Staff Form Application – Furnace Mountain Camp

Please read before applying

Before starting your application, please review the Counselor Job Description and Duties and the Statement of Faith and Policies. These documents outline the values, expectations, and responsibilities for applicants.

Counselor Job Description and Duties

Age Range: 16+

Pay Scale: $15–$17/hr

Hours: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

A camp counselor’s job is to provide a safe, fun, and enriching environment for campers, leading them through activities and ensuring their well-being. They are responsible for supervising campers, planning and leading activities, and managing their behavior. Additionally, they may need to handle minor injuries, communicate with parents, and maintain camp facilities.

Supervision and Safety

Supervising campers: Ensuring campers are safe and supervised at all times, especially during activities.
Enforcing camp rules: Maintaining a safe and orderly environment by enforcing camp policies and procedures.
First aid and emergency response: Providing basic first aid for minor injuries and responding to emergencies, potentially requiring CPR or First Aid certification.
Monitoring camper behavior: Addressing behavioral issues and ensuring campers are following rules and guidelines, informing and seeking advice from Adult Leaders as needed.

Active Leadership

Leading activities: Leading campers through various activities, including sports, crafts, games, and outdoor adventures, taking into account camper interests and age groups.
Planning and time management: Maintaining campers according to the daily schedule, keeping activities within allotted times and spaces.
Ensuring safety: Making sure all activities are conducted safely, with appropriate equipment and supervision.

Communication and Relationship Building

Communicating with parents: Keeping parents informed about their children’s progress, behavior, and any incidents that may occur.
Building relationships with campers: Creating a positive and supportive environment where campers feel safe and comfortable.
Working with other staff: Collaborating with other camp staff members to plan activities, address issues, and ensure smooth camp operations.

Other Responsibilities

Maintaining camp facilities: Helping with the upkeep of camp facilities and equipment, ensuring they are safe and clean.
Performing administrative tasks: Keeping accurate records, completing paperwork, and reporting incidents as needed.
Attending staff meetings: Participating in training sessions and staff meetings to stay informed about camp policies and procedures.

I confirm that I have read and reviewed the Counselor Job Description and Duties.

Please read before applying

Statement of Faith and Policies

About Furnace Mountain Camp

Furnace Mountain Camp is a Christian ministry shaped by our love for God’s Word and our desire to point every child and family to the hope found in Jesus Christ—through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and resurrection.

We believe that every person is deeply loved by God, and we are committed to creating a safe, joyful, and Christ-centered environment where that love can be experienced in both truth and grace.

All of our programs, policies, and practices reflect the deeply held biblical convictions outlined in our Statement of Faith. We strive to apply these beliefs consistently across our camp community—including in how we teach, serve, and care for children.

Because campers play an important role in shaping our community, it’s helpful for families to understand the beliefs and values that guide how we operate and what we teach.

We understand that some campers may come from families with different beliefs than ours. Our desire is to offer a safe, Christ-centered, others-focused, and joy-filled experience to all. In order to care well for every camper and remain faithful to our deeply held convictions, we ask all participants to respect the values and policies that shape our camp community.

Statement of Faith

The Bible: We believe the Bible is the inspired, true, and trustworthy Word of God. It is our final authority for what we believe and how we strive to live.

Creation and Identity: We believe that God intentionally created humanity in His image, as male and female, and that this design is good. Our identity in God is part of His purposeful plan for our lives, reflecting His wisdom, love, and creative intent.

Salvation: We believe that salvation is a free gift from God, offered by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not earned by good works but received by trusting in Him.

The Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit lives in every believer, helping us grow in faith, guiding us in truth, and giving us power to live for God.

The Call to Love: We believe that love is the foundation of our relationship with God and with others. Jesus taught that the greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. On these two hangs all the Law and the Prophets.

God’s Love for All: We believe that God loves every person without exception and freely offers His true and transforming love to all. In response, we are called to love each person according to the standard of love found in Scripture—especially as described in 1 Corinthians 13—with patience, kindness, humility, and truth.

The Church and Community: We believe that the community of Christ is the family of God, made up of all who trust in Jesus. Together, we worship, grow, and share His love with the world.

The Role of Family: We believe that the nuclear and extended family is a God-given foundation for life and growth, designed to nurture faith, character, and love across generations. We believe that parents hold the primary God-given authority and responsibility for the care, guidance, and upbringing of their children.

The Value of Children: We believe that children are a gift from God and deeply loved by Him. We seek to point them to the love and truth of Jesus through fun, safe, Christ-centered experiences.

Service: We believe that serving others is a vital part of living out our faith and plays a key role in shaping our identity in Christ.

Policies

Our Responsibility

While we fully affirm that parents hold the primary God-given authority and responsibility for the care and guidance of their children, we also recognize that during their time at camp, we are entrusted with their safety, well-being, and spiritual encouragement. We take this responsibility seriously, committing to provide a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment where every child is cared for with excellence, integrity, and love.

Age and Sex-Based Grouping and Facilities

At camp, we group children by age and biological sex for activities, cohorts, and shared spaces such as shared restrooms. This approach helps us create a safe, respectful, and developmentally appropriate environment for all campers.

We recognize that children grow and mature at different rates, and that meaningful physical and social differences exist between both age groups and biological sexes. These differences guide how we structure activities and supervision in a way that is consistent, clear, and considerate of every camper’s needs.

While we understand that gender roles, expression, and identity can be deeply personal, and experienced in many different ways, it is not practical or appropriate for us to organize groups or facilities around such a wide and varied spectrum. Instead, we rely on the consistent, scientific category of biological sex, which allows us to provide safe and respectful shared spaces for all.

For any camper who desires more privacy, we provide single-user restrooms that are available to anyone, for any reason.

Our goal is never to exclude, but to care and nurture every child. We are committed to honoring the dignity of each camper while maintaining clarity, consistency, and safety for the whole camp community.

Child Protection and Mandatory Reporting

At Furnace Mountain Camp, we are committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for every child entrusted to our care. We believe that protecting children from harm is not only a legal responsibility, but a moral and spiritual imperative. We adhere fully to Virginia state laws and standards for mandatory reporting and child protection.

While we may not fall under every legal category of mandatory reporters under Virginia law, we hold ourselves to the highest standard of accountability and transparency in matters of child safety.

All staff members are required to report any suspected abuse or neglect—whether physical, emotional, sexual, or otherwise—to the Camp Director. The Camp Director will ensure that appropriate steps are taken, which may include notifying Child Protective Services or local authorities, as required by law and the situation at hand.

We do not keep concerns about a child’s safety confidential. We will make every effort to inform and involve parents or guardians appropriately, unless doing so would place the child at greater risk.

Every staff member receives training on recognizing and responding to signs of abuse, and we maintain clear procedures to ensure that reports are handled promptly, respectfully, and in accordance with both our mission and the law.

Protecting children is a sacred trust, and we will do everything in our power to honor that trust with integrity, compassion, and courage.

I confirm that I have read and reviewed the Statement of Faith and Policies.

POSITION DESIRED

Senior Counselor Junior Counselor Adult Volunteer Life Guard

Full Name:

Sex:

Age:

Phone:

Email:

Address:

City:

State:

ZIP:

Availability
Which weeks are you available? Camps are Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

July 13-17 July 20-24 August 3-7 August 10-14

Why do you want to be a counselor?

List any previous experience working with kids or camps:

How did you hear about this opportunity?

Have you worked with children before?
In what setting? (daycare, church, babysitting, camp, school setting, family?)
Please describe your experiences in working with kids.

Have you been employed? If yes, provide employment history.

Education: (last six years or as relevant)

Emergency Contact

Name:

Relationship:

Phone Number:

References

Name:

Phone Number:

Name:

Phone Number:

Parental Consent (for those under 18 years of age)

Parent/Guardian Full Name:

Parent/Guardian Phone:

Parent/Guardian Email:

I confirm that I am either 18 years of age or older, or have received permission from my parent or legal guardian to submit this application.

I certify that the information provided in this application is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that Furnace Mountain Camp may review this information as part of the application process and contact me regarding next steps.

I authorize Furnace Mountain Camp to run a background check as part of the application process.