2018 International Camp Counselor Program
From Mark Burkhardt, Program Director for Outdoor Ministries for the ELCA:
I am pleased to announce that we will again be bringing up to 40 Lutheran young adults to the United States this summer to serve as leaders in our summer camping programs. All ELCA affiliated camps are eligible to participate. I am writing to invite your participation in this exciting program. We are continuing to improve the interview process overseas and are making a strong effort to ensure appropriate conversational skills in the English language. Our feedback from the last several summers continues to be positive.
In keeping with our goal of moving the program beyond Europe we anticipate hosting 10-15 counselors from Europe and 25-30 counselors from Asia, Africa and Latin America. If possible, you should consider hosting an international counselor from an overseas church with whom your local ELCA synod has a companion synod relationship. Sometimes, there is financial assistance available through the synod to help fund an international visitor. If you need additional information about the ELCA Companion Synod Program, please give me a call.
I also want to stress that international counselors should not be looked at as direct substitutes for your regular U.S. counselors. Instead, they should be seen as valuable resources who can bring a global perspective to your camping program. We have also discovered that international counselors work very well in day camp settings. Our manual for host camps also offers helpful suggestions for making the experience a positive one for all concerned.
I am enclosing a more detailed information sheet about the program.
If you are interested in hosting an international counselor, please complete the form and return it to Zara Tunstill by fax or e-mail. Requests from camps will be considered in the order they are received, with priority being given to companion synod relationships.
Camp Information Sheet:
https://www.lomnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Camp-Information-2018.pdf
Camp Application:
https://www.lomnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Camp-Request-Form.docx