Marketing · Mark P. Fisher & Carl Lefever

Grow Your Camp

by Mark P. Fisher & Carl Lefever

Welcome to the Grow Your Camp Podcast: 'Cause You Can't Minister to Empty Beds Where we share stories and systems to help camps grow. Hosts: Mark P. Fisher, of Inspiring Growth Carl Lefever, of Improve & Grow Overview: Most camp directors didn't sign up to be marketers. They signed up because they know what happens to a kid who spends a week away from everything — and they wanted to be part of it. But empty beds are a real problem, and figuring out how to fill them, fund the mission, and still lead well is work nobody really prepared you for. The Grow Your Camp Podcast exists for that director. Every episode opens with one tactic you can use this week — then goes deeper with a real camp leader who's already solved the problem you're sitting with. Real numbers. Real stories. The systems behind the growth. This is what it sounds like when the mission gets to grow. Key Themes: Filling the Calendar: Strategies and real-world examples of how retreat and camp leaders increase bookings and reduce seasonal gaps. Topics might include: lead generation systems, improving inquiry response times, pricing strategy, market positioning, capacity management, and off-season marketing approaches.Marketing that Feels Like Ministry: How faith-driven leaders approach marketing as an extension of their mission rather than a distraction from it. Topics might include: values-based storytelling, ethical persuasion, branding that builds trust, and aligning marketing messages. Digital Growth Systems: Modern tools and digital marketing tactics that consistently drive visibility, inquiries, and revenue for retreats and camps. Topics might include: websites that convert, CRM and automation, SEO and Google Ads, social media advertising, online reviews, and emerging technologies like AI.Stories of Growth: Candid conversations with leaders about their challenges, breakthroughs, and the turning points that sparked momentum. Topics might include: turning around a struggling retreat season, launching new programs, rebuilding after crisis, or scaling operations while staying mission-aligned.Leading for Growth: How leadership mindset, team culture, and operational systems create the foundation for sustainable growth. Topics might include: team alignment, delegation, budgeting and stewardship, guest experience excellence, and building systems that support long-term ministry impact. Episodes are typically 30-45 minutes in length, content is fun, engaging and practical. We bring on reputable guests that work in or on camp and always include a quick camp marketing tip at the top of each episode. Have a specific question you'd like us to cover? Click here to submit a question or episode idea to our team.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

EP 24 | Bigger Isn’t Always Better

SpringHill Camps has experienced both sides of growth. Its traveling day camp program grew from roughly 3,000 campers to 19,000, creating incredible ministry opportunitie

Oct 2
1 h 10 min

EP 23 | Growth Takes a Plan: What to Do When Your Camp Stops Growing

Growth had been strong at Bongiorno Conference Center coming out of COVID, but by 2025 the momentum was beginning to stall. For Executive Director Carl Redding, the chall

Sep 25
1 h 02 min

EP 22 | What Happens When Your Camp Systems Stop Getting in the Way?

Camp technology often forces camps to change the way they work to fit the software. The team behind The One App took the opposite approach: learn how camps actually opera

Sep 11
54 min

EP 21 | Is Fear Keeping Your Camp From Growing?

Empty beds aren’t free. An unused cabin, an open retreat weekend, or a phone that isn’t ringing represents the capacity your camp built, but isn’t using. Mark and Carl c

Aug 28
1 h 07 min

EP 20 | How to Get Your Camp on the First Page of Google

More than half of a typical camp website’s traffic can come from Google searches, and for some camps, that number reaches 80% or more. That makes one question critical: W

Aug 21
54 min

EP 19 | The Hidden Reason Camp Websites Lose Registrations

Most camp websites unintentionally make it harder for visitors to take the next step. A homepage has to introduce your ministry, answer questions, and guide visitors in m

Jul 31
55 min

EP 18 | The Missing Sales System Behind Camp Growth

Most camps assume they need more inquiries to grow their guest group business, but many already have enough opportunities—they simply need a better system for converting

Jul 24
59 min

EP 17 | Your Camp Isn't Full (Even If You Think It Is)

Most camps assume they need more marketing to grow. Mark Fisher argues many actually have a capacity problem hiding in plain sight. Before diving into the main conversat

Jul 17
1 h 07 min

EP 16 | What Happens When Referrals Aren't Enough?

Many camps dream of growing their ministry, but sustainable growth rarely comes from a single campaign or one great season. It happens through consistent leadership, clea

Jul 11
51 min

EP 15 | How Camps Can Build a Referral System That Actually Works

Word-of-mouth has always been one of the strongest drivers of camp growth, but for many camps, it's still an informal process that's impossible to measure or improve. Pe

Jul 3
31 min

EP 14 | How Camps Can Access Free Advertising on Google via the Google Ads Grant

Many camps struggle with visibility—not because their programs lack value, but because the right families, churches, and retreat planners never discover them. Mark opens

Jun 26
36 min

Ep 13 | Increase Camp Revenue Without Adding More Guests

Many camp leaders assume the only way to grow revenue is to add more guests, build more facilities, or create more programs. But what if growth starts with better steward

Jun 19
57 min

Ep 12 | The Real Reason Guests Rebook Your Camp

Refreshing Mountain has doubled revenue over the last decade while maintaining a strong focus on guest relationships and retention. In this episode, Administrative Direct

May 25
1 h 02 min

Ep 11 | How a Camp Went from Struggling to Waitlisted

Hume New England launched with a bold mission: bring the Hume camp experience to the Northeast and expand gospel impact in a region with fewer large Christian camp minist

May 22
50 min

Ep 10 | The Camp Messaging Problem: Why Clarity Beats Cleverness

In this episode Mark opens with a tribute to one of his earliest camp mentors, Neil Fichthorn, the longtime executive director at Sandy Cove. Mark shares the leadership l

May 9
1 h 30 min

Ep 9 | How Systems & Culture Helped Emmanuel Pines Double Revenue

In this episode Mark shares a quick tip about rebooking—the most affordable and often overlooked path to growth. He explains why camps should aim for 60–80% rebooking, ho

May 2
51 min

Ep 8 | From Spiky Bookings to Steady Growth

In this episode, Carl shares a practical marketing tip on turning past guests into your next booking engine—one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to increase occup

Apr 20
36 min

Ep 7 | How One Camp Used Better Follow-Up to 5X New Registrations

In this episode, Mark shares a practical tip on using virtual tours to help camps close more bookings by making it easier for planners to visualize and sell the experienc

Apr 11
1 h 10 min

Ep 6 | From Empty Beds to a Waiting List

In this episode, Carl shares a camp marketing tip on how answering unasked questions on your website can dramatically increase retreat inquiries. Then Mark sits down with

Apr 3
40 min

Ep 5 | The Missing Pages That Drive Retreat Bookings for Camps

In this episode, Mark shares a camp marketing tip about the importance of asking for and responding to reviews. Then Carl and Mark explore how camp websites can significa

Mar 27
45 min