SUMMER STAFF ADOPTION: Prayer, Support, and Financial Support
Our Mission: Relationships: Together with God, with each other, with creation.
Camp Bethel is the outdoor ministry of the Virlina District Church of the Brethren that fosters and builds relationships with God, with each other, and all creation. When we live together in intentional Christian community, even for only one week, we gain person-to-person relationship skills to benefit the world. Staff Adoption helps us fulfill our Mission!
Why Adopt? Adoption helps these young adults accept God’s call.
We strive to recruit the best and brightest youth and young adults for Summer Camp ministry service. It is a tough ask: they commit eight-to-ten weeks of intense daily leadership to care for and guide our children and youth. We pay them, but not as much as they deserve and not as much as they need to afford college and textbooks. Some young adults want to serve but cannot afford to serve. As a non-profit camp, we keep camper fees as low as possible, charging only about 87% of the actual cost per camper. Staff Adoption helps these young adults accept the call to serve in Outdoor Ministry!
How Does Adoption Work? Prayers, letters of support, meet-and-greet (if possible), and $100-$300 per adoptee.
Congregations, Sunday school classes, businesses, kindred groups, families, and individuals can adopt one or more of our 50 summer staff members. Throughout the summer, you regularly uplift your adopted staff with prayers, letters of encouragement, and care packages. If possible, your adoptees will worship with your home congregation to introduce themselves during Staff Adoption Sunday (June 1) and Staff Commissioning at Camp Bethel (June 6). You also raise $100 (or more) per adopted staff member for a summer staff bonus for all summer staff members. Our 2024 adoption program was a big success, because families and congregations gave enough to provide a $300 end-of-summer bonus to our excellent Summer Staff. Staff Adoption helps them afford to serve in Ministry!
Adoption Benefits Everyone!
Summer Staff members receive: Prayer support; encouraging letters & packages; $300 end-of-summer bonus.
Groups/Congregations/Families/ Individuals receive: Information on your adoptees; visit/worship/meet with your adoptees (if possible) during Staff Adoption Sunday (June 1) and Staff Commissioning (June 6) ; Social Media updates from your adoptees; the blessing of helping staff answer God’s call.
Camp Bethel receives: High quality young adults providing excellent care for each camper; prayer network through our District and community; shared vision and support for our Mission.
2025 will be another challenging year.
Working in summer camp ministry is challenging in normal summers, but in summer 2025 the work again requires an extreme commitment for these young adults: intensive training, behavioral covenants, keeping campers safe, risk-mitigation, increased communications, and constant diligence. Staff Adoption helps to fairly compensate their commitment to a safe summer ministry.
Get Started! Adopt a Group and/or Support the Fund.
We seek several congregations or groups/individuals to adopt one or more Summer Staff. YES, you can partner with one or more groups/congregations to adopt! Or simply contribute to the total Summer Staff Scholarship Fund. To learn more contact the Camp Bethel office at campbetheloffice@gmail,com or 540-992-2940.
Correspondence and/or checks (memo: Staff Adoption) payable to Camp Bethel, 328 Bethel Road, Fincastle, VA 24090.
Our Mission: Relationships: Together with God, with each other, with creation.
Camp Bethel is the outdoor ministry of the Virlina District Church of the Brethren that fosters and builds relationships with God, with each other, and all creation. When we live together in intentional Christian community, even for only one week, we gain person-to-person relationship skills to benefit the world. Staff Adoption helps us fulfill our Mission!
Why Adopt? Adoption helps these young adults accept God’s call.
We strive to recruit the best and brightest youth and young adults for Summer Camp ministry service. It is a tough ask: they commit eight-to-ten weeks of intense daily leadership to care for and guide our children and youth. We pay them, but not as much as they deserve and not as much as they need to afford college and textbooks. Some young adults want to serve but cannot afford to serve. As a non-profit camp, we keep camper fees as low as possible, charging only about 87% of the actual cost per camper. Staff Adoption helps these young adults accept the call to serve in Outdoor Ministry!
How Does Adoption Work? Prayers, letters of support, meet-and-greet (if possible), and $100-$300 per adoptee.
Congregations, Sunday school classes, businesses, kindred groups, families, and individuals can adopt one or more of our 50 summer staff members. Throughout the summer, you regularly uplift your adopted staff with prayers, letters of encouragement, and care packages. If possible, your adoptees will worship with your home congregation to introduce themselves during Staff Adoption Sunday (June 1) and Staff Commissioning at Camp Bethel (June 6). You also raise $100 (or more) per adopted staff member for a summer staff bonus for all summer staff members. Our 2024 adoption program was a big success, because families and congregations gave enough to provide a $300 end-of-summer bonus to our excellent Summer Staff. Staff Adoption helps them afford to serve in Ministry!
Adoption Benefits Everyone!
Summer Staff members receive: Prayer support; encouraging letters & packages; $300 end-of-summer bonus.
Groups/Congregations/Families/ Individuals receive: Information on your adoptees; visit/worship/meet with your adoptees (if possible) during Staff Adoption Sunday (June 1) and Staff Commissioning (June 6) ; Social Media updates from your adoptees; the blessing of helping staff answer God’s call.
Camp Bethel receives: High quality young adults providing excellent care for each camper; prayer network through our District and community; shared vision and support for our Mission.
2025 will be another challenging year.
Working in summer camp ministry is challenging in normal summers, but in summer 2025 the work again requires an extreme commitment for these young adults: intensive training, behavioral covenants, keeping campers safe, risk-mitigation, increased communications, and constant diligence. Staff Adoption helps to fairly compensate their commitment to a safe summer ministry.
Get Started! Adopt a Group and/or Support the Fund.
We seek several congregations or groups/individuals to adopt one or more Summer Staff. YES, you can partner with one or more groups/congregations to adopt! Or simply contribute to the total Summer Staff Scholarship Fund. To learn more contact the Camp Bethel office at campbetheloffice@gmail,com or 540-992-2940.
Correspondence and/or checks (memo: Staff Adoption) payable to Camp Bethel, 328 Bethel Road, Fincastle, VA 24090.
Testimony about the success of the Staff Adoption Program:
July 26, 2021
People of Virlina District,
I wanted to send a note of support for Camp Bethel's Counselor Adoption Program this summer. This is a valuable program from a congregational standpoint. We at Brick [Germantown Brick Church of the Brethren] have likely not been as engaged in recent years with the ministry of Camp; however, as a result of this program, we have experienced a renewed interest and passion for this valuable ministry. The three counselors we were blessed to adopt, Lauren Naff, Zack Silver, and Reid Donihie became like family to us over the summer. They came to worship with us at the beginning of the summer, sent us pictures on several occasions, and even sent a "thank-you" video for goodies that were sent. Zack and Lauren came to worship this past Sunday and Zack shared his testimony which was very inspirational and meaningful.
Please don't take this next part as bragging, as that is not the point. I believe in large part to the Adoption Program, Brick wanted to provide a pizza supper for the staff during training, they wanted to make tree cookies, they wanted to purchase items from the "wish list", and they wanted to do a benefit concert for Camp which has raised over $2,200 so far. I share this because the program lit a fire under us and I hope Camp has benefited from this as much as we have.
I just wanted you to know how much this program meant to us and to say thanks to whoever came up with this idea. I hope other churches were equally blessed and that the program will continue in years to come. Way to go Camp Bethel!!!
God Loves You,
Greg Broyles, Pastor of Germantown Brick
Member of OMA
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