyfellowsummerstaffmembers

Iwasconfidentmytasksfitinwiththemissionofthecamp

(Almost)Always Often Sometimes RarelyorNotatAll

13%

27%

31%

29%

39%

50%

53%

60%

59%

70%

16%

38%

37%

46%

31%

34%

36%

25%

35%

26%

Thisyearwasn'tasgoodasprevioussummers

Ireceivedfrequentandhelpfulfeedbackaboutmyjobperformance

Conflictamongstaffwasresolvedinahealthymanner

Afterstafftraining,Ifeltpreparedandempoweredformyrolethissummer

IfeltlikeIcouldexpressmydoubtsaboutGodandreligion

Ifeltsupportedinmypersonalfaithjourneybymysupervisors

WhenIwasfeelingdown,exhausted,ornotatmybest,otherstaffhelpedandsupportedme

[CAMP]feelslikehome

Igotalongwithmyfellowsummerstaffmembers

Thecampexperiencechallengedmephyscially,emotionally,andspiritually

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

12THE IMPACTS OF WORKING ON SUMMER STAFF

Figure14:Perceptionsoftheimpactsofworkingonsummerstaff(post-summer)

• Alargemajorityofstaffmembersclearlyindicatedthattheirexperienceworkingonsummerstaff

impactedtheminmultipleways,including92%agreeingthatthecampexperiencehadasignificantimpactontheirlives.

Inordertogetabetterideaofstaffoutcomes,wehadstaffmembersanswer23identicalquestionsonthepre-summerandpost-summersurveys.Comparingtheirresponsestothesequestionscangiveusanindicationofthespecificareastheyshowedgrowth.

Table1:FaithCommitmentOutcomes n T1

meanT2mean

DMT2-T1

Faithrelevance FaithinGodhelpsmeinmydailylife 143 4.78 4.81 .035Ihaveimportantthingstoofferthechurchandtheworld 142 4.58 4.56 -.028IhaveChristianfriendsthatIcanturntointimesofneed 142 4.61 4.67 .056

CongregationalConnection TheChristianChurchisaforceforgoodintheworld 142 4.39 4.33 -.063IoftentimesthinkthatChristianitywouldbebetteroffwithoutanorganizedchurch

131 2.18 2.41 .237*

5yearsfromnow,IplantobeactiveinaChristianchurch/congregation

139 4.76 4.73 -.022

Regularworshipattendanceisimportantformyfaith 143 4.46 4.49 .028Belief/Theology

Godcreatedtheworld 143 4.91 4.91 .000TheHolySpiritisactiveintheworld 141 4.84 4.90 .064TheBibleisthewordofGod 143 4.76 4.82 .063WeearnGod’sloveandforgivenessbydoinggoodthings 140 2.09 1.96 -.129IbelievethatJesusrosefromthedead 142 4.96 4.92 -.035

Asterisksdenotethatanitemwasstatisticallysignificantat*p<.05(moderate),**p<.01(strong),or***p<.001(verystrong).

• Questionsrelatedtofaithshowedverylittlechangefromthebeginningofsummertotheendofsummer.Thiswasdue,inlargepart,totheveryhighstartingvalues.Thisshowsthelimitationsof

34%

55%

63%

64%

68%

79%

44%

27%

28%

26%

24%

19%

Myexperiencesat[CAMP]havehelpedmedeterminemylifedirectionandcareer

Ihopetoworkat[CAMP]againinthefuture

Ifeelmoreconfidentinmyselfsincethebeginningofthesummer

Iwasstrengthenedinmyfaith

Thecampexperiencethissummerhashadasignificantimpactonmylife

Igrewinmyleadershipabilities

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

13a5-pointLikertscale.Thosewhoresponded“stronglyagree”onthefirstsurveyhadnoopportunityforgrowthinthatsurveyitem.Forexample,95%ofrespondentsstronglyagreedatthebeginningofthesummerthatGodcreatedtheworld,leavingnoroomforgrowth.Especiallyfortheitemsrelatedtofaithrelevanceandbelief/theology,themostwecansayfromtheaboveresultsisthatthehighfaithofsummerstaffwasmaintained.

• However,itemsrelatedtocongregationalconnectionshowedoveralldecline.Theonlyfaith-relateditemthatshowedstatisticallysignificantchangewas“IoftentimesthinkthatChristianitywouldbebetteroffwithoutanorganizedchurch.”Agreementincreasedduringthesummer,indicatingthatregardfortheorganizedchurchdecreasedamongstaffmembers.Itisnotablethatthischangewasevidentinbothon-campanddaycampstaff.ThiswasalsotrueforbothSpringHillstaffandLutherancampstaff.Additionally,agreementwiththestatement“TheChristianChurchisaforceforgoodintheworld”showednosignificantchange,thoughagreementdecreasedslightlybytheendofthesummer.

• SpringHillstaffgenerallyagreedmorestronglythanLutherancampstaffwithmostoftheitemsrelatedtofaith.Bothgroupsshowedsimilargrowth/no-growthpatternsinthefaithvariables,thoughSpringHillstaffshowedstatisticallysignificantgrowthinagreementwith“theHolySpiritisactiveintheworld”(eventhoughtheyalsostartedwithhigheragreement).Thedifferencewasmostpronouncedontheitem“Regularworshipattendanceisimportantformyfaith.”While94%ofSpringHillstaffagreedwiththisstatementatthestartofsummer,only59%ofLutheranstaffagreed.WhileagreementwiththisstatementamongSpringHillstaffincreasedduringthesummer(thoughnotsignificantly),agreementdecreasedamongLutheranstaff(alsonotsignificantly).

• Interestingly,onetheologicalitemthattendstoseparateEvangelicalismfromMainlineChristianityshowedanunexpectedresult.AlargerpercentageofLutheranstaff(33%)agreedwith,“WeearnGod’sloveandforgivenessbydoinggoodthings”thanSpringHillstaff(19%).

Table2:Confidence,Character,andLifeDirectionOutcomes n T1

meanT2mean

DMT2-T1

Ilikegoingoutofmycomfortzoneandtryingnewthings 143 4.03 4.10 .077Oftentimes,myactionsdonotalignwithmybeliefs 136 2.15 2.08 -.066Iamgoodatsolvingproblemswithateamofpeople 143 4.48 4.51 .035Whensomethingbadorfrustratinghappens,Ihavetroublebouncingbackandfindingjoy

142 2.54 2.53 -.014

Ifeelconfidentinmyabilitytobealeader 139 4.42 4.61 .187**IknowthatIcanmakefriends 144 4.58 4.59 .014IamoftentimesunhappyaboutmylifeandwhoIam 142 2.48 2.35 -.127Iamcurrentlyfeelingoverextendedandinvolvedintoomanythings

152 2.67 2.86 .191+

Iamcurrentlyfindinggoodbalanceinmylifebetweenrelationships,school,job,etc.

148 4.14 3.93 -.209*

IamunsurewhatIwanttodoforacareer 154 2.56 2.64 .078Iplantoworkfull-timeinacongregationorotherChristianministry

126 2.71 2.67 -.048

Notationsdenotethatanitemwasstatisticallysignificantat+p<.10(weak),*p<.05(moderate),or**p<.01(strong).

• Itemsrelatedtoconfidence,character,andlifedirectionshowedlittlechangeduringthesummer,thoughtherewasmoremeasurablechangethaninthefaithcommitmentoutcomes.Allitemsrelatedtoconfidenceandcharactershowedpositivetrajectories,thoughmostwerenot

14significantlydifferent.Thenegativelywordedsurveyitemsshowednegativetrajectories,indicatingpositiveoutcomes.Forexample,agreementwith“IamoftentimesunhappyaboutmylifeandwhoIam”decreasedduringthesummer,indicatingthatstaffmembershadmoderatelymorepositiveself-understanding,thoughthechangewasnotstatisticallysignificant.

• Theitemthatshowedthemostconsistentandgreatestchangeduringthesummerwas,“Ifeelconfidentinmyabilitytobealeader.”ThissignificantchangewaspresentforSpringHillstaff,Lutherancampstaff,daycampstaff,andovernightcampstaff.

• Incontrasttoconfidenceandcharacter,thefouritemsrelatedtolifedirectionandstateofbeingshowednegativetendencies.Staffreportedfeelingmoreoverextendedattheendofsummerthanatthebeginning,andtheyagreedlessthattheywerefindinggoodbalanceinlife.Thisiscloselyrelatedtothehighpercentageofstaffreportingthattheywereexhaustedorburntout.

• Therewaslittle-to-nomeasurablechangeincareerplans,thoughitisinterestingthat,attheendofthesummerincomparisonwiththebeginning,staffmembersagreedslightlymore,onaverage,thattheywereunsurewhattheywantedtodoforacareerandslightlylessthattheyplannedtoworkinChristianministry.Thisissurprising,since78%ofrespondentsagreedthattheirexperiencesatcamphelpedthemdeterminetheirlifedirectionandcareer(Figure15).

Factors that Impacted Staff Outcomes

• VariablesCorrelatedwithGrowth:Sixquestionsonthepost-summersurveyaskeddirectlyaboutstaffgrowthduringthesummer.TheseareshownaboveinFigure15.Thereweremultiplevariablesthathadasignificantpositivecorrelationwithall6ofthesegrowthvariables.Thesearelistedbelowindescendingorderofthestrengthofaveragecorrelationwiththesixgrowthvariables(mostsignificantattop):

o IfeltlikeIcouldexpressmydoubtsaboutGodandreligion(.334)o Ifeltlikemyopinionsandinputwerevalued(.286)

o Iwasconfidentthatmyspecifictasksfitinwiththemissionof[CAMP](.271)o WhenIwasfeelingdown,exhausted,ornotatmybest,otherstaffmembershelpedand

supportedme(.270)

o Ifeltsupportedbyleadershipstaffandsupervisors(.263)o Afterstafftraining,Ifeltpreparedandempoweredformyroleat[CAMP](.261)

o Conflictamongstaffwasresolvedinahealthymanner(.247)

o IfeltlikeIhadtohidemytrueselfatcamp(negativelycorrelated)(-.220)Fromthislist,thereappeartobefourmajorthemesrelatedtostaffgrowth.Themostsignificant(relatedtothetop3items)isagency.Staffmembersperceivedgrowthwhentheyfeltliketheymattered,werevalued,andcontributedmeaningfully.Second(relatedtothenexttwoitems)issupport.Staffmembersperceivedgrowthwhentheyfeltsupportedbyleadershipandfellowstaffmembers.Thirdistraining.Fourthisconflictresolution.

• Exhaustion/Burn-Out:Themostsignificantfactorimpactingstaffgrowthwasexhaustionorburnt-outattheendofthesummer.Thosewhoindicatedexhaustionorburn-outshowedsignificantlylessfavorablechangethanthosewhoindicatedtheyweretired,fresh,orinvigorated.Thoseindicatingexhaustion/burn-outdeclinedinnumerousoutcomemeasurementsduringthecourseofthesummer.Theonlymeasurementinwhichtheyshowedsignificantpositivegrowthwas,“Ifeelconfidentinmyabilitytobealeader.”

15o Congregationconnectiondecline:Thoseindicatingexhaustion/burn-outshoweda

significantincreaseinagreementwith“IoftentimesthinkthatChristianitywouldbebetteroffwithoutanorganizedchurch”andsignificantdecreaseinagreementwith“TheChristianChurchisaforceforgoodintheworld.”Inshort,theirregardfororganizedChristianitydegradedduringthesummer.Incontrast,staffwhodidnotindicateexhaustion/burn-outshowednosignificantchangeinthesemeasurements,andagreementwith“TheChristianChurchisaforceforgoodintheworld”showedasmallpositivetrajectory.

o Declineinconfidence:Thegreatestdifferencebetweenthetwogroupswaswiththeirchangeinagreementwith“IknowthatIcanmakefriends.”Thoseindicatingexhaustion/burn-outshowedsignificantdeclineintheiragreementwiththisstatementbytheendofthesummer,whilethosenotindicatingexhaustion/burn-outshowedsignificantincreaseinagreement.Theitem“Ilikegoingoutofmycomfortzoneandtryingnewthings”showedasimilartrend.Thoseindicatingexhaustion/burnoutshowedoveralldeclineinagreement(thoughnon-significant),whilethosenotindicatingexhaustion/burn-outshowedsignificantincreaseinagreement.

Figure15:ImpactofEnd-of-SummerExhaustion/Burn-outonStaffPerceptions(%indicate"StronglyAgree")

20%

27%

28%

44%

51%

35%

53%

43%

51%

57%

76%

39%

39%

46%

59%

68%

68%

69%

70%

73%

75%

80%

Conflictamongstaffwasresolvedinahealthymanner

Myexperiencesat[CAMP]havegivenmegreaterclarityonmylifedirectionandcareer

IfeltlikeIcouldexpressmydoubtsaboutGodandreligion

WhenIwasfeelingdown,exhausted,ornotatmybest,otherstaffmembershelpedandsupportedme

[CAMP]feelslikehome

Ihopetoworkat[CAMP]againinthefuture

Ifeelmoreconfidentinmyselfsincethebeginningofthesummer

Igotalongwithfellowsummerstaffmembers

Iwasstrengthenedinmypersonalfaith

Thecampexperiencethissummerhashadasignificantimpactonmylife

Igrewinmyleadershipabilities

Tired,Fresh,orInvigorated ExhaustedorBurnt-Out

16Demographic Differences in Outcomes

DifferencesAmongMalesandFemalesTherewereafewdisparitiesbetweenmaleandfemalestaffmembers.Femalesweresignificantlymorelikelythanmalestoagreewith:

• Iwashomesick

• Thecampexperiencechallengedmephysicallyand/oremotionally

• Ifeelmoreconfidentinmyselfsincethebeginningofthesummer

Malesweresignificantlymorelikelytoagreewith:

• Ireceivedfrequentandhelpfulfeedbackaboutmyjobperformance

• IfeltlikeIcouldexpressmydoubtsaboutGodandreligion

Intermsofoutcomes,femalestendedtoshowgrowthintheteamworkoutcomes,whilemalestendedtoshowdecline(neitherchangewassignificant).Theoppositewastruefortheintegrityoutcome(actionsaligningwithbeliefs).Malestendedtoshowgrowth,whilefemalestendedtoshowdecline.

DifferencesbetweenSpringHillandLutherancampstaffTherewereafewnotabledifferencesbetweenSpringHillstaffandLutherancampstaff.Lutherancampstaffweresignificantlymorelikelytoagree,“Afterstafftraining,Ifeltpreparedandempoweredformyroleat[CAMP]thissummer.”Theywerealsomorelikelytoagreewith“[CAMP]feelslikehome.”Bothofthesefindingsmakesenseintuitively,sincestafftrainingforLutherancampstafflastedlongerthanSpringHillstafftrainingandsinceallLutherancampstaffwereprimarilybasedatthecampproperty,whilethemajorityofSpringHillrespondentsweredaycampstaffwhowerenotbasedatcamp.SpringHillstaffagreedsignificantlymorethanLutheranstaffwith,“Conflictamongstaffwasresolvedinahealthymanner.”OneoftheLutherancampsaccountsformostofthisdiscrepancy.StaffatLivingWaterMinistrieswassignificantlylesslikelytoagreethatconflictwasresolvedinahealthymannercomparedwiththeother4camps.

DifferencesbetweenFirst-yearstaffandReturningstaff

• First-yearstaffmembersreportedgreaterfrequencyofhomesicknessthanreturningstaffmembers(t(145,119)=-3.509,p<.01).Closelyrelatedisthatreturningstaffmembersagreedmore,onaverage,with“[CAMP]feelslikehome”(t(145,118)=2.433,p<.05).

• First-yearstaffmembersagreedmore,onaverage,thanreturningstaffwith“Iwasstrengthenedinmypersonalfaith”(t(145,120)=-2.365,p<.05).

• Atthebeginningofcamp,returningstaffindicatedlessregardfortheorganizedChristianChurchthanfirst-yearstaff.Theywerelesslikelytoagreethat“TheChristianChurchisaforceforgoodintheworld”(t(209,220)=-2.854,p<.01)andmuchmorelikelytoagree,“IoftentimesthinkthatChristianitywouldbebetteroffwithoutanorganizedchurch”(t(201,211)=3.543,p<.001).

17Differences between Day Camp and Overnight Camp staff

• Thosewhospentatleast¼oftheirsummerondaycampfeltmuchmoresupportedbytheirsupervisors.ThiswasespeciallytrueamongSpringHillstaff,butitwasalsoevidentamongLutherancampstaff.Daycampstaffreportedthattheymorefrequentlyfeltsupportedbyleadershipstaffandsupervisors(t(118,147)=-4.333,p<.001)andfeltthattheiropinionsandinputwerevalued(t(116,147)=-2.449,p<.05).Theyalsoagreedsignificantlymorestronglythattheyfeltsupportedintheirpersonalfaithjourneybysupervisors(t(118,148)=-3.470,p<.01)andthattheyreceivedfrequentandhelpfulfeedbackabouttheirjobperformance(t(118,146)=-2.701,p<.01).

• Thosewhospentatleast¼oftheirsummerondaycampagreedmorestronglythat“Conflictamongstaffwasresolvedinahealthymanner(t(209,220)=-2.976,p<.01).Again,thisfindingwasstatisticallysignificantamongSpringHillstaffandalsoevident(thoughnotsignificantlydifferent)amongLutherancampstaff.

• Theonlycampexperienceinwhichthosewhospentalloralmostalloftheirsummeratovernightcampreportedgreaterfrequencythandaycampstaffwas,“Itwasdifficulttobeawayfromtechnology”(t(118,146)=1.988,p<.05).Presumably,thiswasbecausedaycampstaffhadaccesstotheirdevices,particularlyintheevenings,whereasmostovernightstaffhadmorelimitedaccess.

• Onthepre-summersurvey,returningstaffwhohadservedonatleastonetravelingdaycampinthepastagreedmorestronglythanon-camponlystaffwith,“Myexperiencesat[CAMP]havegivenmegreaterclarityonmylifedirectionandcareer”(t(53,174)=-2.955,p<.01).

18Staff Perceptions of Camp Takeaways Thepost-campsurveyalsoincludedanopen-endedquestionaskingoutgoingstaffmembersthemostimportantthingtheywouldtakeawayfromtheirsummerworkingatcamp.Atotalof210staffmembersansweredthisquestion,including165SpringHillstaffand45Lutheranstaff.Themajorthemeswere,inorderofresponsefrequency:growthinfaith/trustinGod,relationships/friends,developingleadershipskills,developingadditionallifeskills,findingpersonaljoy,andimpactingkids.

Theme1:GrowthinFaithThemostfrequentprimaryresponseabouttheirexperiencesbysummerstaffwasincreasedtrustinGod(33responses).OneSpringHillstaffmemberstated,“beingflexibleandtrustingGodleadsyoutobiggerandbetterthings!”Thisincreasedfaithechoedinadditionalresponsesaboutstrongersensesoffaith(21responses).AnEwalustaffmemberreported,“IthinkthemostimportantthingI’lltakeawayfromthissummeristheknowledgeofmyfaithandwhereIaminmyfaithjourneyandhowmytimehereatEwaluhelpedmefigureitout.I’mgoingtotakeawaythelifelessonsthattheotherstaffmembershavetaughtmeduringmytimehere.”Asasecondaryresponsethemeinresponses,growthinpersonalfaithcontinuedtobementioned21moretimes.Thismeansthattheseresponseshadadifferentprimarytheme,butasasecondarycomponent,growthinfaithwasalsodescribedbythestaffmember. Theme2:Community/Friendship

Acloselylinkedcomponentofgrowthinfaithandspirituallifeforstaffmemberswasfindingcommunity(27responses)andmakingnewfriends(twelveresponses)whileworkingassummerstaff.Responseswerelargelypositiveabouttherelationshipsthatpeopledevelopedwiththeircolleagues,leaders,andcampers.Thisencounterwithpositiverelationshipswasprevalentacrosscampsforthesummerstaff.OneLutheranrespondentexplainedthattheydeveloped,“Arenewedperspectiveoncommunityanditsimmensevalueformyself,allwhoareinthecommunity,andthosetowhomthecommunitycanreachoutinloveandserviceandbeinginvitational.”Similarly,aSpringHillstaffmembersummarized,“Thecommunityyousurroundyourselfwithimpactswhoyouareasaperson.”Inadditiontotheprimaryresponsesaboutfindingcommunity,thereweresevensecondaryresponses.Thisindicatesthatpositiveandmeaningfulrelationshipbuildingoccurredamongststaffwasamajorimpact.Whenresponseswerenegativeaboutcommunityandrelationships,thefivenegativeresponseswereabouttheircolleaguesandleadership.AllfiveoftheseresponsescamefromSpringHillstaffandfourofthefivedescribedfeelingdifferentorhavingdisagreementswithanotherperson.Thesefourresponsesalsoincludednotesoflearningandresiliencethroughtheirchallengeswithcolleagues.Oneofthefiverespondentsfeltdisregardedandexcludedthroughouttheirsummer.Althoughthesetypesofresponseswerelowamongstthosewhodidrespondtothesummerstaffsurvey,theydoindicateagrowthareaforSpringHillindealingwithinterpersonalstaffchallenges.Theme3:LeadershipSkills

Althoughlessprevalent,butstillnotable,wastheskilldevelopmentamongststaffmembers.Thedevelopmentofleadershipabilitieswasamajorlifeskillthatsummerstafffelttheyestablishedandgrewatcamp(seventeenresponses).Staffdescribedtheopportunitytogrowinleadershipskillsthroughthecourseoftheirsummercampexperience.OneLutheranstaffmemberstated,“IwilltakeawaythedepthofknowledgeandskillsthatIlearnedtobeabletoleadinsuchadifferentway.”Oftheseresponses,thiswastheonlyLutheranwhorespondedaboutleadershipgrowth,whereastheothersixteenresponseswerefromSpringHill.OneSpringHillstaffmemberstated,“Mymostimportantthingtotakeawaywouldbelearningnewleadershipskills.”Ofthelifeskillsdevelopedonstaff,leadershipwasthemostcommonlynoted.

19Theme4:AdditionalLifeSkills

Otherlearningcategoriesamongststaffincludedthevalueofcamp(threeresponses),applicableknowledge(tworesponse),andvocationaldiscernment(tworesponses).BothaLutheranandSpringHillstaffmemberdescribedthevalueofcampasbeingaplacethatislikehomeforthem.Theapplicableknowledgedescriptionswerevague,butindicatedpertinencefortheirlivesaftercamp.Forvocation,oneSpringHillstaffmemberlearnedthattheywanttoworkwithchildren.Incontrast,oneLutheranstaffmembersaidthattheyfelt“tooold”forthistypeofwork.Bothtypesofdiscernmentareimportantforpersonal,vocationalunderstanding.Additionallifeskillsthatstaffdescribedincludeinterpersonalskills(fiveresponses),patience(fourresponses),andresilience(threeresponses).Workingasasummerstaffmemberpresentedchallengesandlearningopportunitiesthatstaffappreciateduponreflection.FourofthefiveresponsesaboutinterpersonalskillswerefromtheLutherancamps.OneLutheranstaffmemberreported,“Ilearnedmanyskillsandhowtoworkwithothers.WesaweachotherinourworsttimesbutalsoinourbestandIcantakeawaythatnomatterwhatwewereacommunitythathelpedservechildren.”Theindicationthattherewerechallengesandskilldevelopmentappeartohavebeenoverallpositiveforstaffmembers.AllfourofthepatienceresponsescamefromSpringHillstaff.Theserespondentsemphasizedtheimportanceofpatiencefortheirtimeworkingatcamp.TwoofthethreeresponsesaboutresiliencecamefromLutheranstaffmembers.OneLutheranstaffmemberstated,“Youhavetolearntogrowandit’sokaytofalldownabitaslongasyougetonyourfeeteventually.”ThissentimentwasechoedbytheSpringHillrespondentwhosaid,“Itisoktofailanditdoesn'tmeanyouareafailure.”Thenotionoffallingorfailurewasmetwithrisingagainandpositiveself-understanding.Theme5:JoyandPositiveSelf-Understanding

Inadditiontoresilience,joyandapositiveself-understandingwascommonlyreportedandimportantamongstsummerstaffineighteenresponses.FourteenoftheseeighteenresponsecamefromSpringHillstaffmembers.Onepersonstated,“themostimportantthingthatIhavelearnedthissummeristofindjoyeverymorning.Whetheritbethefactyougottowakeupinthemorningorthatyouhadahardshipremovedfromyourlife.Alwaysfindjoyinwhatyoudo.”Thegrowthinhappinessandconfidencewasimportantformanystaffmembersexperienceandtheirworkonstaffseemstohavefacilitatedthatinternaldevelopment.Theme6:ImpactingKids

Finally,summerstafffeltstronglythattheywereimpactingkidsinsixteenresponses.FiveoftheseresponseswerefromLutheranstaffandtheotherelevenwerefromSpringHillstaff.OneLutheranstaffmemberfelt,“Thepowerofthisministryandtheeffectwearecapableofhavingonkids.”Similarly,aSpringHillstaffmemberreported,“ThemostimportantthingsIwilltakeawayfromcamparelearninghowimportantpositiveinteractionsareforchildrenandothers.”Summerstafffoundasenseofaccomplishmentandpurposeintheirabilitiestoimpactcampersthroughthecampexperiencethattheywerefacilitating.Thisimpactoncamperswaspositiveandfocusedonspiritualgrowth,learninganddevelopment.Furthermore,fourresponsesdescribedbeingimpactedbycampers,whichwassharedevenlybetweenSpringHillandLutherans.OneSpringHillstaffmemberdescribedacyclicalimpact:“Theimpactthatthekidshadonmeandhowtheychallengedmetogrowinmyfaith,whiletheyweregrowingintheirs.”Similarly,aLutheranstaffmemberstated,“Godworksthroughthecamperstotransformyou.”Staffwereimpactedbytheirworkwithcampersandunderstoodafaith-drivencomponentofthesepositiveimpacts.