Did you ever have a job that made a positive impact on the trajectory of your life? For me, it was my summer jobs spent at Glorieta Camps! I’m currently the Summer Staff Recruiter here at Glorieta, but began my camp ministry journey in 2017 as a Summer Photographer.
That summer, I got a special look at summer camp. I bounced around to different programs. I took photos of adventures, hugs during prayers, and someone facing their fear of heights. I also witnessed baptisms at the waterfront. The list goes on! At the beginning of that summer, I started to see how my photography major could lead me into ministry. What I could’ve never expected was how much God would shape me in those couple of months. A big part of that was Glorieta’s culture and the full-time staff that poured into me for years!
Our summer staff are not only looking for a summer job — they’re desiring to share the gospel. They are young, in the most formative years of their lives. How they spend their time shapes the path for the rest of their life after college. We have a huge opportunity to be part of that! The couple months they spend here have the potential to be extraordinarily impactful.
Our summer staff are the front lines: shaping how guests feel and experience camp. We have worked hard to create a place where summer staff want to return. They come to grow and then give back to our guests. Here are some ways that we care about the heart, mind, and spirit of our staff:
Prayer: During the interview process, we ask how we can pray for the applicant at that moment, at the end of each interview call. It makes a huge impact for me and for our staff. It’s easy and free. It shows our staff that we care about them, even before hiring. We care that God made them, that He has taken care of them thus far, and will lead them in the right direction.
1-on-1: Each summer staffer gets paired with a full-time staff of the same gender. They meet weekly to chat about life, work progress, and their faith. They often complete a devotional or Bible book and pray together. 1-on-1’s are a reminder to our summer staff that they are seen, our staff care about their time here, and their relationship with the Lord matters.
Worship Through Summer: Over half our summer staff are international — coming to camp from outside the U.S. This creates an amazing opportunity to share our faith with people from all over the world! We hold bilingual worship during staff training and a few times in the summer. These worship sessions offer a peaceful place to let go of the chaos of the week and relax. Staff can hear the gospel and have conversations that might not happen during the busy work week.
Host Homes: Let’s face it — dining hall food can get boring. So we mix it up a little! Each summer department goes to a full-time staff member’s home a few times to get a home cooked meal. We encourage our hosts to check with their staff on what meal they want. Host homes are also a time for departments to bond together and play games! This experience is especially meaningful for our international staff since American culture can be a big shock. Many of our international staff share that they miss their culture’s food. In my husband and I’s home, we had eight guys from Mexico who were craving tacos from home. We got all the ingredients as they guided us through the Mexican supermarket. Then, they came to our home and cooked it just like they did growing up! It was so fun for them and for me!
Program led Bible Studies: Each of our programs with summer staff have their own Bible studies. These department Bible studies help create team unity and focus each week. A week at camp often feels like a month for staff. So these weekly Bible studies are key to building our staff culture before guests arrive each week. Summer staff in counselor roles lead campers in daily Bible studies, so these staff studies are very important! It’s hard to feed others if you aren’t being fed enough.
Intramural Sports: Once a week for the duration of the summer we have intramural sports to help create bonds throughout all departments. We have had volleyball tournaments and soccer games that are so fun! Not everyone plays in a team, but those who don’t make signs to cheer on their friends!
The work of a summer staffer is hard, but with a gospel-centered culture, leadership who encourage, and biblical resources to keep going, it doesn’t feel so hard. This is more than a job — it’s life change that we get to be part of fostering!
Jade on staff at Glorieta in 2017
Photo Jade took of a staffer getting baptized in our waterfront
Summer staff in 2024 worshipping during staff training
International staff at Jade’s home making tacos
Staff at our volleyball court with the trophy for intramural winners!
