How Emmanuel Pines Grew from $900K to $2M
How leadership decisions, team culture, and intentional systems fueled sustainable camp growth
What actually causes a camp to grow?
Not just a little—but to break out of a plateau and move into something sustainable, something repeatable.
In this episode of the Grow Your Camp Podcast, Carl and Mark sit down with Kathi and Bob Terrell of Emmanuel Pines Camp to walk through that exact journey. Over the course of about three years, they led the camp from roughly $900,000 in revenue to over $2 million.
But as they tell the story, it becomes clear pretty quickly—this wasn’t about a single strategy or a marketing trick.
It was about a series of decisions. About getting honest about what wasn’t working. About building a team that actually carried the mission. And about creating an experience strong enough that groups didn’t want to go anywhere else.
Quick Camp Marketing Tip: Rebooking Is Your Most Affordable Growth Strategy
Before getting into the interview, Mark zooms in on one of the simplest—and most overlooked—drivers of growth: rebooking.
If a group comes to your camp once, the easiest next step isn’t finding a new group. It’s getting that same group to come back.
That’s where rebooking comes in.
A healthy camp, Mark explains, should be aiming for somewhere in the 60–80% range. That might sound high at first, especially if you’re used to thinking in terms of hospitality benchmarks. But camps aren’t hotels. Groups plan annually. They bring large numbers of people. And once they’ve made it work once, switching locations is a big lift.
Which is why rebooking is such a strong signal.
When a group rebooks, it’s not just a scheduling decision—it’s a vote of confidence. It means they felt cared for. It means their needs were met. It means the experience was strong enough that they don’t want to risk going somewhere else.
And when rebooking doesn’t happen?
That’s where things get revealing.
“If you’re sitting below 50%, something is broken… you don’t have a market problem—you have a systems problem.”
Mark shares a story from his time at Forest Home, where a long-standing group was ready to leave after a disappointing food experience. Instead of letting them quietly walk away, he called the pastor directly, owned the issue, and made a bold guarantee.
It worked. The group came back.
Not because everything had been perfect—but because someone cared enough to fix what wasn’t.
That same principle played out at Emmanuel Pines. When they started focusing intentionally on rebooking, their numbers moved from the mid-30% range to nearly 60%.
It wasn’t magic. It was attention, follow-up, and a willingness to address what guests were actually experiencing.
“You’ve already done the hard work of getting groups there once. Take care of them well enough that they don’t want to go anywhere else.”
Personal Camp Story: From “I Don’t Do Camp” to Fully Bought In
Bob Terrell didn’t start out loving camp.
In fact, after one particularly exhausting experience bringing a group of kids to camp, he went back to his office, printed out a sign that said “Bob, I don’t do camp,” and taped it to his door.
That was the end of it—at least for a while.
But things shifted when he and Kathi moved onto the property at Emmanuel Pines. Living there gave him a completely different perspective. He wasn’t just dropping kids off anymore—he was watching what happened during the week.
He saw baptisms. He saw relationships form. He saw lives change in ways that were immediate and visible.
And that began to reshape how he thought about camp.
Kathi’s entry into camp leadership was just as unexpected. What started as a simple question about hiring a new director turned into her stepping into the role herself—within about ten days. With much of the previous team gone, she had to learn quickly and lead immediately.
Neither of them followed a neat, planned path into camp ministry.
But over time, through experience and responsibility, it became clear: this was where they were supposed to be.
How Emmanuel Pines Broke Through a Growth Plateau
When Good Camps Get Stuck
When Kathi and Bob look back at their early years at Emmanuel Pines, they don’t describe a failing camp. They describe a camp that was… stuck.
Revenue hovered in the $700,000 to $900,000 range for several years. There were good people on the team. Guests were still coming. But growth wasn’t happening in a meaningful way.
Some of that was external—COVID disrupted everything. But internally, there was another issue.
They were reacting more than they were leading.
“We had good people, but the vision and direction was more reactive than proactive.”
Facilities needed work. Systems weren’t fully in place. And while they were putting in the effort, it wasn’t translating into forward momentum.
Deciding to Pursue Growth—For Real
The shift didn’t come from a single moment. It came from a series of conversations.
Kathi started connecting with other camp leaders and hearing their stories—stories of growth, of change, of things moving forward. And naturally, the question followed:
What are you doing that we’re not?
The answers pointed to something uncomfortable. Posting on social media occasionally wasn’t a strategy. Hoping for growth wasn’t a plan.
So they made a decision to bring in outside perspective.
And with that decision came both excitement and a little bit of fear.
“Do we really think we can do this?”
The opportunity was there. The potential was clear. But stepping into it meant change—and a lot of work.
Seeing the Camp Through a Guest’s Eyes
One of the earliest shifts was deceptively simple: they started walking their property like a guest would.
They paid attention to what people saw when they arrived. What they noticed. What they felt.
And once you start looking through that lens, it’s hard to stop.
They focused on the areas guests interacted with most—roads, gathering spaces, lodging, dining areas—and began making steady improvements. Over time, they reinvested heavily into the property, updating buildings, refreshing spaces, and addressing long-overdue maintenance.
Guests noticed.
Not necessarily in a loud, obvious way—but in the way they responded when they came back.
“When they come back, they’re excited to see what’s new.”
At the same time, they realized something else: first impressions didn’t start at the front gate anymore.
They started online.
That realization led to a new website, clearer messaging, and a better understanding of who they were trying to reach.
Building Systems That Support Growth
As things began to shift, it became clear that effort alone wasn’t enough. They needed systems.
One of the most impactful changes was adding a dedicated virtual sales role—someone whose sole focus was handling inquiries, following up with groups, and guiding them through the booking process.
Previously, that responsibility had been spread across multiple roles. It got done—but inconsistently.
With one person focused on it, everything changed.
Responses were faster. Communication was clearer. Opportunities didn’t slip through the cracks.
“The responsiveness was there—and that made a huge difference.”
It wasn’t flashy. But it was effective.
Creating a Culture That People Want to Be Part Of
As demand increased, so did the need for a stronger team.
But hiring people was only part of the equation. The bigger question was: what kind of culture were they stepping into?
Kathi and Bob made a conscious decision to be more intentional about how they cared for their staff.
They introduced what they call the “I See You” program—simple, consistent recognition of team members who were going above and beyond. Notes. Encouragement. Small gestures that communicated something bigger: you matter here.
“We saw you do this—you did a great job.”
It wasn’t complicated. But it was consistent—and it started to shape the environment.
At the same time, they made sure leadership stayed visible. Conversations weren’t reserved for meetings. Encouragement wasn’t occasional. It was part of the rhythm of daily life at camp.
Turning Values Into Action
Culture became even more tangible when they gave their team a simple framework to work from.
They called it PEACE—a way to translate values into action.
It showed up in moments that might otherwise get overlooked.
Like the staff member who kept weed-eating instead of helping a guest with an overflowing toilet. That moment became a turning point. The expectation shifted: when a guest needs something, you stop what you’re doing and help.
“There’s nothing more important than attending to guest needs.”
That clarity made a difference.
Guests felt it. And they said so.
“When people come through the gates, they say—something feels different here.”
Letting Go So the Camp Can Grow
As the camp grew, Kathi and Bob had to grow as leaders too.
That meant hiring more people. Building better onboarding. Reinforcing the mission so every team member understood why they were there.
But it also meant something harder: letting go.
Letting others lead. Letting others make decisions. Trusting the team they had built.
“We finally had the right people in the right places.”
That shift didn’t just change the camp—it changed their lives.
For years, they had lived right at the front of camp, always on, always available. Eventually, they were able to move back into their own home on the property—something they hadn’t been able to do for seven years.
That space mattered.
It created margin. It created sustainability.
What This Means for Your Camp
If you step back from the details, the pattern becomes clear.
Growth didn’t come from one big move. It came from a series of intentional changes:
Getting honest about what wasn’t working
Improving the guest experience in visible ways
Building systems that support consistency
Investing deeply in staff culture
Learning to trust and delegate
And maybe the most important takeaway comes from the question Kathi and Bob left behind:
“What are you tolerating right now—and what needs to change?”
Because in many cases, growth isn’t blocked by what you don’t know.
It’s blocked by what you’ve gotten used to.
If this episode resonated with you, share it with another camp leader, subscribe to the podcast, and consider submitting a question for a future episode.
Because what you do matters—and you can’t minister to empty beds.
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