Campfires and Chemistry: Building the Best Team Ever
GSB’s Cohort Program for Camp and Outdoor Ministry Leaders
Cohorts launch September 12, 2026
Program Includes
Cohort gatherings held online every three months on these topics:
» Year-round Approach to Staffing (September)
» Staff Recruiting (November)
» Staff Training (January)
» Alumni Relations (April)
Between each cohort gathering, participants receive two individual one-hour sessions with Dave focused on the current subject – so you can apply what you’re learning directly to your ministry before the next gathering begins.
Cohorts launch September 12, 2026
What You Will Learn
Summer staff are one of the most important parts of your ministry. Yet many camps approach staffing as a short-term need rather than a long-term investment.
Year-Round Approach to Staffing
Rethink how you approach your summer staff. Learn how to stay connected throughout the year and build relationships that extend beyond the summer months—including with their families.
Staff Recruiting
Strengthen your recruiting process. Clarify your philosophy, develop better interview questions, and create a clear system for selecting the right staff team while meeting requirements.
Staff Training
Design training that prepares staff for success. Build a comprehensive plan, involve your leadership team, and create training that reflects the real experience of camp.
Alumni Relations
Find the key contact person in each of your congregations and put them to work for you. Learn how to involve ambassadors in camp marketing, train them to be your eyes and ears, host an annual Ambassador Retreat, and develop an ambassador resource page on your website.
Cohorts launch September 12, 2026
What is your return on investment?
You will leave this program with the skills to invest in your summer staff all year long. You will have a more intentional approach to recruiting and selecting your summer staff. You will gain new understanding of how to create a fun learning environment for your staff to not only grow, but also retain what they learn. You will gain new insights into how to strengthen your organization’s relationship with alumni staff and how they can actually strengthen your current ministry.
This is a 12-month investment of $1,295.
Cohorts launch September 12, 2026
Who Should Participate?
This program is designed for camp directors, executive directors, and office leaders in outdoor ministry who want to foster a year-round approach to staffing by strengthening recruiting processes, designing comprehensive training, and leveraging alumni relations to build lasting connections, all to ultimately transform seasonal hiring into a sustainable, year-long ministry strategy.
This is a 12-month investment of $1,295.
Cohorts launch September 12, 2026
Dave Jarvis brings more than 37 years of full-time outdoor ministry experience to this cohort. He specializes in camp operations, annual fund development, Giving Day campaigns, stewardship, and summer staff development and training. The majority of Dave’s career has been in service to outdoor ministries of the ELCA.
As Executive Director of Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp for 37 years, Dave built an annual fund from scratch and grew it to more than $600,000 annually. He developed policies and procedures across all aspects of the ministry — tightening and systematizing operations in ways that have stood the test of time.
Dave has a genuine passion for helping outdoor ministries thrive. He will be your partner every step of the way.
When he’s not consulting, Dave loves the mountains of Colorado and everything the outdoors has to offer – running, skiing, hiking, and spending time with his wife Nellie and their grandson Oliver.
Meet Dave Jarvis, GSB Consultant
Cohorts launch September 12, 2026