Greetings from Wanake!
Our Board of Directors and staff team are delighted to share that we’ve been selected as a partner camp and project grantee in the Rhythms of Faith Project. Over the next three years, we’ll be working closely with the Rhythms of Faith Project Team and leaders from eight other outdoor ministries across the country to leverage the power of camp experiences to empower parents and caregivers in family faith formation, establishing lasting rhythms of faith through regular Christian practices.
Our staff and leaders are energized by the opportunity to connect more deeply with congregations and families in the months and years ahead. We’re in the early phases of our engagement with the project and will continue to share updates and opportunities to be part of and learn from this exciting process.
WHAT IS THE RHYTHMS OF FAITH PROJECT?
The project is a 5-year, nationwide, cross-denominational initiative generously funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and coordinated by Wheaton College’s Center for Leadership Development (HoneyRock) in partnership with outdoor ministry research organization, Sacred Playgrounds. The project brings together scholars and practitioners from Lutheran, United Methodist, and Evangelical traditions, drawing experiences, ideas, and practices from camp, church leadership, and academia.
This project will capitalize on the power of camp by equipping families and churches to deepen resilient faith in youth through an evidence-based action-research process. We seek to help parents maximize the impact of these deeply transformational experiences and continue the lessons learned and growth into everyday life. Once tested and refined, this program will be shared with the Christian camp movement, through denominational training, in churches and with families across the country and around the world.
Together, we will develop a model program that enables camps to be centers that equip, empower, and sustainably partners with parents and congregations to maximize the impact of camp and camp-like experiences in developing resilient faith and maturity in their youth.
HOW CAN WE GET INVOLVED?
Project partner camps like Wanake will use grant funds to host dynamic, research-based training opportunities for church leaders and parents, to develop and implement programs that creatively integrate camp, church, and home, and to help fund summer camperships for engaged families.
Currently, Wanake is seeking partnerships with congregations that share a passion for empowering families in faith formation at home. To learn more about these opportunities, head rhythmsoffaith.com/churchpartner , or connect with our project leaders, Amy Ecklund, Wanake’s Assistant Director at amy@campwanake.org or 330-756-2333 or Julie Lautt, Wanake Director at director@campwanake.org or 330-756-2333.
WHERE CAN WE LEARN MORE?
To learn more about the project, read current findings, and explore ways to get involved, navigate to rhythmsoffaith.com. We look forward to sharing all we learn with our valued camp community!
Peace and Joy in Jesus, Julie Lautt, Director, and Amy Ecklund, Assistant Director