JOB DESCRIPTION OF CAMP COUNSELOR
Insure that camp is a positive experience for all campers.
1. Know your campers
Know your campers by Name, Age, Abilities, Spiritual Lives, Medical Needs, Feelings, Whereabouts.
2. Stay with your campers
Eat, Play, Win, Lose, Laugh, Cry, and Worship with your campers.
The campers in your cabin are your responsibility while they are at camp. Become involved in your campers’ lives so
you can make the most of this 24-hour a day ministry opportunity.
3. Pray with your campers
Remember, Christian camp is not simply entertainment. It is serious ministry. Your campers come to you with different needs. Find out what these needs may be and pray for them specifcally. Let your campers know you are praying for them. Be an example of Christian manhood or womanhood for your campers. You are making strong statements about what it means to be a Christian on the playing feld, in the cabin and cafeteria and in every moment of the day. These statements will be heard and remembered far more than the ones you say.
If you are working with the campers at the altar, use these suggestions to help you:
a. If you do not know the camper’s name, ask what it is and inquire to why he/she came to pray. Don’t assume anything.
b. Encourage the camper to talk to God about his/her need. Pray silently with the camper as he/she prays.
c. If the camper does not know how to pray, explain that prayer is simply talking to God. Lead in a simple prayer if needed.
d. Ask the camper to tell, in his/her own words, what God did for him/her. You may need to assist, but don’t prompt. If needed, lead the camper through I John 1:9, substituting the camper’s name for the frst person pronoun.
As a camp counselor you are the spiritual leader of your cabin. Involve your camper’s in group and personal devotions each day.
4. Lead your campers
In addition to spiritual leadership, you will be leading your campers in a variety of other areas. Remember they don’t expect or want you to be "just one of the gang." They look to you for leadership.
• Lead by example - Show the kinds of attitudes you want your campers to exhibit. When something needs to be done, such as cleanup, be one of the frst to pitch in and help. Look for opportunities to lead by example.
• Lead with authority - You are the "director of camp" in your cabin. Don’t shirk your authority. You are responsible for ensuring that all camp rules are observed. If you must "lay down the law," temper it with the guidelines for leaders in Ephesians 6.You don’t have to be a dictator to be an authoritative leader. Lead in Christian love.
• Lead by consensus - Camp is not run by the campers, but it is run for the campers. Even in the tightest schedule there are some choices. Whenever there are viable alternatives, lead by consensus. Don’t try to live out your own camp fantasies through your campers. This is their week. When they have genuine options, let them choose. Be careful, however, not to give options where none exist. You are responsible to see your campers are involved in all the regularly scheduled activities of camp.
• Lead by encouragement - Camp is a time for growing. For some it will be a totally new and, perhaps frightening, experience. Be sensitive to the shy child, or the one who lacks confdence. Invite children with these problems to participate fully in the camp’s activities, but don’t force them. Force will only make them more resistant to your efforts to involve them. Demonstrate that you are confdent your campers can do things they may feel inadequate to do. If a frst attempt should fail, encourage additional tries until they are successful. Do not allow anyone to ridicule the child who doesn’t quite reach his goal. Encourage your campers to believe in themselves by believing in them yourself.