Intern Application: Youth Camps 2024

Coldstream Christian Camp had its beginning in the heart of a young Robertson County, Tennessee farmer in the late 1970s. As a young boy growing up on a farm, Joe Goodman and his brother camped in a small clearing near the spring that now feeds the lake of Coldstream Christian Camp. At the time, his mind was far from using the land for the Lord's work. When his family mentioned the prospect of the land being used for a Christian camp, Joe was opposed to the idea- after all, that

After spending several years away from the farm, Joe returned in 1967, married, and settled down to raise a family. He soon began to see the possibilities for just such a camp. The Lord impressed upon him that he should set aside a portion of his farm for a camping area. His initial goal was to use the camp as a retreat for pastors and missionaries, but it soon became apparent that God was to broaden the scope of the ministry to include ministry to couples, families, children, churches, and other church-related organizations. The necessary paperwork was filed, the camp incorporated, and tax-exempt status sought. Faith, prayers, and patience were answered by the granting of such status

Since 1980, God has used Coldstream Christian Camp, in Adams, Tennessee, to minister to thousands of individuals and families through children's camps, church retreats, banquets, wild game dinner retreats, service groups, and numerous other activities. Coldstream is committed to pursuing its mission of providing a place for spiritual growth and evangelization in an outdoor setting, all to the glory of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our mission is to provide an atmosphere of Christian fellowship in a campground setting, bringing Christian growth to those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, and presenting the lost with the Gospel.

Under this broad scope, the mission of our youth camps is to partner with churches and families in raising up generations of grace. Through Coldstream, campers are encouraged in their strengths, affirmed in their abilities, and discipled to be stronger individuals of faith.

We believe ‘God Goes to Camp’- in an environment free from distraction, campers can hear the Gospel clearly. Our staff strive to create an atmosphere where children can ask questions, worship freely, and “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). Unlike many other campground ministries, we also work hard to develop a long-term investment in both staff and campers where possible. Whether you are here for one week or ten years, we treat all relationships as eternal investments.

1. We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, is without error in its original languages, and is the ultimate authority for faith and life.

2. We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons, the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

3. We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

4. We believe that the salvation of lost and sinful man requires regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

5. We believe in the resurrection of the saved to eternal life and the lost to damnation.

6. We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in Christ, His church. We believe that the institution of marriage was created by God as a picture of Christ and the church, and is solely

7. We believe in holy living, and dedicating ourselves to the service of Christ.

Each Staff member (either volunteer and paid) will be expected to uphold this Community Standards Agreement. The goal of life at Coldstream is to live, work, serve, and worship together as a community centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is intended that this agreement would be understood as a grace-filled standard for life together, and serve as a means of encouraging godly living, with integrity and with honor for one another as we grow as a community.

The purposes of this agreement are:

• To affirm our identity as a Christ-centered institution centered on biblical principles and a devotion to Jesus Christ;
• To affirm the integrity of our mission statement;
• To affirm our unity as a camp community with shared values and a shared framework of grace and faith.

As followers of Jesus Christ and recipients of His grace, we live out our faith on a daily basis. As broken persons, we acknowledge that we will do this imperfectly. As a community that values both individual and corporate maturity, we commit to that which will produce godly growth. In light of this, we commit to the following:

• Show evidence of the Holy Spirit who lives within all believers, such as "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control"
• Seek righteousness, mercy, and justice
• Love and side with what is good in God's eyes, and abhor what is evil in God's eyes
• Uphold the God-given worth of every human being, from conception to death, as unique image-bearers of God
• Pursue unity and embrace ethnic and racial diversity as part of God's design for humanity and practice reconciliation as one of His redemptive purposes in Christ
• Affirm chastity among the unmarried and the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman
• Be people of integrity whose word can be trusted

• Give faithful witness to the Gospel, practice good works toward all and live lives of prayer

• To maintain fellowship with and attendance in a local church

By contrast, even though God forgives people through his grace, we acknowledge that the Bible condemns certain behaviors, and we commit to avoid the following:

• Immodesty in dress or behavior, slander, gossip, vulgar language, blasphemy, greed, covetousness, theft, and the taking of innocent life;
• Sinful attitudes and behaviors, such as impurity and debauchery;
• Hatred, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, envy
• Drunkenness;
• Sexual immorality, including the use of pornography and all other sexual behaviors the Bible reveals to be contrary to God's loving design for humanity.

I have read and will abide by this Community Standards Agreement. I understand that if the Coldstream Christian Camp Staff deems that I am unable to fulfill these responsibilities to the required standard, it may result in removal from my service at Coldstream.

● At training, will be screened upon arrival the same as campers and checked for lice if staying in a cabin.
● Staff will be screened Sunday night when they arrive for symptoms and re-checked for lice if potentially exposed (i.e,. at a movie theater).
● Staff who have been knowingly exposed to a contagious illness are required to report exposure and will be referred to the camp nurse or camp staff for next step 
● Staff who begin displaying symptoms will follow the direction of camp staff and their personal doctor regarding off-site testing and treatment.
○ If tests are recommended: the results should be officially documented and provided to the camp via email (either positive or negative)
○ If quarantine is recommended: the individual must complete the recommended quarantine period before returning to camp
● Staff will be asked to report any symptoms of illness up to 2 weeks after they leave camp.
● Senior staff who become sick and are unable to work will either receive a prorated stipend or no stipend for the days/week of camp missed, due to budget constraints.

Coldstream reserves the right to amend this policy at any time for the health and wellbeing of staff and campers. Thank you for partnering with us for a healthy summer!

Goals

To provide administrative support; to better prepare staff spiritually and practically for their respective weeks; to ensure clear and continual contact between Coldstream and summer staff; to ensure campers have a safe and enjoyable experience during camp; to implement and monitor processes before, during, and after camp that increase efficiency; to encourage and support summer staff in doing kingdom work

Tasks

• Coordinate counselor interviews and applications, if needed 
• Assist in assigning of counselor and Stream Team members to weeks, cabins, tasks, etc.
• Oversee the Stream Team including daily schedules and devotions
• Stay in touch with staff throughout the summer through phone and email, providing relevant updates on curriculum and reminders of upcoming dates,
• Schedule ‘counselor meet and greet’ at least once during the summer (if required)
• Be one of the primary points of contact for Senior & Junior Staff
• Assist in planning of counselor training 
• Assist in leading group sessions during training 
• Keep track of all staff documents and contact staff with missing or late references/background checks/apps, as required by the Volunteer Coordinator
• Assign counselors and stream team to electives based on indicated interests/specialties 
• Manage camp equipment inventory (including canteen and electives equipment) and make purchases, as required
• Manage camper data and monitor sign-ups via Jumbula
• Assemble cabins prior to camps
• Draft running list of allergies and restrictions 
• Order/print all training and camp related materials, including (but not limited to) promotional materials, staff handbooks, legal documents, and cabin assignments
• Keep running inventory of Coldstream merchandise for sale (i.e., shirts)
• Run morning meetings, as needed
• Conduct post-camp surveys for staff
• Coordinate lost-and-found pickup and disposal after camps
• Collect, scan and upload legal documents into the cloud (abuse policies, incident reports, etc.)
• Cultivate a culture of respect, encouragement, and gratitude for summer staff
• Set an example of Christ-like leadership and servanthood to all camp participants
• Clearly and authentically live the Gospel through both word and deed for both campers and staff

Supervisory Structure

The youth camp intern will report primarily to the Programs Director, secondarily to the Volunteer Coordinator. He/she will also work closely with the Teaching Team (Intern, Chaplain, and Fellows) and may be required to prepare work to go before the Board of Directors. The Youth Camp Intern be a primary point of contact for all senior and junior staff after their acceptance.

 

Start Date: Sunday, May 19th

End Date: Saturday, July 27th (position ends formally with an exit interview)

Goals

To draft theme-related curriculum; to teach campers K5-3rd grade; to lead and assist senior staff in seminar development and presentation; to better prepare counseling/stream team staff spiritually and for their respective weeks; to encourage and support summer staff in doing kingdom work; to equip staff to share the Gospel with children; to communicate with seminar and chapel speakers regarding content

Tasks

•  Participate in counselor interviews and application review, if needed
•  Create devotional material to be distributed to staff via email before the start of camps
• Assist in planning counselor training
• Assist in leading group sessions during training
•  Assist in researching and developing curriculum utilizing pre-determined theme, under the supervision of the Teaching Team (Fellows & Chaplains)
• Assist in creating training curriculum for junior staff during Day Camp to encourage them in their faith and equip them for the spiritual realities of camp work
• Teach evening seminars for staff, as needed
• Plan seminar topics, provide resources, and create prompt for senior staff
• Assist senior staff in visual and verbal presentation of seminars
•  Keep senior staff accountable to seminar development timeline
•  If necessary, teach a seminar and/or be prepared to step in and teach in case of emergency
• Teach Day Camp Week chapels (four total) using pre-developed curriculum, under supervision of teaching team
• Equip senior staff with the knowledge and confidence to lead teaching seminars
• Provide spiritual support and encouragement for senior and junior staff through prayer and one-on-one meetings (when needed)
•  Run morning meeting devotionals, as needed
•  Assist in post-camp interviews and debrief for staff regarding personal spiritual growth
• Cultivate a culture of respect, encouragement, and gratitude for summer staff
• Set an example of Christ-like leadership and servanthood to all camp participants
• Clearly and authentically live the Gospel through both word and deed for both campers and staff

 

Additional requirements:

• Relevant teaching experience

Start Date: Sunday, May 5th

End Date: Saturday, July 13th (position ends formally with an exit interview)

Goals

To capture the energy and fun of youth camps; to create photographs to be used for fundraising and marketing purposes throughout the year; to showcase campers, staff, and the beauty of Coldstream; to effectively communicate the mission of Coldstream through media; to give campers, staff, and parents memories they can enjoy after camp is complete

Tasks

• Capture roughly 300-500 images each week of camp 
• Capture video content of each week of camp for marketing purposes
• Capture audio of selected weeks for camp for marketing purposes (i.e., chapel recordings, worship sets)
• Spearhead 1 media campaign, approved by Marketing Coordinator, with a youth camps focus
• Edit and upload all camp images to Dropbox accounts 
• Assist in setting up camp livestreams during opening/closing ceremonies 
• Have daily content ready for marketing coordinator to distribute on socials
• Create end-of-week slideshow featuring images of each camper
• Present final Dropbox portfolio for each week no later than 2 weeks post-camp
• Cultivate a culture of respect, encouragement, and gratitude for summer staff
• Set an example of Christ-like leadership and servanthood to all camp participants
• Clearly and authentically live the Gospel through both word and deed for both campers and staff. 

Supervisory Structure

The  Media intern reports to the Marketing Coordinator and will work closely with the Programs Director and Youth Camps Intern.

Additional Requirements for this Position: 

• Any additional equipment as agreed upon before arrival (including any necessary protection from inclement weather and any relevant insurance; Coldstream is not responsible for damage or loss of equipment)
• Proficiency in Adobe Lightroom and some proficiency in Photoshop
• Some proficiency in the video-editing software of your choice
• Familiarity with Dropbox platform
• Laptop with enough CPU to process and upload images  

Start Date: Sunday, June 2nd

End Date: Saturday, July 27th (position ends with an exit interview and upon delivery of images)

 

 

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered for any internship:

• Excellent interpersonal communicators with an ability to form new relationships quickly
• At least two years of college (rising junior) or two years relevant work experience (church ministry, youth ministry, business, YWAM, etc.).
• The ability to travel to Coldstream for any required meetings and commit to spending a minimum of four weeks on campus during youth camps (including weekends)
• Access to internet, a laptop, and high speed internet 
• Familiarity with Scripture and the ability to apply biblical lessons to daily life 
• Experience working with children and/or young adults
• Excellent administrative and writing skills
• Flexibility and a good attitude; ability to work under pressure 
• A heart for the Gospel and passion for evangelism in all forms
• Driver’s license and car 
• Two letters of reference (cannot be from a family member)
• Ability to work 15 hours a week during the months preceding/following camps (may work other jobs during this time) 

Pay: $100/week + $900 counseling stipend (regardless of whether or not you serve as a counselor)

Interns who teach a seminar are eligible for a $100 teaching bonus.

Room and board are provided for the time you are required to spend on campus.   Travel expenses may be reimbursed up to $100. 

In 2024, a retention bonus of $50 will be paid for every previous year worked as a Senior Staff or Intern to be capped at $150 (3 years worked); in addition a one time $50 bonus will be paid if you worked any number of years as a Junior Staff.

 

Please indicate you are able to attend:

• Mandatory Training (report at 5:00 pm on June 12th and remain through June 16th)
• Youth Camps, starting at 4:30 PM each Sunday before camp (excluding training weekend)

Please submit two letters of reference through applications@coldstreamchristiancamp.org. References must not come from a family member.