Camp Harvest - 2026 Summer Staff

CHES Special Risk Inc.; Michigan; On-site; USD 17,000 - 22,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Lifeguard training

Job summary

Camp Harvest is seeking summer staff to create a fun, clean, safe and sacred space where God can meet students. You will bring energy, help maintain a clean camp, and prioritize safety while embodying Christlike conduct throughout activities and conversations.

Ideal candidates are 18–25, available May–August, and actively involved in a local church with a growing relationship with Jesus. Lifeguard-trained staff are valued to support water activities and safety.

Qualifications

• Must be between 18-25 years old on or before June 1, 2026.
• Must be available May 26 – Aug 8, 2026.
• Must have a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Must be an active, engaged and accountable member of a local church.
• Must be a good role model in terms of personal habits and lifestyle.
• Must be consistently enthusiastic to promote a fun and exciting environment.
• Must be action-oriented and value high quality work, flexibility, and urgency.
• Must be physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy to thrive in a camp environment.
• Must be available the entirety of the summer season.
• Must be willing and able to pass background check.
• Should be able to swim; lifeguard training is part of the training.

Responsibilities

• Create a fun, clean, safe and sacred space to help students encounter God.
• Be a primary source of energy and enthusiasm on the summer staff.
• Maintain cleanliness and assist with setup and teardown around campers.
• Prioritize safety and model Christlike conduct in all activities.
• Engage in kingdom-building conversations and disciple students where appropriate.

Skills

Team player

Energetic

Strong communicator

Enthusiastic

Tools

Lifeguard training

Job description

Thank you for your interest in working at Camp Harvest 2026 Summer Season!

Check out our website for some great pictures and information on what it's like to be Camp Staff!

About Summer Staff Role:

The summer staff team is the backbone of the program at Camp Harvest. As a part of the summer program team your job will be focused on creating a fun, clean, safe and sacred space that will make sure no barriers get in the way of God meeting each and every student during their week at camp.

Fun - One of the biggest reasons Camp Harvest, and camping ministry as a whole, sees so much fruit is the fun space and energy at camp. On the summer team you will be the primary source of this fun. Summer staff members should have high energy and bring the excitement we all love at camp.

Clean - Something that should never get in the way of ministry is an unclean space. The program team is responsible for making sure that Camp Harvest stays clean so that students can focus on Jesus and not a dirty cabin. Summer staff members should be prepared to keep camp clean. About half of the job will be cleaning, setting up, and tearing down spaces for campers to enjoy.

Safe - Almost nothing gets in the way of a real encounter with Christ faster than an unsafe environment! It is top priority at Camp Harvest to provide a safe space for campers. We ask summer staff members as representatives of camp and Christ to reflect this heart of safety as well. Summer staff members will be trained on keeping campers safe throughout all of their activities and interactions. Safety should be always at the top of each staff members mind.

Sacred Space - Camp Harvest’s ultimate goal is to take part in the building up of God’s kingdom. We strive to at all opportunities be missionally minded. As a part of the Camp Harvest team you will take part in the kingdom building taking place at camp. Accordingly, staff members should be ready at all times and constantly looking for conversations and opportunities to spread the gospel in little and big ways. Also the summer staff should be above reproach in their speech and conduct. Likewise staff members should take part in the discipleship program and be open to what God will teach them during their time at camp.

All of these elements work together to join in with the will of God and create a space inductive for spiritual encounters. In that, staff members should come spiritually mature enough to assist leaders in leading their students to Christ!

Before applying for this position, please be sure you meet the following job qualifications:

• Must be between 18-25 years old on or before June 1, 2026
• Must be able to work from May 26 - August 8, 2026.
  
• Must have a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ
  
• Must be an active, engaged and accountable member of a local church
• Must be a good role model in terms of personal habits and lifestyle
  
• Must be able to be consistently enthusiastic to promote a fun and exciting environment
• Must be action-oriented and value high quality work, flexibility, and urgency
  
• Must be physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy to thrive in a camp environment
• Must be available the entirety of the summer season (mid-May through mid-August)
• Must be willing and able to pass background check
• Should be able to swim, as all team members are trained as lifeguards

About Camp Harvest:

• Our Camp— Set on 600+ beautiful acres in the Northwoods of Michigan, Camp Harvest hosts youth groups of up to 250 students each week throughout the summer. This is the 22nd year of operations and the legacy of God at work here is strong.
  
• Our Mission—Camp Harvest is a ministry of Cultivate Churches whose mission is to create life-changing experiences through extended trips and intentional relationships rooted in Jesus focused on worship, teaching, encouragement, adventure, and rest.
  
• Our Model—As we work out our mission to facilitate the time, space, and adventure for campers to experience the life-changing deepening of their relationship with Jesus, we seek to provide that in the context of their local church youth group setting. We believe in the local church. As we strive to create an impactful week at camp, we recognize that being part of a larger program throughout the whole year is essential for the spiritual growth of the youth who come to camp. The youth group leaders continue to have a lasting and year-round impact on the students, therefore we host youth groups, not individual students. Our model does not require Camp Harvest team members to be in the cabins with the campers. Their small group leaders are fulfilling that role as cabin leaders. We are here to provide the enthusiasm, adventure, and logistics to make sure that THEIR camp happens.
  
• Our Team—Character traits and biblical attitudes are essential for all Team Members at Camp Harvest.
  • Spiritually & Morally Healthy—Must be a believer who is expressing an active faith in God and who is consistently becoming more like Christ. Must be a good role model in terms of his/her personal habits and lifestyle. Must be a person of integrity.
  • Servant Leader—Must be a person with a genuine and active desire to serve God first through his/her duties at Camp. Must be able to work as a team player and respect the authority of God and of those at Camp.
  • Strong & Healthy Relationships with Others—Relationships with others must be strong and healthy. Relationships cannot hinder the fulfillment of responsibilities.
  • Possess a Burden for Campers—One who is ready to pour themselves into the lives of the campers and work toward the long-term best interests of all campers.
  • Consistently Enthusiastic—Must demonstrate enthusiasm in a genuine and loving way. Enthusiasm helps shy or apprehensive campers get involved in the program.
• Our Training—We take our training very seriously as the safety of our campers is top priority. You will be trained and certified as a Starguard Elite lifeguard. In addition to all forms of water rescue, this includes first aid, high performance CPR and use of AED. Team members receive additional focused training for specific roles. Some of these additional responsibilities could include archery, zip-line, paint ball, photographer, boat driving, health officer, worship team and more.