Stronghold
Stronghold is a web-based platform for managing youth and kids ministries, camps, conferences, retreats, and mission trips.
What Stronghold is
Stronghold is a web-based platform for managing youth and kids ministries, camps, conferences, retreats, and mission trips. It brings student and family records together with attendance, small groups, discipleship milestones, care notes, volunteer roles, and follow-up for first-time guests. Safeguarding tools include guardian pickup codes, background-check gates, consent records, medical and allergy notes, headcounts, and incident reports. Camp and trip operations cover registration and payments, forms and waivers, cabin assignments, schedules, squads, tournaments, check-ins, and secure pickup. Communication includes leader-visible messages with keyword safety flags, texting, email campaigns, announcements, and prayer requests; texting and email require a connected provider. Stronghold also offers a white-label website builder and an installable student and parent app. Shepherd AI flags issues such as drifting students, uncleared volunteers, or campers without cabins. A 14-day trial requires no credit card to start; the account pauses if no plan is selected afterward.
Good
- Includes student and family CRM and discipleship tracking.
- Safeguarding tools cover pickup codes and medical notes.
- Camp tools include registration, schedules, and cabin assignments.
- Exports are available at any time.
- 14-day trial starts without a credit card.
Watch out
- No free plan is listed.
- Texting and email require a connected provider.
- Account pauses after the trial without a selected plan.
Who it suits
Stronghold suits youth and kids ministry teams, as well as camps and event organizers that need participant, family, safeguarding, and event-management tools. The website builder and family app may also suit groups that want an online presence for students and parents.
Verdict
Stronghold combines ministry records, safeguarding, communications, and camp operations in one platform. Its Youth and Kids plans each cost $29 a month, while the combined Bundle costs $49 a month.
Plans and prices
From Stronghold's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Kids | $29 a month | Children's ministry CRM · Secure check-in + pickup codes · Family profiles & classes · Website + parent updates · Shepherd AI + support · $29/mo |
| Youth | $29 a month | Student ministry CRM · Small groups & discipleship · Events, camps & trips · Website + student app · Shepherd AI + support · $29/mo |
| Bundle — Youth + Kids | $49 a month | Everything in Youth and Kids · One family view across both · Priority support · $49/mo |
| Camps & conferences | Priced on request | Annual and multi-site pricing available · Priced per event |
The facts
Each one read from Stronghold's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- AI
- Shepherd AI flags issues such as a drifting student, an uncleared volunteer, or a camper without a cabin.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Audience
- The platform is designed for youth and student ministries, kids ministries, camps, conferences, retreats, and mission trips.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Camp operations
- Camp tools include registration and payments, forms and waivers, cabin assignments, squads, tournaments, schedules, trip check-ins, and secure pickup.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Communication
- The platform includes leader-visible messaging with keyword safety flagging, parent and student texting, email campaigns, announcements, and prayer requests.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Data portability
- The maker says customers can export their data at any time.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Founder
- The About page identifies Dr. Hines as the builder and says he has spent nearly two decades in youth ministry, leading groups from 20 to 800 students.checked 8 Oct 2026
- People and discipleship
- It includes student and family CRM, attendance and drifting lists, small groups, discipleship milestones, care notes, volunteer roles, and first-time guest follow-up.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says minor data is leader-only, is not shown in student-facing apps, and is not shared between churches.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Product
- Stronghold is an all-in-one youth ministry and camp management platform for students, families, small groups, check-in, events, camps, and follow-up.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Provider requirement
- The maker says some channels, including texting and email, activate when a provider is connected.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Safeguarding
- Features include guardian pickup codes, background-check gating, consent records, medical and allergy notes, headcounts, and incident and safeguarding reports.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker says users can message the Stronghold team from the dashboard; the Bundle plan includes priority support.checked 8 Oct 2026
Money
- Trial
- The pricing page offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required to start; the account pauses after the trial if no plan is selected.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Website and app
- Stronghold offers a white-label website builder and an installable student and parent app that families can add to their home screen.checked 8 Oct 2026
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