About Camp Barnabas Texas-- CBTX
Camp Barnabas Texas is a nondenominational Christian summer camp for children with special medical, physical and developmental disabilities and their siblings. Approximately 20-25 campers will be involved each term:
Term One June 1-6, 2008
Term Two June 7-12, 2008
Term Three June 13-19, 2008
CIAs may volunteer for more than one term if they are up to the challenge.
Please commit to the term(s) you are volunteering; CIAs who don't serve hurt the campers!
The first 24hrs of each term is for training. Campers arrive the second day.
CBTX is held at Circle Lake Retreat Center located between Tomball and Magnolia. (www.diogh.org/CircleLake/index.htm) CBTX is like any summer camp with the usual fun filled activities all day long. Each evening we celebrate with a theme party and close the night with praise and worship. All activities are based on a Christian lifestyle and the foundation of our program is to teach the love of Christ to ALL!
Christians In Action—CIA’s
A special part of our program is the participation of our Christians in Action Team. Our CIA volunteers are missionaries serving God by helping our campers hear the message of Jesus Christ. This summer we expect nearly 100 CIA missionaries. During their week of camp, our CIAs put aside their own needs to focus on our campers 100%! Our missionaries feel they grow and are stretched by God in ways they never expected. We prefer you be at least 14 years of age to be on our CIA team. However, we are flexible.
The Cost?
The opportunity to participate on the CIA team is one of the most life changing endeavors you will ever experience. As a missionary we ask you to consider raising support for your time of service at CBTX. Raising support to help cover the $180 food and lodging cost for each CIA is a meaningful part of the mission experience. Ideas and materials are available to assist you in raising support. Whatever amount you can raise, no matter how small, will be greatly valued!
The Camper Scholarship Challenge
One way that our CIA team members make the most of the experience is to raise funds for a camper. By raising $256 or $320, you will provide the cost for a camper to attend! While fundraising may be an uncomfortable area for many, you will find the experience of being a missionary on our CIA team will be greatly enhanced by your involvement financially. Your experience begins when you start praying for the campers and the work you will do while at camp. As you raise funds, you get to share the story of Camp Barnabas Texas with others and you realize that this mission opportunity is much more than a one week experience. You actually give others the opportunity to be involved in the ministry by giving to the program. This is a great opportunity to participate in a mission trip that will change your life and grow your faith in Christ. You’ll realize how to put your own needs aside and minister to another person. For fundraising ideas, materials and assistance, please contact us.
The Christian In Action Team
The CIA team is comprised of many people who are all called by God to be a part of the program at Camp Barnabas Texas. Below you will find information about the different positions where you may be used to bring the message of Jesus Christ to our campers. You are chosen to participate in our program based on this application. Please do your best to show us who you are and allow us to know where you would best fit into our program. The positions for participants are:
Counselors are 18-30 years old and their primary duties at camp are to love and accept their camper unconditionally. To be an effective counselor, you must be willing to put aside your own personal desires and needs for the whole week. You must be willing to share God’s word in any circumstance. A counselor lives in a cabin with their camper(s). Some counselors work one-on-one with a special needs camper while others work in a cabin of siblings. The camper and counselor experience all of the activities at camp together. This means counselors must be willing and able to participate fully in all activities. This is a huge responsibility-a 22 hour commitment daily with every effort given to allow for two hours of personal time for each counselor. Counselors should be mature and willing to work with the siblings. You will not know your assignment until you arrive so you must have a willing heart to minister wherever God needs you!
Jr. Counselors are 16 and 17 year olds and they assist the older counselors with caring for campers. They patiently lend a helping help where ever and whenever needed. Jr. Counselors stay with the cabin all day and sleep in the same cabin with their campers. This position requires much maturity and heart.
Barnstormers are true servants of God. These positions are not for the faint hearted! The duties of a Barnrat include cleaning toilets and bathrooms, filling water coolers, assisting with the cleaning in the dining hall, conference rooms and any other areas of camp. The Barnrats also assist with setting up and tearing down party decorations. The Barnstormers duties consist of waiting tables at meal time, and kitchen or dish cleaning duties. Both are assigned a cabin to work with when their duties are completed. Barnrats/Barnstormers should be MATURE, 14 or 15 year olds with a very strong work ethic. (Those 12-13yrs old will be considered on an individual basis.) You must be willing to work in either position because during the week you will at times be a barnstormer and at other times a barnrat (variety is good.)
Cook’s Helpers are 18 and over. Your job usually consists of chopping, stirring, cleaning the kitchen and whatever helps the Cook. No real gourmet skills are necessary, just a hard work ethic and a heart to serve others.
POSITIONS FOR ADULTS 30 & OVER: Being over 30 years of age at camp, you get to serve your camper group during the day only. At night you retire to a cabin shared by other adults. In addition to Cook's Helper (above) other positions include...
Medical Professionals: We need Nurses (RN or LVN) and Licensed Physicians.
Cabin Mom/Dads are adults that work with a cabin group, providing relief to the counselors. The position requires you to be dedicated 100% to serving in whatever capacity you may be needed. Laundry for soiled bed linens, assisting with bathing, diapering and dressing is all part of the job for the cabin mom or dad.
