OUR
STANDARDS
At Camp Grace, we realize that you are entrusting your child to us for a week at a time. As such, we want to make every assurance to our parents that Camp Grace is a safe space for them to express themselves and learn about God. Below is an outline of everything that Camp Grace does to ensure the safety of our campers, our ministry partners, and our staff.
Code of Conduct
We believe in having high standards for our campers, our summer staff, and our full-time staff. As such, we require that all of our staff read and agree to our code of conduct on an annual basis. Those who work full-time at Camp Grace adhere to a more strict set of standards. Below are some excerpts from that code of conduct for full-time staff with Camp Grace:
As a full-time missionary, you are part of an organization which holds itself to an extremely high, conservative moral standard. Strive to do all for the glory of God!
Missionaries must be in agreement with CBM:MA’s Statement of Faith.
Missionaries shall not be behind closed doors together alone with anyone of the opposite gender other than their spouse. If a meeting is necessary between missionaries of the opposite gender, the door shall remain open, or the meeting shall take place in the office common areas.
Missionaries shall strive to be above reproach in word and deed, protecting themselves, as well as the ministry. All conduct shall reflect a strong testimony and reputation, using tact, appropriateness, and a strong filter when considering actions, reactions, and speech. A positive attitude shall be consistently strived for.
Matthew 18 shall be used as the model for conflict resolution.
Missionaries shall follow all local, state, and national laws for conduct and behavior without excuse.
All missionaries are required to submit to a background check every 2 years. Missionaries are required to participate in Child Safety and Child Protection Plan Training annually.
Behaviors that are prohibited include:
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Gambling
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Viewing pornography of any kind (internet, magazines, movies, sexually explicit art, etc.) or reading sexually explicit literature (including “sexting”). Missionaries who struggle with pornography are urged to seek help in order to have further accountability (i.e.: programs such as Covenant Eyes, etc), and possibly face termination.
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Terrorist-related interaction or activity
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Video games or movies/TV shows deemed to be questionable
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Pre-marital or extra-marital sexual activity with either gender
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Possession/use of illicit/illegal drugs, hallucinogenic substances
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Consumption of alcohol (or when in public, anything that gives the appearance of an alcoholic beverage) or use of tobacco (including e-cigs/vapes)
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Foul language and coarse joking (including insults and innuendos)
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Misuse of prescription drugs
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Acts or threats of violence or harm to oneself or others
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Use of CBM funds for personal use
All peoples at Camp Grace also adhere to a basic code of conduct that helps ensure that our campers have the best time that they can while on property. Our summer staff go over this code of conduct with the campers so they know their boundaries and expectations:
Camper’s Rights:
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To have privacy when in private areas (bathroom, shower, cabins).
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To tell someone when feeling uneasy about ANY situation.
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To be treated with respect.
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To be taken seriously.
Always respect other’s physical boundaries:
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No kissing
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No sharing of shower or bathroom stalls
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No sharing of beds
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No hitting, kicking, slapping, or punching
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No inappropriate touching
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No physically demeaning humor
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No walking about the cabin without covering private areas
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No bullying (this includes hazing)
Always use appropriate verbal communication:
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No lying
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No gossiping
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No name calling of any kind (even jokingly)
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No talking or making comments about another’s physical body
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No profane language or use of slang terms
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No discussions of a sexual nature. If a camper brings up sexuality, Camp Grace staff will discuss the biblical view and then tell the campers to speak with their parents. This should be reported to the Camp Director.
Further, all hired staff for summer camp follow additional rules that are not expected of the camper, but for those who are in service.
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No campers are to be taken off by themselves.
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Do not give campers gifts of a personal nature.
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Do not share private emotional challenges or aspects of private romantic life with campers.
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Do not show favoritism to a particular camper.
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One-on-one counseling or private conversation is to be done in a public setting (seen but not necessarily heard).
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Hold other staff accountable to this code.
Hiring Process
All staff fill out an application to start the hiring process. This application requires two references, and it has a section for personal theology. All new hires undergo an interview with members of our staff. All hires go through an hour-long online training with Abuse Prevention Systems on identifying and preventing abuse at camp; we then go over this material again during our week-long in-person staff training. Additionally, hires above the age of 17 undergo a background check; these are done again after two years of service if the staff member is still working with us.
Staff Qualifications
Those who are hired for the summer take part of a week-long training. During this week, staff are trained in how to minister to the campers. This includes administrative training, such as handling laundry and money at the Snack Shack, and counseling training like personal evangelism. All staff are required to go through abuse prevention training, which is done before arriving on campus. During training week, we go over our abuse prevention training. Counseling staff have a male and female counselor to oversee and assist the counselors with any special situations.
Camp Grace also has a team of lifeguards who receive official certification by a licensed Red-Cross instructor. This team is organized to oversee all activities taking place on the water, including swim time and boating. These lifeguards are overseen by a head lifeguard, who ensures that every guard on duty is mentally and physically able to perform their duties and ensure the safety of our campers and staff. While not at the swimming hole, our lifeguards are also first-aid and CPR professionals that are able to respond to minor injuries.
Camp Grace is blessed to have an RN (Registered Nurse) on staff. Mrs. Chita has a North Carolina License to practice nursing. She graduated from the University of Pangasinam in 1978 and has been practicing nursing since in multiple different capacities. We are very thankful for her service here and her love for the campers.
The camp strives to maintain a significant camper-to-staff ratio (usually 2:1, at most 3:1) so that all campers receive consistent and appropriate supervision. At night, each cabin duplex has two adult counselors to watch over the cabins. Additionally, staff are trained to respond to various emergency scenarios, including if an unknown adult makes their way onto campus, how and where to search for missing campers, and what to do during severe weather.