At Beacon, “summer staff” is an idea that comes with a lot of assumptions. I think that if you polled the campers, they would have ideas like this about summer staff from what they’ve observed:

• They have to do dirty work like cleaning our toilets!

• They get to sit at their own table and leave the Dining Hall before we do.

• They’re in charge of the swimming and look so cool in their lifeguard uniforms and sunglasses!

• They drive Bruce (and won’t give us a ride no matter how much we beg)!

Now, as campers get older and transition into Beacon staff, they understand more of the picture of summer staff. They might add these thoughts:

• Summer staff spend a whole summer at camp instead of just a week.

• We see them playing music and mopping the kitchen when our campers are getting ready for bed - they work pretty long hours!

• Summer staff get called to fix our cabins, mop up our camper’s big spills or unfortunate pukes.

• They get their own hangout area and have their own outings and seem to have a lot of fun.

Through these stages, I feel that the main ideas that are understood about summer staff are that (1) it is a call to serve, and (2) it is an opportunity for a lot of fun. These two things are definitely true. Summer staff is a huge commitment to service; in fact, we encourage people to view it as a short term mission opportunity. Without a doubt, being on summer staff can result in the most hilarious jokes, the most ridiculous memories, and the most unforgettable experiences.

There is one component that is less obvious to those on the outside, but which is hugely important n understanding what summer staff is all about: this is the fact that joining a summer staff team is a call to grow. Growth often happens in areas such as:

• Spiritual accountability - the daily check about Bible reading and weekly Bible studies give summer staff the chance to develop vital rhythms for connecting with God and digging deeper into matters of faith.

• Responsibility and leadership - the task of taking care of camp AND oneself away from home lead to new steps of independence in summer staff. They have daily opportunities to learn and apply skills and take ownership over areas under their care, and God uses this process to refine their sense of responsibility and develop leadership qualities.

• Understanding of community - being with the same crew of people for two months will lead to both closeness and conflict in ways that teach valuable lessons about what it means to create a community and show Christ-like love.

As we seek people to serve at Beacon on the 2020 Summer Staff team, we want it to be known that it’s not just a call to serve others; it’s a call to let God use all the opportunities and experiences that summer staff offers to ultimately help you grow closer to Him.

Are you ready to serve? Are you ready to grow?

Find out more about summer staff on our website by clicking this link.