Mountain View Bible Camp

Staff & Leadership Training

Module 1MAKING CAMP COUNT:

Counselors who make a difference

Meet the staff

In this series of training modules, you'll meet the following people:

FRANK, long-time camp administrator. Frank is the staff trainer for these sessions.

TRACY, a young lady who was saved at camp several years ago. This is her first year helping at a camp program on staff.

TOM, a young man with a lot of energy and not necessarily a lot of patience. He's helped out at camp a little bit in the past, but he'll be a first-time counselor this year.

Opening day

Tom flipped through his counseling manual as Frank walked to the front of the room and welcomed the new staff.

“First of all,” said the camp director, “we're glad you're here. It's always busy at camp, and there's plenty going on.”

Tom wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing. He was pretty sure the pool was calling him already, and he hoped this wouldn't take too long. But it looked like Frank had notes, so a short meeting was not looking likely. Tom got comfortable and tried to listen better.

Opening day

“Let's start with a comment or two about how important counselors and other staff members are,” Frank continued.

“Mountain View Bible Camp exists to win campers to the Lord Jesus Christ and help them (1) spiritually.”

Tom stared at his worksheet and then filled in Blank #1: “grow.”

Frank kept talking. “During the coming week, your (2) will be great. Camp may be the only time all (3) for some campers to hear about Jesus Christ.”

Use these words to fill in the numbered blanks on your worksheet:

●GROW

●YEAR

●IMPACT

Opening day

Two rows behind Tom, Tracy nodded her head. That's how it had been for her when she first came to camp six years ago.

Tracy had been at plenty of camp sessions since then, but this was her first time as an assistant counselor.

Now Tom, Tracy, and about twenty-five other camp workers watched and listened as Frank continued.

Opening day

"Since your potential impact is so powerful," Frank was saying, "it makes sense to think ahead about how to use that impact for the (4) . So let's talk about what the campers (5) from you."

Frank slipped the lens cap off the projector, and a PowerPoint slide zipped into view. Tom, Tracy, and about twenty-five other camp workers watched and listened while Frank stepped them through it.

Use these words to fill in the numbered blanks on your worksheet:

●NEED

●LORD

Reaching campers:5 basic needs

Every person has five basic needs.

They are these:RECOGNITION

NEW EXPERIENCES

AFFECTION

POWER

SECURITY

List these five needs in the area provided on your worksheet.

Reaching campers:needs for recognition and novelty

1. RECOGNITION can take the form of attention, praise, or prestige as a member of a group.

If a counselor does not provide positive recognition, campers are likely to seek attention some other way. Misbehavior is often the result.

On the other hand, campers who are ignored may not act out but instead retreat into an ever-hardening shell.

2. “Novelty,” or NEW EXPERIENCES, can come in the form of adventure, change, and variety. The human attention span is very short. It can be lengthened by training and practice, but most of us crave new and interesting ways of doing things if we are going to stay motivated about something.

Write one key point or phrase from each section on your worksheet.

Reaching campers:needs for affection and power

3. AFFECTION comes in the form of understanding and love. Counselors should intentionally create a fun group identity for dorms and cabins to help meet this need.

Of course, while counselors can display genuine care for campers, true expressions of affection are not appropriate for the camp setting.

4. POWER comes through achievement or success. Physical ability on the sports field and in the pool will always stand out, but also remember to recognize Bible memorization, neatness, craft efforts, nature projects, good behavior, and so on.

Add a couple of the ideas from this

slide to your worksheet.

Reaching campers:need for security

5. SECURITY refers to the camper's sense of protection, confidence, and safety. We must make sure every camper feels wanted and appreciated by the staff and other campers.

Many children, when away from their home environment, are very insecure, which will often encourage homesick feelings. Counselors who promote security will help overcome this.

In addition, hostile or aggressive attitudes by any camper must be addressed immediately. Other campers who are picked on and then are not supported by an authority figure can feel very isolated and alone.

Choose a few words from this sectionto add to your worksheet notes, as well.

Back to the staff room

Tom jotted a few more phrases on his worksheet as Frank turned off the projector. This all felt a bit overwhelming, but on the other hand it did seem to make some sense.

“Now, let's look at the camper situation on your worksheet,” Frank told the staff. “Get in groups of six or eight and see what you think about how the 'five basic needs' might be related to this camper.”

Tracy slid her chair over. She was feeling a little skeptical about all this planning. Wouldn't it be better to pray for the campers and then just let things flow?

Your own thoughts

What do you think? Do planning and prayer go together, or are they opposites?

We'll check back with Tom and Tracy in other sections of this training to see how their camp session goes.

In the meantime, you'll find Frank's “camper situation” on the next slide. Read it over, and then write a couple of thoughts in the spaces provided on your own worksheet.

Your own thoughts:At camp with Tony

Tony was clearly the strongest boy in the cabin, as well as the most athletic. He was a little rough and not all that nice to the other kids, but most of them didn't seem to mind. His confident personality made it seem a little dangerous for them to make Tony's manners an issue.

Tony's confidence turned into disinterest when it came to spiritual things. He endured the Bible lessons without too much disruption, but he seemed totally uninvolved.

One time his counselor asked him to read John 3:16 out loud. Tony read it slowly.

“For... God... so lived-- I mean, loved... the word-- um, world... that He gave His... only big... begon... begonnon Son.” He stopped there, stared at the counselor, and said, “That's enough for me. Now you read it.”

Tony didn't say much after that, and the counselor wondered what to do next.

Tony was clearly the strongest boy in the cabin, as well as the most athletic. He was a little rough and not all that nice to the other kids, but most of them didn't seem to mind. His confident personality made it seem a little dangerous for them to make Tony's manners an issue.

Tony's confidence turned into disinterest when it came to spiritual things. He endured the Bible lessons without too much disruption, but he seemed totally uninvolved.

One time his counselor asked him to read John 3:16 out loud. Tony read it slowly.

“For... God... so lived-- I mean, loved... the word-- um, world... that He gave His... only big... begon... begonnon Son.” He stopped there, stared at the counselor, and said, “That's enough for me. Now you read it.”

Tony didn't say much after that, and the counselor wondered what to do next.

Your own thoughts:At camp with Tony

Look back over the “five basic needs” and answer these questions:

1) What might be going on with Tony?

2) Mark 6:34 is an example of a Leadership Verse:

And Jesus ... was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

What points from this verse would be helpful for Tony's counselor to consider?

Congratulations!You've completed Module 1.

Review your worksheet, and then close this file when you're ready.

Next you'll rejoin Tom and Tracy

as they cover Module 2:

“Principles for Counseling and Teaching”