Maybe you’re already making plans for next summer, maybe you’re not. Maybe those plans have been made for you by your parents or by your degree plan requirements. Or maybe you’re waiting for something to “fall in your lap.” Here is what you need to know:
Frontier Camp is hiring for Summer 2019 and we want hard-working Christ-followers who love kids and love the outdoors to apply.
Why should you apply? Why should you spend the summer out sweating in the heat? Here are some obvious and not so obvious benefits to consider as you prayerfully ask God if He is calling you to serve Him at camp this summer:
Grow in your spiritual maturity. A 2017 study exploring the impact of serving at a Christian summer camp surveyed counselors and found a 60% increase in their spiritual growth. Just filling out Frontier Camp’s application will make you think deeply about what you believe and why! If you are hired, you’ll receive lots of training in the Word, how to study it, and how to share it during Staff Training. In addition, all staff members regularly attend staff Bible studies, and have opportunities to attend supplemental seminars such as “Science and the Bible.” As a Counselor in a cabin, you’ll be equipped and stretched by campers’ tough questions about Biblical faith. Frontier Camp is about growing staff in their walk with the Lord, and God has been doing that through us successfully for a long time.
Gain community. A first time staffer recently confided to me that “for the first time in my three years at college, I felt like I actually made real friends.” We were created in the image of a triune God, a “We,” not an “I.” The human race was created for community and relationship. At Frontier Camp you’ll meet and do life with over 100 other Christ-followers with similar interests (Jesus, kids, outdoors) and bond over the fun and intense ministry experience.
Become more of a team player. Whether you’re in a cabin working with a co-counselor, serving in leadership on Program Team, or preparing food in the kitchen, you will regularly be working with others to accomplish a goal. Learn more about your strengths (and weaknesses) and how they contribute to the team while you rub shoulders with some other phenomenal team members. In the study listed above, summer camp staff reported a 51% growth in personal ability to work on a team after one summer working at camp.
Grow in your leadership skills. There are 9 essential skills you need to successfully enter the 21st century workforce. Leadership is one of those. Working at camp gives you an opportunity to learn to lead in so many different ways, many more than the standard internship that offers only entry-level responsibilities. Become more self-aware for areas of personal growth, and then work on those weaknesses in a safe and encouraging environment.
Additional positive outcomes you can achieve by working at camp include better communication skills, improved interpersonal skills, increased independence, decision-making practice, developing initiative, identity development, and increased confidence. See the American Camp Association and this article for additional details.
Sure, you may not make as much money at camp as some more lucrative positions. Frontier Camp does pay better than most, if not all, not-for-profit camps in our region. And we provide you with a place to stay and great food (!) to eat as part of the package. Plus there’s not a whole lot of opportunity to spend what you make while you’re working at camp!
Don’t waste your summer – you only have so many of them. Let God use you to make a difference in the lives of children, teens, and other staff here at Frontier Camp. Ask any of our veteran staff – the benefits of working at Frontier Camp can’t be described fully without experiencing them for yourself. And we didn’t even get to the parts about having fun….