Author Archives for MikeB

Camp Counselor 101

Every year I have to field the question, “Why should I go to Camp Counselor training if I am never picked” or “Well I went to Camp Counselor training, when will someone call me?”  only to be disappointed by the beginning of the summer when one realizes that they will probably not be called.

Camp Neotez is a unique place in that it allows teenagers to serve as regular camp counselors.  This is not true of most camps.  That being said, there is an increased amount of expectation that directors have for the teenagers who they will need to depend on and work with.

I thought I would share some insight to being a director and some of the challenges I face as well as the expectations I have for my staff.  These are only my thoughts and they do not represent anyone from the Board or other directors.   That being said, it might help you to think through some of these things on a personal level.  I believe some of the points below will not only help you become a better prospective counselor, but a better student, a better employee and better person in general.

Here are some ways you can help your chances to be chosen as a counselor (these are in no particular order):

  • Be older- ok so you can’t do much to control that.  The younger you are the fewer options for counseling you have and the bigger the pool is.  Lots of kids can counsel for pre-camp but only a few are chosen.  Solution – be patient, you’ll be older soon enough.
    • Counselors must be at least 15 years old (I believe there may be some exceptions to this – especially for PreCamp but it would be rare)
    • Counselors must be at least 2 years older than the oldest camper for the week.  Which means that you have to have finished 10th grade to counsel at Middle School week, etc.
  • Take your faith seriously – one prerequisite to being a counselor is that you are a baptized believer.  So should you go be baptized so you can be a counselor?  NO…as a director, it is my job to find young men and women who are following Christ – not just who have gotten wet.
  • Be direct – Call the director of the week you want to go to and tell them that you are interested in being a counselor and tell them why you would make a good counselor.  Taking the initiative will impress people and cause them to pause and at least consider you.
  • Don’t be picky- if a director says “I am ok on counselors but I need a dishwasher” – that may be your “in”.
    • I have had teens tell me they would not serve as a dishwasher – which tells me they would be a high maintenance counselor as well.
    • It is not uncommon for a scheduled counselor to have a conflict at the last minute and need to be replaced.  The “Utility Crew” (the word I use for dishwashers) is the first place I look.
    • This is a Jesus-principle through and through – you gotta be willing to serve
  • Be Recommendable – being active in youth group and church helps a lot.  If a director calls the minister of your church or the youth minister or an elder or someone else, you don’t want them saying, “Well, I see them on Sunday  morning sitting in the pew with their parents but that’s about it.”  You should be serving where you are.  That includes serving other teenagers by being engaged in your youth group.
  • Be known – Directors will go to teens they know first – that’s just natural.  Some of the directors are youth ministers – become involved in areawide activities were they can get to know you.  The directors who are not youth ministers often call the area youth ministers for referrals.  If you’re name keeps coming up, that may cause a director to call you.

ONCE YOU’RE IN

  • Don’t Blow it- if you are asked to be a dishwasher (or even a counselor) – DO YOUR BEST JOB and better! Directors do not want to babysit.  Everyone has a job – including the director – and if he has to be reminding you and telling you to do your job, it makes his job harder.  You will most likely not be asked to come again and directors talk to each other.
    •  There is a tendency to look at someone else and say “Well they’re not doing what they are supposed to, why should I do their work”.  I guarantee you that the director knows – because the Cooks are telling him or other counselors are letting him know or maybe even the campers are complaining about it.
    • Bottom line is YOU do YOUR best and better and you will “move up the ladder” quickly!
    • Do you want to know why I use the term “Utility Crew” instead of dishwasher? I had a dishwasher tell, me when asked to do something that wasn’t dishwashing, “that’s not my job, I’m a dishwasher”.  Needless to say, I have not used that person again.
  • Whatever the director says is Law. Directors have been given a huge responsibility and are expected to make the best decision for everyone – not just you or a few.  That’s not to say directors are never wrong.  Sometimes they have to make decisions based on information you may not have (this is true about many situations in life – parents, elders, employers, bosses, teacher…).  Assume that they have your best interest in mind.  Don’t be afraid of them but don’t challenge them in public.  They may love the idea of helping you understand or hearing a different viewpoint if they believe you are really interested in hearing them.
    • This would include not undermining the director with your cabin – i.e. telling campers that “a rule” doesn’t really apply to you since you are a counselor or they don’t have to follow it because it doesn’t make sense.
  • Stay above the fray – that means keep focused on your job.  Don’t become a glorified camper.  Sometimes teens want to counsel so they can be a big-shot.  It doesn’t work that way.  Don’t get caught up in the drama or the gossip.  Be a part of the solution and not part of the problem.
  • Have fun – be safe.  Campers want counselors who are fun.  Parents want to their kids to come back in one piece.  Be that tool for the Lord that does both.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means but is simply meant to get you thinking and help you “think like” a great counselor (and human being)

-Mike

Feminism – Really?

In today’s culture, except for the message of Jesus Christ, the most important message that we can be teaching our teens is not the message of abstinence but that of purity.  Purity goes beyond just “not having sex” – purity goes to the heart.  I have recently had numerous conversations with young ladies who have given their heart (and at least some of their body) to a young man only to have it ripped up and thrown out.

I plead with young ladies to listen to the 1st half hour of this 3 part series on FamilyLife Today.  I plead with MOMS to listen with them – it’s 1/2 hour that may change the direction of your daughter’s life! (Although, I’m pretty sure you will want to listen to the other 2 parts as well). As parents let’s stand up for our daughters and not just turn them over to culture AND the Evil One!   Let’s live Deuteronomy 6 and keep our children from one day having to undo all the things culture is trying to teach them!   They may roll their eyes now but one day they will thank you!

FamilyLife.com – http://shar.es/10F9b

Dads / Moms / Sons / Daughters

INTENTIONAL PARENTING!

Dads – you need to be listening to this! It’s time to step up in our families. It’s time to lead! It’s time to fight for your family! The culture is pulling your family in all directions away from God! It’s time to stand up and say “No More!”

Moms – if you have to listen to this first to encourage your husband, please invest the time! SINGLE MOMS – after you listen to this, let’s talk about options for you.

Sons – this explains the kind of Godly young man you need to be becoming!

Daughters – Don’t settle for less than what God wants to bless you with!

At the following link there is a 4-part series that every parent and child needs to listen to! Parents, you will be blessed! The author of the book “What He Must Be If He Wants To Marry My Daughter” is being interviewed

Go to http://tinyurl.com/mgqol6 to begin or continue Intentional Parenting

Irony

“You don’t go where you’re wanted, you go where you’re needed.” John Piper

OK I get it now Lord.

Not sure why this resonates with me but perhaps it’s because I so often feel inadequate and a bit overwhelmed. God “needs me”? Well, not really but He does accomplish his purposes through His people. Here I am Lord..”But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.” – Phil 2:17-18

Twilight Series


Below is a note I sent to our parents about the following review of the Twilight Series books and movies. As the dad of 13 & 11 year old girls and a youth minister, I am really curious as to what your thoughts are. (make sure you read the review too).

The Source for Youth Ministry Twilight Review

my e-mail to parents:


Parents – Especially MOMS.

As Wade is sharing in his Sermon Series – “Going Against the Flow”, the flow of our culture is constantly pushing against us. As time passes the current gets stronger. Satan will have us think that being “worldly” is not so bad as long as “I can put it into context” and I don’t really do “those things”. Over and over again in scripture we are reminded that so much of our battle as Christians begins in the mind. If the Evil One can just get us to marginalize our thoughts, we become easy prey (1 Peter 5:8)

Several of you have shared your concerns with me so I have been trying to inform myself (and my family). Below is a review of the most recent pop-culture rave concerning the Twilight Series books and now the movie that is coming out next week. The line in the review that grabs my attention is “Even though the Mormon author doesn’t allow Edward and Bella to have sex before marriage, she may be a bit naïve about what tends to happen when passionate teenagers get alone in a field. From the preview, the movie seems to take it a step further. In one clip, Bella is seen in her underwear kissing Edward in the bedroom. As a parent, how would you react to this reality?”

As a parent, you will have to decide if this is a cue from culture you are willing for your daughters (and sons) to take into her (his) mind. I find that the more information I have when making a decision, the better decision I can make. I hope you will take the 5 minutes it takes to read this review, to better inform yourself so that no matter what decision you make, it’s made on your principles and not what culture says is the norm.

Eph 5:3

Because of the Cross,
Mike

I can really fool myself can’t I?

On the way to dropping my kids off at school this morning, I stopped to get gas!  I paid $3.37 a gallon – quite a bargain I hear compared to some parts of the country!  I didn’t really need gas but I’ve adopted a new view of filling my tank.  It hurts less if you only have to fill up a ½ tank. 

 

You see, I’ve always figured that since I pay for my gas with a debit card, I might as well run it out and fill it up once a week or when it’s close to empty.  That’s in contrast to my college days when I would only put in about $3 or $4 dollars whenever I absolutely had to (of course gas was just a little over $1 a gallon then).  Recently, I filled my tank up from nearly empty and it cost me nearly 70 dollars!  We leased our gas-guzzling SUV blazer a few weeks before Katrina hit and I’ve been sorry ever since.  Thank goodness our lease is up in a few months – I might be able to resume eating three meals a day! 

 

With my new philosophy though, it is only costing me about $25 to $30 each trip to the pump!  That is much easier to swallow!  I feel so much better when I leave the gas station…it’s almost the same feeling I had back in the early ‘90s when gas dipped to less than 70 cents a gallon!  The problem is when I go to reconcile my checking account, I’m still spending nearly $100 a week for gas!  So I’ve just delayed my pain from the pump to the computer desk and Quicken®. 

 

It’s kind of like sin…oh just a little gossip, just a little backbiting.  It really doesn’t hurt to flirt with someone who’s not my spouse.  It’s just one TV show that I shouldn’t really watch, just one website I shouldn’t open.  The problem with that philosophy is no matter how small, it all adds up to a life that is not being lived for Christ – it’s being lived to indulge myself.  If I’m not careful, I can really fool myself into thinking that just because it’s people who “know me” I can say those things about someone else or just because no one else is around, I’m not really hurting anyone.  Sin is sin is sin and just because I put it in small doses doesn’t make the long-term effect any less harmful.

Because of the Cross

I always sign my letters “Because of the Cross”.   It’s a simple little thought that I started signing early in my ministry, perhaps during college and have done so ever since.

 

In class yesterday morning we talked about the sacrifice of the Father and watched a powerful mini-movie – “Most” that depicted a father’s sacrifice of his son to save many.  Looking at John 3:16-17 and Ephesians 2 we talked about the sacrifice of God’s Son on the Cross and how that sacrifice gives us new life, full life – a life that is no longer ours but belongs to God.

 

Last night seventeen of us gathered at the Hirth’s house (thanks Hirths!) to watch – at the beginning of Passion week – The Passion of the Christ.  It’s only the 2nd time I have seen the movie, and for some there it was their first.  After the movie we shared in a moving time of worship and communion with one another.  We talked about Romans 5.  In verses 8-9 Paul writes “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from the wrath of God.”  Each blow, each whip or scourge, each nail and insult that was taken by Jesus, was taken because of me.  He took my sin and because of that I can now rejoice that he has become my substitute – that was supposed to be me there.  God’s wrath was supposed to be upon me…but Jesus took it.  What a reason to rejoice!  What an awesome time we had sharing, praying, rejoicing and communing together!!!

 

Our Western Cultural view has tamed the meaning and the picture of the cross.   We paint pictures of it and we wear it as jewelry but the cross was not pretty, the cross was not “in style”.  The cross was a shameful, horrible way to die – it was costly – it cost Jesus everything.  Because of it though, God looks at me (and you) through the blood of Jesus and says “It was worth it.”  I am reminded that the little saying “Because of the Cross” isn’t just a saying…it is my life.  My life is now because of the Cross.  My marriage, my family, my house, my car, my job, my strength, my money, my hope, my joy, my peace…everything I am, everything I ever hope to be is because of what Jesus did for me on that Cross.

 

It is my prayer that our youth group will continue to come to an understanding that living for Christ will cost them everything, but it’s worth it!

 

 

Because of the Cross,

Mike

 

 

 

Mike Brown

Youth & Family Minister

Lafayette Church of Christ

115 New Ballwin Rd.

Ballwin, MO  63021

636.391.6697 – office

636.394.2338 – fax

mike.brown@lafayettechurch.org