2020 International Camp Counselor Program  

Mark Burkhardt, Director, Centers for Congregational Mission, ELCA, is pleased to announce that they 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. The ELCA is continuing to improve the interview process overseas and are making a strong effort to ensure appropriate conversational skills in the English language. The feedback from the last few summers is positive.

In keeping with the 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, 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 Mark a call.

He also wants 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. They have also discovered that international counselors work very well in day camp settings. The manual for host camps also offers helpful suggestions for making the experience a positive one for all concerned.

If you are interested in hosting an international counselor, please complete the form below 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/2020/01/Camp-Information-2020.pdf

Camp Application:
https://www.lomnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Camp-Request-Form-2020.pdf