Program Team Job Description

The Program Team will involve a Program Director and 1-2 Assistant Program Directors per week. This is a vital leadership role and, like a conductor’s role in a symphony, the camp ministry could not happen without the Program Team’s intentional planning and confident and assertive leadership and direction. The following responsibilities are the general functions of those on the Program Team and are to be their primary focus for the week.

The Program Team will be responsible to:

• Be familiar with, mindful of, and working to further and implement the Glad Tidings Mission Statement, Values & Policies, and goals.
• Monitor and direct everyone on the Activities Team, Media Team, and Worship/Music Team to ensure that they have what they need to do their job and that the camp is effectively accomplishing its goals.
• Work along-side the Activities Team to instruct and run activities and events.
• Post and communicate the schedule and any changes/modifications to it.
• Help the Camp Director with the registration process at the beginning of the week.
• Be available to parents/guardians when they are on site to answer questions, show them around, or make them more comfortable with the camp experience.
• Know and implement camp emergency procedure including, if necessary, making emergency decisions.
• Communicate any special requests/snacks/guests to the Head Cook.
• Have both an attitude of service, being ready to step into any role necessary to keep the camp functioning and of leadership and authority, being confident, assertive, and intentional in decision-making.
• Interact with campers in a loving, enthusiastic manner being mindful that your example can impact lives for Jesus Christ.
• Be spiritually minded and prepared through a daily prayer time and Bible time (even now in preparation for the summer).

The Program Director will have demonstrated competence and/or experience either as a Glad Tidings Program Team member in the past or in a similar role elsewhere. They can view themselves as the coach – ready to provide the playbook that the team members (Counselors/Cabin Leaders, Media Team, Activities Team, etc …) will use to execute the plays (schedule and activities) during the game (the week of camp). They will take a leadership role and ensure that these core activities are being completed. This will involve making decisions, directing campers and (potentially) other staff, communicating with Staff, other leaders, campers, and parents/guardians. The Program Director is responsible to the Camp Director.

In addition to the responsibilities of the Program Team, the Program Director will be responsible to:

• Work with the Camp Director to plan the major aspects of the week of camp at least 3 months prior to the camp. This includes the schedule, the plan for the spiritual emphasis (that will carry out and/or build up the summer theme), and the details of special activities/crafts/events/decorations that are planned for the week. It may also include working ahead of time with the Camp Director and/or other Program Directors to develop the summer's theme and to determine needed resources and decorations.
• Assist the Camp Director with recruiting staff – especially the Assistant Director(s).
• Promote the camp/summer ahead of time.
• Find a speaker for the week and/or work closely with the Camp Director to do so.
• Work with the week’s Speaker ahead of time to determine the spiritual emphasis of each Chapel Time and/or Bible Lesson Time.
• Help the Camp Director ahead of time with the coordination of staff roles for the week.
• Actively train the Assistant Director(s) and delegate director-type responsibilities to them as needed and/or as they are capable.
• Be the liaison for the week’s Speaker in case they need anything.
• Set yourself up as the communication hub for the week of camp.
• Be the go-to person for phone calls and/or decisions if the Camp Director is not on site.
• Be superman, basically, :-) and go way above and beyond these duties to make camp happen.
• Work with the Camp Director and Staff Training/Development Head following the week of camp to assess the camp, program, staff, and activities.