Employment

Frequently Asked Questions:

• I’ve submitted my application – now what happens?

  Yay! We are so excited you are taking the next step toward working at camp this summer. We will contact you within 2-3 days of receiving your application to set up an interview. You can come to camp in person, we can meet you in your town if it fits with our staff schedule, or we will conduct interviews over Zoom. Be prepared to set aside 45min for an interview. And don’t be nervous – we just want to talk with you and get to know you your gifts could be a valuable part of our team this summer.

• Can I get time off during the summer for family vacations, graduations, weddings, etc.?

  Yes! We know that family vacations, graduations, and weddings are an important part of life and we will work with you to make your time off possible. We do expect that you communicate these dates to us as early as possible. If not, enough lead time is given, it will be harder to accommodate your important events and it may not be possible. We are flexible with dates, but keep in mind we offer a $500 bonus if you do not miss a day of your contracted dates. Something to think about when planning out your summer.

• What does summer look like?

  A traditional summer camp counselor at Camp Metigoshe will work with a variety of ages and abilities throughout the summer. Staff is contracted for 12 weeks of camp with 2 of those weeks being staff training. Counselors will spend 1 -3 weeks going to day camps at congregations around North Dakota and spend the rest of their time on-site working with campers of all ages and abilities. The best way to learn about the different programs you will work with is to check them out here. Occasionally, you get will be asked to serve on support staff and plug into different areas that are needing extra help!

• What does time off look like?

  Summer camp is a crazy fun and busy time! You will get time off on weekends, Here is what you can expect:

  • We work Sunday – Friday. Staff then get Friday nights and Saturdays off.
  • We invite you to stay on-site at camp and enjoy the lake, rest and spend time with new friends. Some staff also choose to leave the site and explore or go home for the weekend. On your time off the camp laundry, camp food, and space is for you to feel rested and rejuvenated for the next week of camp!
  • Camp staff also get two half weeks off in the middle of the summer to rest and rejuvenate for an extended amount of time.
  • There are a few weekends during the summer that are contracted, on-site working weekends. For 2023, those weekends are May 25 (staff training), June 1 (staff training), June 29 (Annual Quilt Auction), and July 20 (Family Weekend). We do expect you to be onsite during these weekends.
• What will I do as a Camp Counselor?

  PREPARE – Prepare to have the summer of your life growing as a leader, learning to be adaptable, practicing communication and problem-solving skills, and making friends to last a lifetime. Amongst all of the awesome resume material, you will also assist in keeping camp clean and organized for campers to provide a space where our campers always come first. If you love to hang out with kids, play games, and show how awesome God’s family can be by being inclusive, caring and helpful, this position is for you!

  PLAY– Lead and participate in games, help campers explore the camp, find God in adventures, be creative, head out on a night campout, get paid to have the most awesome dance party, Celebrate Christmas in July and so much more! Adventure is waiting!

  PRAY– Lead Bible Study for campers, participate in worship, help campers see God in all sorts of different places, and grow in your own faith.

  EXPLORE – Explore who you are in God’s great community. Explore what camp is like with campers, what it means to live in a rustic community, and Explore the great outdoors all while growing as a leader and making a difference.

• What if I am not ELCA Lutheran? Can I still work at camp?

  Yes! You do not have to identify as ELCA Lutheran to be on staff. We actually enjoy the diversity and the awesome conversations that come with various viewpoints. However, we are an ELCA organization, so it is important that the theology behind our programming will be rooted in our ELCA Lutheran identity. We ask that you be willing to share God’s love with everyone at camp and be willing to teach our Bible study and other theology-based aspects of the camp from our Lutheran perspective. During staff training, we will spend time teaching Lutheran theology and how to lead an engaging Bible study.

• What are the living arrangements?

  Counselors stay in cabins with campers. Each week they will move cabins based on the program they have for the week. When assigned to Day Camp you will stay with congregation host families. Support staff and leadership staff live with roommates in staff housing. All of the living spaces will have dorm-style long twin beds and you will be near a bathroom. There is a shared laundry facility on site.

• Do I have to work the entire summer, or can I work part of the summer?

  Preference is given to applicants who can work at camp for the entire summer. However, we encourage you to apply if you are only available for part of the summer. We would love to talk with you about what you are available for!

• What is your philosophy around electronics?

  Throughout the summer, the use of electronics will be limited. Our summer camp is an intentionally rustic camp where we focus on being in God’s creation together as a community. We ask our campers to come prepared to live a life technology free for the week. As a staff, we are role models and live the same life our campers do. You will be able to use your devices on weekends, but time will be limited during the week when you are with campers. We encourage incoming staff to begin preparing mentally for how they will spend a summer successfully limiting technology use. We promise, an “unplugged” summer at camp has so many benefits! You will get to be fully immersed in God’s creation, build relationships with campers and staff, create memorable adventures, and focus on the YOU God created you to be.

Basic Information for all positions