Be a Camp Volunteer!

►Camp Deans and Volunteer Camp Counselor
►Summer Curriculum
►Be a Shepherd

Camp Dean and Volunteer Camp Counselor

We are so excited to work alongside you for what promises to be another great summer at your camps!  Thank you so much for your gifts of time, commitment, leadership, and love with the children, youth and adults of the Dakotas and Minnesota UMC  Conferences.  There are a lot of exciting things happening in camp and retreat ministries and we're eager to share some highlights with you. 

All persons interested in serving as a camp deans/volunteer counselors in the Dakotas-Minnesota Area Camp and Retreat Ministries program are required to complete a Volunteer Application and an annual background check.  Simply Register Online for the camp you will be assisting with.  Once registered, the Volunteer Application will be available in the Online Forms section of your registration Dashboard.  This application should be completed a minimum of two weeks before camp to allow time to complete background checks.  Thank you for serving in this ministry! 

Below are some new opportunities for you as a camp dean/volunteer camp counselor and also  forms and helpful resources for a positive experience  at camp for you and the campers. 

Dean/Volunteer Counselor Required Documentation

The forms and documents listed below can be found in the Online Forms section of your online registration Dashboard. **Signature required annually

• Volunteer Application
• Volunteer Dean/Leader Agreement (included in Volunteer Application)
• Social Media and Communication Guidelines (included in Volunteer Application)
• Child Abuse & Neglect Policy Statement and Appendix (included in Volunteer Application)
• Annual Background Check (included in Volunteer Application)
• Dakotas-Minnesota Area ADULT Camper Medical Information Form
• Dakotas-Minnesota Area Release of Liability Waiver

Dean/Volunteer Counselor Helpful Information 

• ONLINE Program Expense Reimbursement Form or PAPER Program Expense Reimbursement Form
• Camping Mission, Core Values, and Outcomes
• Dean's Job Description
• Volunteer Camp Counselor's Job Description
• Parent-Camper Handbook
• LGBTQIA2S+ Guidelines

2023 Summer Curriculum

What's in a Name - Naming and Claiming Who God Made Us to Be

Names have great power. Some hold special meanings and some come with expectations. In a lifetime, we may give new meaning to our name or take a new name. Along the journey, we discover who we are and how God equips us to care for others.

In this new summer camp curriculum resource from InsideOut, we'll look at how the people of the Bible confronted expectations, confounded others’ assumptions, and forged new identities. Campers are invited to use the sacred ground of camp to reflect on who they are as an individual and how they are connected to others. As we explore, we are reminded that God knows us beyond any name we might be called and invites us into relationship.

Campers will be assured that Christ’s grace meets us when we make mistakes and his love greets us when we open our hearts. As we grow, learn, and discover our true self, we define our own name and find our place as a child of God.

If you would like the 2023 curriculum and resources, please contact the site where you will be volunteering!

Be a Shepherd

Come experience the joy of camping firsthand by serving as a camp shepherd. Shepherds work alongside our camp staff and help ensure all campers have a great camp experience. Shepherds should plan to participate in all camp activities, help watch over all campers including supervising cabin time, and assist staff and deans as needed. Whenever possible, shepherds will be placed in overnight cabins with the child/children they’re bringing to camp. However, when moms come with sons and dads with daughters, or if additional staff of the same gender is needed to meet required supervision ratios, shepherds may be placed in sleeping rooms away from their own child/children.

Questions? Please contact the site at which you would like to serve as a shepherd. 

All shepherds must register at least seven days prior to the beginning of camp to ensure all necessary documentation is complete, including a required annual background check.

There are a maximum number of shepherds for each camp. So, please register early. The fee for shepherds is $95.00.