Lesson 1: Your role as a counselor

1. Your Role as a Youth Counselor

As a counselor, your primary role is to guide and protect the campers assigned to you! This cannot be stressed enough. It is crucial to approach your role with humility, love, and a commitment to their well-being.

Key Responsibilities:

• Spiritual Role Model: You are meant to be a spiritual role model. The way you live out your faith during camp, in church and outside of church, through your words, actions, and attitude, will have a lasting impact on the campers.

• Safety & Supervision: You are entrusted with the safety of your campers, ensuring they follow camp rules and participate in activities in a safe manner. This includes watching over them at all times.

• Behavioral Guidance: Maintaining order is important but always approach discipline with grace and patience. Remember, your ultimate goal is to guide them toward Christ.

Reflection: Ask yourself: How can I show the power of the Holy Ghost in the interactions with my campers? What will my example teach them about how to live for God?

2. The Importance of a Holy Ghost Environment

At CAYC, everything we do is rooted in the truth of God and serving Him. This is not just a place for fun and games, but a place where youth can experience the power of the Holy Ghost. As a counselor, you are helping to create an environment where campers can experience God’s presence among their peers.

A Few Key Points:

• Church: At each church service we want campers to experience a move of God. Your role is not just to supervise but to participate actively in worship, altar call and prayer. Pray out loud during pre-service prayer. Run aisles and shout with your campers. Make sure they are going to the altar and you are encouraging them to pray and reach out to God. Your role is to encourage spiritual growth, guiding them through each day of camp and church services.

• Community: The relationships that campers form here can impact them for life. You are to foster a spirit of unity and respect; you help create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

• Recreation: After church services, there will be times for fun and team building. Counselors will lead or assist in recreational activities, ensuring that all campers are engaged and participating safely.

• Meals: Counselors will supervise campers during mealtimes, ensuring that everyone eats together and maintains good manners. Do not permit campers, whether assigned to your dorm or not, to show disrespect toward camp facilities or toward others at any time, including during activities, meals, or transitions between locations.

Reflection: Think about a time when God used someone to impact your life spiritually. How can you be that person for a camper this year?

3. Safety and Security

While the main focus of camp is spiritual growth, safety is our top priority. As a counselor, it is your responsibility to keep your campers safe! This means being vigilant, present, adhering to camp rules, and responding to emergencies appropriately. More information will follow in the safety and security lesson.

A Few Safety Guidelines:

• Always Know Where Your Campers Are: Whether you’re at a church service, in a recreation session, or walking around the camp, make sure you are aware of where all of your campers are at all times.

• Emergency Procedures: Familiarize yourself with emergency protocols, including first aid procedures, evacuation plans, and how to handle medical or behavioral emergencies.

• Mental Health: Sometimes, a camper might struggle emotionally. If you notice signs of distress or emotional difficulty, approach the camper with care and speak to camp leadership as needed. Your goal is to listen, support, and direct the camper to proper help when necessary.

Reflection: How will you ensure your campers are always safe and well-cared for during camp?

4. Counselors and Rules

Our camp rules are designed to create an apostolic environment for all involved. As a counselor, you are not only responsible for following the rules but also for enforcing them in a balanced and patient way. Rules ensure that every camper is protected, respected, and able to participate fully in the camp experience.

Core Rules:

• Holiness: Counselors must model holiness in speech, attitude, behavior, and dress at all times.

• Respect for Authority: Campers and Counselors are expected to follow the instructions of staff and leadership promptly and respectfully.

• Appropriate Conduct: Physical contact, language, and interactions must always remain appropriate, pure, and above reproach.

• Unity and Kindness: Gossip, bullying, teasing, or exclusion of any kind will not be tolerated. Counselors should actively promote unity, kindness, and inclusion.

• Order and Structure: Campers are expected to follow schedules, remain with their assigned groups, and participate in activities as directed.

• Reverence During Services: Church services are a priority. Campers should maintain a respectful, worshipful attitude during preaching, prayer, and altar time.

Reflection: Think about how you can help enforce the camp rules in a way that is fair and consistent.

5. Maintain a Spirit-Filled Attitude at All Times

Counselors are expected to maintain a positive attitude throughout camp. Your words, reactions, and conduct should reflect joy, patience, and self-control, even during moments of stress or fatigue. Campers will often mirror your attitude, so remain mindful that your spirit sets the tone for those in your care.

Key Points:

• Respond, Don’t React: Handle challenges, discipline, and unexpected situations calmly and prayerfully rather than emotionally or impulsively.

• Guard Your Words: Avoid complaining, negativity, sarcasm, or frustration in front of campers.

• Set the Tone: Remember that your attitude sets the emotional and spiritual climate for your group.

Conclusion: The Responsibility and Privilege

As a counselor this year, it will require flexibility, patience, and a genuine servant’s heart. Camp days will be full and demanding, with early mornings, late nights, multiple activities, and five church services spread across four days. You will be expected to remain with your campers during services, meals, recreation, and all transitions, often placing their needs above your own comfort. Along with these responsibilities, you can anticipate powerful moves of God, moments of spiritual breakthrough, and times when campers will need extra encouragement, prayer, or guidance. Though the role can be physically and emotionally challenging, it is also deeply rewarding, and your consistency, attitude, and commitment will play an important role in what God does in the lives of the youth this year.

Next Steps:

Once you've completed this lesson, continue on to the next lesson, where we’ll discuss safety, supervision, and how to manage camper behavior effectively.