Summer Camp Employment
Do you want a summer of:
- Professional Skill Development & GREAT Resume Experiences
- Internships in 20+ majors
- Lifelong Spiritual Growth
- Leadership Duties and Stronger Confidence
- Connecting Daily with Fun, Memorable, Uplifting Peers
- Influencing MANY Young Lives for the Better
- Adventures in the Great Outdoors (Choose your own adventure)
- Inspiration for a lifelong, World-shaping Faith in God
Are you:
- Honest & Hard-working
- Compassionate & Kind
- Energetic & Dynamic
- A Person Living by Faith
- Fun-loving and Adventurous :p
- Respectful & Generous
If your answer is a strong “Yes!” to the above, this is your shot.
Start the Conversation… Apply now!
- Apply Online here. 2025 Applications will open on Wednesday, November 1. Since you will be around youth, you’ll need to name three references. You do not need to send a resume or cover letter, but those seeking leadership positions are strongly encouraged.
- After submitting the application, the Program Director will reach out to you to schedule an interview. This can be via Zoom or in person.
- Sugar Creek checks references, conducts a Criminal Background Checks including a check of the National Sex Offender Registry, and requires documentation of legal eligibility to work in the United States prior to employment.
- Be Confident… You are being prayed for, as God equips you for everything God calls you to do and to be.
Thank you for taking action to explore this powerful path to explore and strengthen your faith, equip yourself for future long term careers, and make a difference to so many young people, through Sugar Creek’s programs in relational ministry: for stronger ways to lead, communicate about things that matter in life, and change the world for the better!
Summer Camp Program
- Sugar Creek is CHRIST-CENTERED! SPIRIT-LED! and BIBLE FED!
- Your 660-acre backyard sports meandering streams, lively ponds, high bluffs, vast forests, peaceful prairies and many cozy cabins.
- You will experience a special emphasis (even among camps!) on “small group relational ministries” through a well established de-centralized village system. This means campers live in “villages” of 15-50 youth each week. Each camp counselor typically leads a group of 4-8 campers of the same age group, in grades K-12.
- About 1500 campers are served each summer with our residential, traveling, and Day Camp programs. As counselor at Sugar Creek, you’ll get to have a VARIETY of programs, ages, and adventures.
- Sugar Creek welcomes 35-45 summer Youth Ministry staff. First preference of camp counseling positions goes to applicants who have completed at least one year of college or the equivalent. Anyone 18+ is welcome to apply.
- A variety of positions are available including camp counselor (small group leaders), program coordinators, aquatics coordinator, horse wranglers, kitchen assistants, and more. In addition to the 16+ positions, custom academic Internships are available– such as Environmental Education, Media and Marketing, Psychology, Education, Biology/Medicine, Sociology, Ministry, Program Management, and more!
- Working at camp is a real job!
- View Summer 2025 Job Descriptions
- Apply Now (2025 Applications Open Wednesday, November 1)
Qualifications
- Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord – you must be willing and able to share your life in Christ with others. Knowing all the answers is not important but simply the desire to grow, share, and walk in faith with a God who loves you unconditionally.
- Staff do not need to be Lutheran but must be amenable to ELCA Lutheran theology. Not sure what that is? Please ask… the program director, or executive director, would LOVE to share a mutually respectful conversation just to hear about your faith, questions, and comfort level. Most Bible camp staff come in with little theological education – that’s totally ok!
- Passion—to help people of all ages, especially kids & youth.
- Openness—to be open to new experiences and adventures.
- Be a High School graduate (exceptions can be made for those who completed the LEAD program.)
- Able to pass a criminal background check as a condition of employment.
Summer Staff Salary – 2025
In addition to leadership experience, incredible professional skill development, resume building work experiences to name, and lifelong connection to an amazing group of youth leaders, Sugar Creek summer staff are provided with weekly pay, room and board through the whole summer with private bathrooms & showers in each dorm room in the most modern lodge on camp (Koinonia Lodge), with fiber optic WIFI, time off on weekends, and a lifelong supportive community of friends & colleagues in faith!
- Summer Dates:
- Paid Staff Training – June 2-13
- Summer Camp – June 15-August 2
- Family Camp – August 3-10
- $300/week Starting Salary for those who have completed one year of college.
- + $10/week Experience Bonus, per previous summer of summer camp staff experience
- + $20/week Leadership Staff Bonus
- + $300 Recruitment Bonus x ?
- A $100 bonus for EACH new staff member that names you as the person who primarily invited & influenced their decision to apply and complete an interview.
- A $200 bonus if that new staff member is employed by Sugar Creek and completes their entire contract for the summer.
- A $100 bonus for EACH new staff member that names you as the person who primarily invited & influenced their decision to apply and complete an interview.
Important Dates for Summer Staff – 2025
- May 29-June 2: Leadership Staff Training
- June 2-13: Full Staff Training (Time off Saturday June 7)
- June 15: First day of summer camp!
- July 11-13: Staff Renewal
- August 1: Last day of summer camp
- August 2: All-camp clean-up day
- August 3-10: Family Camp sessions
Time Commitment
- Staff Training, including safety training, youth ministry strategies, peer ministry skills, curriculum training, outdoor living skills, a ton of fun, and other important certifications, is mandatory for summer staff.
- Work week begins on Sundays with staff meeting at noon and ends around 5pm Fridays
- Housing is provided for staff all summer in the finest lodge on camp, the Koinonia Lodge with large fireplace room, dining area, large kitchen, rec room, fiber optic WIFI, and private restrooms and showers in each dorm room.
Thank you for exploring your calling through Sugar Creek Bible Camp! Hope to speak with you ASAP about your hopes, your goals, and to hear your thoughts on your summer calling to do something truly powerful.
For more information, please email program@sgrcreek.org or call 608-734-3113.
International Staff Opportunities
Sugar Creek Bible Camp Summer Staff is a Global Community with staff alumni from Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and more! Sugar Creek highly values the diverse perspectives and experiences International Staff bring to the summer community.
Sugar Creek, along with welcoming global companions through the ELCA partnership, works with companies like IENA for visa support for staff coming directly from their country. For students currently studying in the United States, Sugar Creek is open to building a custom internship with you and your academic advisor.
Sugar Creek Bible Camp provides in addition to housing, food, and a weekly stipend:
- Transportation from either Madison or La Crosse, Wisconsin.
- Bed Linens and Towels
- Cultural Opportunities and Experiences
For more information and to answer your unique questions email the Program Director at program@sgrcreek.org.
