Counseling Tips

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Colossians 3:23-24

If you are planning to be a part of the Camp Concern staff, please know that you will be participating in an important ministry that has touched the lives of thousands of children, teens and adults throughout the years! Your willingness to serve the Lord and to give of yourself and your vacation time is proof of the strong love and commitment you have toward our Father. As counselors, it is our unique opportunity to show God’s love to His children in everything we do at Camp.

So...how do we do that? Here are some thoughts...

The first, middle and last step to being an effective counselor is prayer. God will provide us guidance as to the words to say; and He will also provide us with patience, creativity, energy and excitement.

What is the main function of a Camp Concern staff member? It is to serve, teach and counsel the campers in a Christ-like manner and to bring glory to God in all they do.

In order to fulfill this function, it is imperative that staff members set aside any desire to receive personal benefit and/or glory. In all we do, we pray all the glory goes to our Father in Heaven.

Some of the jobs that must be performed at camp are not the most fun—cleaning latrines, scrubbing the mess hall floor, unclogging toilets, etc. But these are jobs that we must be willing to do when necessary. Remember, even our Savior washed the feet of His friends.

Flag raising seems to get earlier and earlier as the week progresses, and it can be tempting to sneak away during Bible Bowl, but it is important that we be in attendance for all activities where campers must be. Where should a counselor be? Wherever the campers are.

Really, our function as counselors is two-fold: to perform the daily tasks that are necessary to maintain camp, but also to build solid relationships with the campers. We must strive to know the campers well so we can help to increase their spiritual growth during our camp week.

Along these lines, we should always remember to look out for those campers who seem to be loners, on the fringe or left out. No camper should leave Camp Concern feeling like no one reached out to know him.

Some of the campers who attend camp come from places we hope to never have to go. For many of them, this is the only week in the year where people care for them and love them. We must remember to have patience with them, and to pray for them, and especially to show them that God is their Father too.

We as counselors must not allow ourselves to be blinded by competition on the sports field or court. Our function is not to “win at any cost” as the world does, but to encourage participation and good sportsmanlike conduct by all. Campers will learn this by our example.

And finally, we must remember to HAVE FUN. Being a Christian is full of joy and we must show this to the campers.

And once again, THANK YOU for your service and love. YOU are how Camp Concern happens every year. Thanks for letting God use you in a powerful way!