Camp Missionaries

What are Summer Camp Missionaries?

Summer Camp Missionaries are high school youth incoming grades 11-12 that offer a period of their time during the summer to volunteer at Camp River Ridge for the evangelization of younger campers.

Camp Missionaries may come from all over the country and serve for one or more missionary sessions each summer. Usually, they have attended summer camps, retreats, and clubs, and may even be a part of an ECYD team. While it is helpful to have prior experience, no prior experience is strictly needed.

As Summer Camp Missionaries, you will

Experience a transforming life of grace through prayer, sacraments, team life, and spiritual guidance,
Lead summer camps and parent-child campouts,
Be loved and remembered by fellow missionaries and dozens of younger campers,
Work a demanding schedule that will help you with good habits of work and service,
have a very unique experience of summer fun away from home with awesome people,
have an insight into what it's like to be camp staff, and,
be invited to help lead future camps!

Interested? Keep scrolling...

Testimonies from the Summer Camp Missionaries of 2019!

Summer Camp Missionary Profile

Every year a select group of young men and women that exhibit the necessary qualities are encouraged to be summer camp missionaries. Note that this is the ideal profile of a Summer Camp Missionary. We understand that every young person is growing in their maturity and experience.

Capacity for natural relationships with others with a maturity proper to their age.
Physical health to carry out a demanding schedule and tasks.
Psychologically balanced and without serious learning disabilities.
A servant leader, with the passion to learn to lead younger peers.
A convinced apostle, with the desire to carry out great undertakings.
A friend of Jesus Christ who wants to know and love him more.

An enthusiastic and joyful missionary fulfilling their mission within the Church in docility and respect to his parents, directors, and elders.
Someone genuinely interested in the well-being of the younger campers and their fellow missionaries.
A courageous witness who wants to make a difference with their actions, testimony and aware that their lives can make a positive (or negative) impact on others.
Preferably grew up attending retreats and camps.
A member of ECYD and of an ECYD team, or at least open to living out the ECYD charism while at camp.
Preferably prior leadership experience at Camp River Ridge.

Positions Available

All Summer Camp Missionaries will do the following:

Participate in the training they need to complete their mission.
Fully participate in camp prayer and sacraments.
Fulfill a specific role at camp under the direction of an adult mentor.
Help with work projects workdays or clean up after activities.
Meet daily with their mentors and also with the Camp Director during camp sessions.
Participate in a group evaluation at the end of the session.

Summer Camp Missionaries will help with one or more of the following:

Emceeing the group - Help direct the overall camp schedule, ice breakers, points competition or virtue campaign, meals, evening bonfire activities, and ending awards ceremony.
Running activities - Help run the morning skill-building stations, the lake activities, and various camp games.
Act in the camp theme - Help act as a character in the reenactments, and help lead the theme-related stations. And attend the evening bonfire for the high school missionaries.
Sacristy - Help run the morning prayers, prepare for Mass and adoration, run various dynamics for adoration, help with Gospel reflections and prayers, and organize processions.
Media- Photography, film and make short video recaps or video testimonies, and post on social media.
Service - Lawn care, maintenance, cleaning and organizing camp spaces, help with kitchen service, and bonfire making.

Session Dates

The Summer Camp Missionary experience is divided up into sessions. The precise dates of those sessions are available at our Camp Calendar. Summer Camp Missionaries may do as many sessions as they'd like.

Coming from afar? Stay for the Intermission Period.
The Young Men's Summer Camp Missionaries can opt to stay in between 2 or 3 sessions during the intermission period. They will have time to rest, do laundry, have some fun, and also maintain the spirit of prayer and service. Let us know if you're interested in the intermission program by email at campriverridge@gmail.com.

Spiritual Formation

The Summer Camp Missionary program is an opportunity for young people to grow apostolically, but also spiritually. It is an opportunity for them to reestablish the habit of prayer as they continue to develop their relationship with Christ past the summer camps.

To foster this growth in the spiritual life, they will have morning and night prayers, daily Mass and adoration, as well as a directed prayer based on the Scriptures, Gospel reflections, prayers before and after meals, talks and catechesis on pertinent themes, and a daily decade of the rosary (if not the whole rosary).

They will do an Encounter with Christ (Gospel reflection and reflection on a pertinent theme) and a final “Highs and Lows” (a team feedback session on high points and ways each person can improve).

Spiritual direction at least once will be required, and the sacrament of confession will be readily available to them and encouraged.

A Summer Adventure!

The goal of a Summer Camp Missionary is to be an example and leader to the younger campers at all times. But that doesn't mean they don't enjoy their summer! These are some of the activities they might do:

Outings for horseback riding and/or canoeing
Archery tag, regular archery, and/or laser tag
Dodgeball, capture the flag, basketball, Gaga ball, and other field/gym sports
Swimming, slip 'n slide, war mattress, fishing
Participation in the historical reenactments (includes battles), firing cannons
Hanging out by the hammock circle and bonfire with s'mores and fireworks
Crafts and skill-building stations
Great food and whatever else you do in your free time

General Guidelines

Moved by the mission, Summer Camp Missionaries focus on what is best for the campers and how to bring them to an encounter with Christ.
They take particular care to practice charity with fellow staff and be a model Catholic for the youth they are working with.
They will need to arrive and depart on time to the start of their mission summer.
They should be ready to be away from home and have very limited contact with family for an extended period of time.
They should make sure that their appearance and demeanor is always dignified and becoming of an apostle of Jesus Christ. The dress code is available upon request.
They need to place any dating relationships on hold while on camp.
They should be physically healthy to manage the demands of their duties.
Note there is no Wi-Fi at camp.

Music publicly listened to will need to be dignified and elevate the soul with its lyrics, harmony, and talent.
During camps, cell phones are collected before breakfast and returned after night prayers. During training and outside of duty, cell phones are returned.
They are expected to sleep in the same cabins as the campers and team leaders. They will be expected to go to sleep before 11:30 pm.
They are not allowed to depart from camp on their own during their missionary session.
They will need to dress well for Mass and adoration, and be motivated to dress modestly during the day. A general rule is cover shoulders and shorts down to the length of the arms.
They will be required to keep their cabin clean and orderly.
Mission Staff need to bring their own toiletries, clothing, and spending money.

Other Pertinent Info

The upcoming summer calendar: Camp Calendar.
Ideas on what to bring: What to Bring List.
Photos or videos of what camp is like: Photo Tour or Video Tour.
Click here for directions: Directions to Camp.
Camp social media: Camp Facebook, Camp YouTube, Camp Instagram, or Camp LinkedIn.

Need more info?

Summer Fee and Fundraising

Why a Fee?
Why is there a fee if the young person is there to serve and to help?

Basically, it's still a summer camp! And being a summer camp missionary should be seen as a leadership training program.

The fee helps us to cover their shelter, food, insurance, materials, polo and t-shirts, outing, formation, and other costs. It is not possible for us at camp to assume these costs.

See the Dates and Rates page for specific fees.

Fundraising:
Future Summer Camp Missionaries are welcome to fundraise on their own to offset the fee. This is completely legitimate since they are truly missionaries!

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Application Process

Note that the Summer Camp Missionary sessions are available on a first come basis. Spots are limited and that is not just a marketing ploy!

Invitation: Normally, your son or daughter will receive an invitation from the camp by email and phone.
1. OR, if you have not been invited, you may inquire about being accepted as a summer camp missionary by emailing us at campriverridge@gmail.com.
Enrollment: When ready, parents will enroll their son or daughter in one or more of the sessions. Keep in mind we invite more young people than there are spots available!

Questions?

If you have any questions whatsoever about the Summer Camp Missionary program, please contact us at campriverridge@gmail.com. Thank you!