Posts Tagged ‘Summer Staff’

Summer Staff Preview: Chia – A “Good-for-Camp” Counselor

Just as Chia seeds are good for your health, Chia is a “good – for – camp counselor”which is why we are thrilled to announce that Chia is returning for another summer! Campers love her. Staff rely on her. And God is evident in her. After volunteering here in 2006 & 2008 and being on staff in 2014 we are glad for Chia to return for the entire summer of 2015! Read on for why she’s excited to come back to BBC and why she thinks you should too!

“Hello BBC Campers!! I am super excited to be coming back to BBC for a second summer! I was a counselor last year and absolutely loved it. I love being able to spend a summer with a community of friends who love God, who love others, and love His creation. I really enjoyed getting to know each one of my campers and have so many fond memories from my times with the girls in Woodpecker! I can’t wait to try some awesome new activities, and have new adventures with my campers this summer. I also can’t wait to return because I feel like God is not done with me at BBC … I hope to get to know the campers I had last summer better, and form new relationships with new campers this summer! I’m excited to share my story of what God’s been doing in my life, learn from my campers, and of course, have fun! I can’t wait to see you this summer and hope you’ll come back to camp 🙂

Chia Commits to Summer 15

Chia and Campers at ’14 Shin Dig

Chia and Azul post Zip Line

Chia Sharing with Kids at ’14 Annual Sunday Service

Why Camp Counseling Is One Of Your Best Resume Builders

“It’s a good thing they hire 20 yr olds because they are the only people crazy enough to do it!” A current friend of mine and a former BBC counselor was recently referring to the job of camp counseling. It is a crazy job. At BBC counselors care for kids 23/5. Counselors are responsible for cooking meals for campers, sharing Jesus with campers, consistently increasing the fun quotient and creating community among a group of young people who have just met each other. Talent, patience and a desire to keep learning are required for this type of job. Each summer BBC recruits high quality young adults to serve as camp staff. No wonder I miss them so much when they leave!

My friend and I are not the only ones to notice the high quality of camp counselors. An article in Time Magazine reports that “many educators have come to recognize that summer camp, and specifically being a counselor, fosters precisely the skill that we value so highly in young adults: taking responsibility.” The article suggests camp counselors should receive more notice and benefit because “the camp-counselor experience prepares successful young adults through teamwork, empathy, cross-cultural understanding, ability to work with subordinates and superiors, creativity, working under pressure and managing with limited resources.” What other experience packs this type of learning and development?

After reflecting on this past summer at BBC I find myself so thankful for the staff who spent 8 weeks helping the youth around them develop their relationship with God and who continue to develop themselves into people who will surely spread God’s kingdom here on Earth.

Read more from the Time Magazine Article here: https://ideas.time.com/2012/07/10/aummer-camp-can-it-make-kids-more-responsible/

Staff Saturday: Ray Charles

Greetings friends – this past Saturday was crazy busy here at camp. It was Spring Work Day, Open House and the Annual Association Meeting. There was so much going on I couldn’t post this note from Ray. Here’s what she says:

——

Hi campers!

So excited to spend another summer up on the hill with you all! Last year was just too much fun so I had to make my way back up from Ohio to camp again this summer. As the weather has started warming up I can’t stop thinking about the fun Wet’n’Wild Wednesdays we had last summer. From the baked oatmeal, to the slip’n’slide, then the cookout complete with s’mores—that day stands out as one of my favorite parts of the week. I’m excited to see again those I got to know last year and also meet some new and awesome friends! I’m sure we’ll all learn something new this summer too, whether it’s from shelter chats, fireside, or from all the fantastic people Jesus brings to camp. God’s got great adventures planned for this summer and I hope to see you all there!
Ray Charles

Staff Saturday: Frodo (and a Lamb)

Hello My Dear Campers!

This is Frodo here, reporting in that I will be seeing all of you at Bethany Birches Camp this summer! I hope you are planning to return with me and are ready to enjoy some of our favorite camp craziness. Every day I think about being up on the hill at camp and enjoying my very favorite day of the week.. wet n’ wild Wednesday. I think about soaping up my belly and running towards the slip n’ slide, and then going down to the pond for some jump competition and of course an amazing cookout. There is no better way to spend a summer day than up at Bethany Birches with all of you! I have been practicing up on my guitar skills every day too, getting ready to have a summer filled with music. I can’t wait to sing to Jesus, share His amazing love, and have an amazing time with each of you!

Until we meet again!

Frodo Birches

Staff (spritual) Saturday: Sonny

Are you guys ready?!?!

Campers of 2013; are you READY?!?!

I am! I am so thrilled to be coming back to camp, for the WHOLE summer!! Spending time in the beautiful mountains of VT, leaving the flatlands and humidity of Delaware. I am so ready to meet all you new campers and reconnect with the campers I met last summer! To be back in the woods, on the hill, in the tree house or the lake or the pavi; is more exciting than any of the plans little ol’ Delaware could offer. Why? -Because there is no place like camp.

Why do I love camp so much anyway? Why am I traveling all the way from Delaware, by train, for camp? I have been coming to camp for years! The thought of summer without camp, isn’t summer! Growing and learning about God, getting messy, singing, slip n’ sliding, and so much more! The atmosphere at Bethany Birches is acceptance and fun. Not making new friends is IMPOSSIBLE!! Coming to camp now as an Assistant Counselor (rather than intern) will be much more fun because I get to meet ALL of you!!

Don’t miss out on all the spectacular fun and silliness of camp this year!! I hope to see you there; I can’t wait to meet you!

-Sonny

Spiritual Saturday: Buoy is Excited for Camp

Dear campers,

I’m coming back to BBC and I am excited!! I was unable to be at camp all summer last year and that has made me even more excited for group games, GAGA, the water trampoline, Wet n’Wild Wednesdays, the slip n’slide, cooking over a fire, and so much more. Fun is everywhere at camp!

Along with the fun I am looking forward to the serious relationships that camp builds. My hope is that I can grow the relationships that I have started already while creating new, meaningful, ones with all the campers I am going to meet for the first time this summer. I have learned so much in the last year and a half since I was last at camp and I can hardly wait to share what God has been doing in my life. I also look forward to all the things that you all as campers will teach me.

All of you campers should come back too because everyone at camp is important. That is another reason that I could not stay away from camp for another year. Everyone is welcome at camp. I have never been another place that was as welcoming/accepting as camp.

You should also come to camp this year because we have one of the coolest themes ever. Mission Possible! I think I have a little bit of a bias opinion because the theme relates to one of my favorite bible verses, Philippians 4:13 “for I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” You should come back to camp because we can do everything through Christ so who knows what might happen this summer. Whatever mission God give us is possible. The theme also makes me think of mission impossible one of my favorite games to play at camp.

Lastly I know I will not be alone there is a group of staff coming to camp that I am sure are great. I have already started to ask that Christ give me the strength that it takes to play games and talk about God, so that we can make this summers’ mission possible. I’m excited to see all of your smiling faces at camp summer.

Buoy

Happy New Year from BBC

Happy New Year from Bethany Birches!

I (Cheeks) took a few minutes to reflect on the past year. 2012 was another year full of learning and challenge. The various challenges and uncertainty left a lot of room for God to work. As God moved and worked here on the hill I learned a lot about prayer. All summer long we tell campers to pray when they are in trouble, when they are thankful, before meals and any time they want to connect with their Creator. We teach them a variety of ways to pray. We encourage them to pray for each other. Staff pray for campers all throughout the year. And yet this topic has alluded me of late. But as I reflected on 2012 the resounding theme was ANSWERED PRAYER. I was so aware of God answering prayers consistently throughout the year. Read on for my recollection of the top 5 answered prayers of 2012:

Bobcat Campers enjoying the snow

1. SNOW for SNOW CAMP: The week before Bobcat snow camp there was a vital ingredient missing: SNOW! I called my mom and told her we had no snow on the ground for snow camp and asked her to please pray for SNOW. I started planning for a snowless snow camp while praying snow would come. We could see grass on Thursday afternoon, but by Friday afternoon the hill was covered and night time sledding was a blast! I don’t know if God changed the weather pattern specifically for a BBC Snow Camp, but I learned to trust more in God as the snow covered the ground.

Lynx snow-campers with Marlin and Guppy in the middle. (This was just before we got the bad news from the fire marshal.)

2. SHEPHERD for SNOW CAMP: Two weeks before the 2012 Lynx Snow Camp camp was shepherdless. Person after person turned down the offer to come teach Jr High campers about Jesus. One night after exhausting the last person I knew to call I prayed – “God who will shepherd these campers?” The next day Marlin and Guppy called up saying they wanted to make room in their life to drive 12 hours both ways from VA – VT to help at a snow camp – did I still have any needs? YES! Marlin and Guppy shepherded for Lynx Camp and a good time was had by all. I continue to learn that God will bring people to do God’s work.

3. FIRE MARSHAL RALLY: You may have heard the story of the cabin upgrades required by the fire marshal in March (If not, scroll back to earlier blog posts). The whole fiasco was so discouraging at times. And yet, in each discouraging scenario we prayed. Prayed for God to bring funds. Prayed for God to bring volunteers. Prayed for God to bring materials. And each time God answered. One time God answered with a generous donation from the First Congregational Church of Woodstock. Another time God answered with 2 of Tuna’s Aunt and Uncles coming for a week to do all the electrical work. Another time God answered with camper parents who were willing to volunteer their carpentry skills. Another time God answered prayer with a 10K check from an individual supporter. God answered each prayer and I learned to trust him for all my needs.

Summer 2012 Staff

4. STAFF SHORTAGE: Going into March there were only a few applicants to counsel for summer 2012! We had recruited at colleges. We invited past staff to return. I had sent out emails. And still, the applications did NOT come. Finally, I committed staffing to prayer. Every day I diligently prayed for young adults to be drawn to BBC. By the end of March we had an excess of male and female counseling applicants. God does not always answer prayer on a timeline that I’m comfortable with but I’m learning timelines are overrated!

– MORE CAMPERS: We can only have camp if campers come. When it comes to camper attendance, “the more the merrier!” is always true. Since the end of Summer 2011 I had been feeling like camp should have more campers. At the beginning of 2012 I started praying for more campers. God, bring more campers to camp! And God did. One week God answered by having one camper family invite their entire basketball team. A worker at a social services agency used to attend BBC as a kid so she sent every camper she could. Word got out. BBC was the place to be this summer. Camp saw over a 12% increase in camper attendance during the summer of 2012. God brought more campers and through each one, more of himself.

Join me in praying for BBC in 2013. Don’t be surprised when God answers.

– Cheeks.

Newsletter 2012: Nye Sees God at Camp

Seeing God at Camp

(counselor Nye delivered this message at the Annual Sunday Service in 2012)

Camp is like an ocean.

If you really think about it, there are only really two types of oceans out there.

First, the Pacific. When Balboa first laid eyes on this body, the only name he could give to it was one redolent of smooth, un-agitated seas, an environment of warmth, gentle sailing, calm and serenity. It appeared this way of course, out of contrast with the second ocean.

Second, the Atlantic.Typically cold, bitter, unforgiving. A sailor can never be at east, at peace in these waters. Not when there could be super-waves, perfect storms. The Bermuda Triangle is in this ocean. These waters claimed the lives of many able-bodied men; even the most famous ship of all sunk in the Atlantic. This body of water earned its name because according to legend it claimed an entire continent, the lost land of Atlantis, in its violent rage and tempest. Waters such as these are not traveled lightly, with a peaceful mind.

It seems to me that life is similarly dichotomized. You’re traveling along in the South Pacific, and before you know it, you’re in the North Atlantic, frantically fighting in a maelstrom of icebergs and mountainous waves, only to just as suddenly end up in the tropics once more.

And this is how camp has been for me. Sometimes I find myself weathering literal storms, but most are of a more figurative nature. Each week of campers is a new voyage. Perhaps this is why we give them names like Pilgrim, Explorer, Discoverer… Voyager. Each week begins, I get a new boatload of children, and I test the air, looking for that red sky in the morning.

But most times, there will be no warning, and lightning will strike. Two polar personalities between campers, injuries in Mission Impossible, a rainy week that gets spirits low. Not all of the weeks, not even half, usually only one, or two. But in those weeks the only sensation I can ascribe my counseling state to is that of a frantic captain, desperately seeking to keep his boat afloat, to ensure that his campers are safe, happy and seeing God.

However, it is on those wild waves, not the placid Pacific, that I see the face of God. One particular bible verse comes to mind: 1^st Kings, chapter 19, verse 11. Elijah, the prophet, is paid a visit by God.

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹²After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

The strangest thing happens on those weeks. In the climax of the storm, there’ll be a moment in which everything just seems to stop momentarily. One week it was when during a time of singing, a stubborn camper broke down and after not having partaken all week determinedly stared at me, desperately trying to catch the song by reading my lips and listening to my voice and following along. I sang the song to him, looking at him instead of the card, and we sang that way until the song ended, I singing to him, he singing back. I saw God in his face, in that whisper among the tempest.

In another week a camper felt excluded from his friends, and sat outside of the pavilion. I sat with him for a while, and we just looked out at the mountains, admiring their beauty together. We sat talking until he felt calm enough to rejoin the group. When asked what he had learned at the end of the week, he said that the mountains were made by God.

I enjoy the placid weeks for what they offer me: rest and peace. But I have found that it is after the turbulent weeks that I am the most satisfied and spiritually “full”. Last year I was much more exhausted after I had finished a week of difficult campers, but this year I see it more clearly, so I almost relish a difficult group. For it is in the tempest when I hear the quiet whisper, when I see the face of God.

Max “Nye” Halik