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2 0 2 5 E D I T I O NC H U R C H H A N D B O O K

0 1Ministry informationA L I T T L E B I T A B O U TC A M P I N T H E C O M M U N I T YSummer camp is an incredible experiencewhere children can grow in independence,develop more personal faith, discover newfriendships, and build relationships witholder peers. Unfortunately, for manychildren, experiencing camp is financiallyimpossible, culturally improbable, andphysically challenging. Camp in the Community partners with localchurches to offer a high-quality summercamp experience to underserved campers inboth rural and urban low-incomecommunities. We have been in ministry since 2011 whenwe served 77 campers. We are now ableto serve up to 1,200 campers in 24+locations.

0 2An overview of campEach camp runs Monday to Thursdayfrom 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridayruns from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thecamp staff arrives on Sunday eveningto set up, meet with juniorcounselors, and settle into wherethey will live for the week.The Site Coordinator checks in withchurch leadership, and together, theytalk through the week, focusing onthe plan for Monday. Each day whencamp ends, the church leader andsite director will check in to updateand readjust. Campers participate in MorningWatch, a short morning worship timewith a devotion by a minister from thehost church. After breakfast snack, and morningwatch, activities begin. Lunch is at12:15 p.m., and Bible studycommences immediately after lunch,followed by three more activity blocksand check out at 4:30 p.m.All activities are designed to pointchildren to Christ, build a positivecommunity with their group, connectthem with a caring church,experience something new andunique, and have fun in a safeenvironment. Participants are not asked toprovide financial proof to attend,and CITC relies on churches torecruit the qualifying campers. Camper populationAt each host site4-12 Junior Counselors Ages 15+At least 80/20 Rule 80% of campers recruited through outreacheffortsUp to 50 CampersMarginalized CommunitiesAges 5-1 4Kids under 5 can not participateCampers must be potty trained and ableto take care of their own bathroomneedsNo less than 25 campers

0 3Our commitment tohost LOCATIONT H I S M I N I S T R Y M A K E S T H E B I G G E S TI M P A C T W H E N B O T H P A R T N E R S A R E O NB O A R D 1 0 0 % . W E W A N T T O M A K E I TC L E A R E X A C T L Y W H A T W E P R O V I D E .Camp CounselorsOn-Site LeadershipPrior to camp, we will check in to be sure of any changes or new needs. During theweek the Site Coordinator and Assistant Site Coordinator will supervise and adjustprogramming, supervise staff, instruct volunteers, and work to ensure a high-qualityprogram, as well as build relationships with church and community. Full-timeleadership team will plan visits with each site as well.Promotional MaterialEach host location will be given a site-specific poster, postcard, and banner to sharewith their community and invite people to camp. These materials will include thecamp theme, hours and days, host church name and church address, andinformation on how to contact the church about registration. Please use onlyofficial Camp In the Community Promotional Material.Pre-Camp LeadershipCITC team coordinates with the host church to schedule dates, plan details,distribute publicity material and registration forms (paper and digital), plan trainingopportunities, and answer questions. We are responsible for creating programming,planning schedules, purchasing supplies, hiring and training staff, and continuallyevaluating the program. All materials are located on the church portal.Junior Counselor TrainingJunior Counselors (youth ages 15+) are trained during a camp-provided trainingprogram, offered both prior to camp, and during the camp week in order to meet theneeds of as many Junior Counselors as possible. Training offered prior to camp willallow youth more responsibility and experience within the program.We divide campers into groups based on age. Each counselor will be in charge oftheir small group, and they will remain a unit for most activities. The counselor isresponsible for managing group behavior, imparting the love of Jesus, leading Biblestudies, and leading most activities. The counselors or leadership team conduct allactivities. Counselor numbers may be reduced if camper numbers are projected tobe lower than anticipated.

0 4InsuranceCITC carries insurance that protects our campers, churches, volunteers, staff, activities, supplies. If a camperbecomes injured at camp and does not hold insurance, our insurance will cover them as the primaryinsurance. This not only keeps us well covered but prevents possible camp injuries from becoming anunexpected financial burden for our campers. Bible StudiesEvery summer, we share a theme with all of Holston Conference Camping. Each day, groups will participatein interactive Bible studies, encouraging camper participation, understanding, and application. Morning Watchfollows this theme as well. Summer-specific information is available in the 2025 MIR Guide. Morning WatchMorning Watch is a short time of worship and devotions designed for our campers. The CITC team will sharetheir musical gifts during this time. During this time, a church leader will share devotions with the group.See MIR Guide for more details.Camper CatalogThe Camper Catalog explains policies, procedures, information on safety, hiring and vetting processesfor staff, how healthcare concerns are handled, how behavior issues will be handled, and the process forcheck-in and check-out. Each family must be given the catalog when they complete registration forms tomeet American Camp Association standards.Registration FormsRegistration forms and waivers are separate from the camp catalog. It is crucial that this form is used toregister campers and is checked for completeness. Families with multiple campers can use the same form.We must receive paper forms the Thursday before camp begins, and all paper forms should be enteredonline by the host church as they are received. Daily ProgrammingOur curriculum centers around spiritual growth, environmental education, STEM, mental health, arts andcrafts, and active play. All activity supplies and curriculum are provided by camp, and led by the staff team.See Camp Schedule for more details.

0 5MediaBefore promoting camp or inviting news media, please discuss plans with the CITC Director. During camp, wemust be careful what we share with the public to keep kids safe. See Social Media Policy for more Info.Host Site CoordinatorEach host site should have one point-person who is the contact for CITC. This simplifies the process and helpsto ensure positive communication between the host site and CITC. The coordinator does not need to do alltasks but assumes responsibility for making sure tasks are completed, and information is communicated withall necessary parties. Camp Planning TeamEach church should have a team of people committed to making camp the best it can be. We recommend 3-5people on the planning team. The team is responsible for equipping people to recruit campers who genuinelyneed this experience, collecting registration forms, recruiting volunteers, organizing meals and snacks, andcoordinating housing and food for the camp staff.Recruitment of CampersThe capacity for each week of CITC is 50 campers, ages 5-14 and 12 Junior Counselors ages 15+. Do notexceed the set amount for your site without permission, but aim to fill to capacity. Recruiting the rightdemographic can be challenging. Utilize church members to share information with the children who need it.Use our recruitment guide as a tool for finding ideas on how to invite campers. Junior Counselors are notIncluded In the capacity count. Hostcommitmentto campT H I S S E C T I O N S H A R E SI N D E T A I L W H A T E A C HH O S T L O C A T I O NC O M M I T S T O W H E NH O S T I N G C A M P I N T H EC O M M U N I T Y .

0 6Meeting SpaceCITC will need the following spaces to host a successful week of camp:Daily VolunteersDuring camp, campers need to build relationships with their groups, but also with people from the churchwho they may see long after camp is done. Volunteers may help with check-in and check-out, answerquestions for the leadership team, prepare lunch and snacks, and most importantly, be available to have funand build relationships with campers. Addititonally, volunteers can go through safety check-offs to help withbathroom breaks and to be utilized as a staff member In the "rule of 3." See Volunteer Check-Off for details.All volunteers must complete a volunteer waiver each year.Junior CounselorsJunior Counselors must be 15 years old or older. They are recruited by the host or partnering churches tovolunteer alongside camp staff and work with a group of campers. Youth participate in training opportunitiespresented by CITC staff. Youth have the opportunity to grow as leaders and serve within the church whilebeing supervised by older peers. Each church must have a minimum of 4, and maximum of 12 JuniorCounselors. Each participant will complete the Junior Counselor Registration Form. See Junior Counselorpacket for details.Proof of Liability InsuranceProof of liability insurance is due by April 30th and is simple to obtain from your church insuranceprovider. You need to request a "Certificate of Liability Insurance" adding Camp in the Community, Inc.as an additional insured for the dates when camp is happening at your location. Most insurancecompanies complete this at no added cost. Access to Bathrooms/WaterCampers and staff need access to bathrooms during camp hours. They also need access to drinking water,a space to wash hands, and access to an outdoor water spigot. We will bring a 5-gallon drinking coolerand reusable water bottles for campers to use to reduce our impact on the environment. Breakfast Snack/Lunch/Afternoon SnackIndoor AreasOutdoor Areas5-6 classroomsEating areasCheck-in/Check-outMorning watchPlay areaBreakfast should be served as a grab-and-go station near outdoor check-in from 8:30-8:50 am. Lunch isfrom 12:15-1:00 pm. Counselors will pick up afternoon snacks at 3:45pm for their group and take them totheir group's assigned area to enjoy. Please check dietary needs and allergies on registration forms to beprepared to accommodate your campers. Feel free to use our sample snack and lunch menu for ideas.

0 7Meals for StaffOur staff need meals beginning on Sunday at dinner, and ending Friday at breakfast. Dinner can takeplace at the church, a volunteers home, restaurant, or where staff are staying. For continuity, we ask thatdinner is served at 6:00 pm. Typically, this is the perfect time to get to know community members, andbuild relationships between the staff and those who make a difference year-round in each community. Deposit:Once approved, each host location pays a deposit of $500. This is due January 17th, and is nonrefundable.Remaining Fee:The remaining balance from each host location is due by March 14th.Cancellation:When the host location is accepted and signs the contract, they commit to follow through with payment as agreed upon,along with all other tenets of this guide. If that becomes impossible and cancellation is necessary, the camp will workdiligently to fill the week with another paid host location. If we are able to secure a paid replacement, a refund will begiven of the total minus deposit. If we are able to secure a location willing to host, but unable to afford the fee, wereserve the right to reallocate your funds to continue our call to ministry in another community.Housing for StaffCITC relies on our hosts to find adequate camp housing (Sun-Fri). We do require check-ins andbackground checks for hosts, which we will conduct as we receive information about where staff will bestaying. Please refer to our Homestay Policy for more details on requirements for host homes.Social Media PolicyDuring camp, our staff and your church volunteers may take photos of campers. We have a strict policy forhow those photos may be used. Campers, staff, and volunteers sign release forms allowing both camp andassociated churches to use photos on official social media accounts, and in other official capacities. Photosmay not be shared on personal social media accounts. We do not want to inadvertently invite attentionfrom predators, noncustodial family members, or endanger a child who may have a precarious home life.For these reasons, photos should not be shared during the week of camp.Post Camp EvaluationAfter camp is complete, the host location will be sent an evaluation for the overall program. Please sharethis evaluation with all churches and volunteers involved with camp. Please respond to evaluation asquickly as possible. Your feedback is vital to our future success, and many of our innovations over theyears have come directly from these evaluations.Commitment to Our Mission and ValuesBy partnering to host camp, we are together committing to adhere to our mission and values. It is essentialthat we serve campers who could not otherwise experience camp. We recognize there are many barriersthat prevent kids from attending camp, including economic disparities, location, transportation options,cultural differences, and language barriers. Our continued commitment to serving those who would not geta camp experience is vital to the integrity and sustainability of future ministry. Ministers In ResidencePastors at camp are called MIRs (Ministers in Residence). They provide spiritual direction during camp.We want our campers to know pastors as spiritual leaders and people, too. We ask our pastors to sharea devotion during morning watch, in addition to spending time doing activities with the kids. Lives aretransformed through relationships. See MIR guide for details.

0 8Schedule of the weekT H I S W I L L H E L P Y O U P R E P A R E F O R T H ES T A F F A N D C A M P E R S ' S C H E D U L E SD U R I N G T H E W E E K .Sunday12pm - Camp Leadership Team Meeting - Bungalow (Maryville,TN) 2pm - All Camp Staff Meeting - Bungalow (Maryville, TN)3:30pm - Depart for Host Site ____ - Arrive at Host Site ____ - TeamSplits up to:Friday7:45am - Staff Arrive at Church8:30am - Check in Begins9:00am - Camp Schedule Begins2:00pm - Check Out2:15pm - Team Splits up to:Monday-Thursday7:45am - Staff Arrive at Church8:30am - Check in Begins9:00am - Camp Schedule Begins4:30pm - Check Out Begins4:45pm - Team Splits up to:Check-in with church leadershipClean up and pack trailer2:45pm - Team Departs for Bungalow (Maryville, TN)Check-in with church leadershipClean up and set up for the next 5:30pm - Camp Staff Debrief6:00pm - Dinner7:15pm - Staff Bible Study8:00pm - Camp Staff Free Time11:00pm - Camp Staff BedtimeMeet with LeadershipSet up CampBegin Jr. Counselor Orientation____ - Dinner and Move In

0 9Rubric for SuccessArea of MinistryMissed the MarkHit the MarkExceededthe MarkChurch MemberInvolvementRecruitment ofCampersAdhering toPoliciesCommunicationJunior CounselorInvolvementPastoral SupportCare for Camp StaffPost CampEvaluationCommitment toMissionOnly the pastor andcoordinator involved inimplementing campPastor and coordinatorinvolved in campimplementation, alongwith other membersMost everyone in thechurch/ministryinvolved in campimplementationLess than 80% ofmaximum, majoritymembers, not correctpopulationNear or at 80% ofmaximum, 80%+community members,correct population90%+ maximum,, 95%+community members,camp pop. more diversethan local pop.Disregarding media orsocial media policies,failing to hold liabilityinsuranceFollowing media andsocial media policies,and holding liabilityinsuranceSharing on social mediausing proper channels,and sending proof ofinsurance before campFailure to respond in a timely fashion toemail/phone questionsTimely response toemails, phone calls,and forms, and sharingsite specific infoTimely responses,asking questions,reviewing all paperworkwell ahead of deadlines12 youth enthusiasticallyserving others, join in allaspects of JuniorCounselor program4-12 youth involved asJunior Counselors, &participate in training0-3 youth involved asJunior CounselorsAll pastors uninvolvedin camp, fail to leaddevotions, absentduring campPastor leads devotions,talks with kids duringactivitiesPastor fully involved incamp, leads devotions,spends time withcampers, meets families.Staff not fed all meals,housing doesn't meetset standards forinternational staffStaff fed all meals,housing meetsstandards forinternational staffChurch families feedstaff, build communitytogether, staff housedwith host families.Church does notcomplete post-campevaluationOne person from thechurch completes thepost-camp evaluationPastor, coordinator,volunteers, youthcomplete post-campevaluationsBlatant disregard ofmission, jeopardizingdonor relationships,and intercamp missionsCareful attention tomission, understandimportance of beingabout our mission.Everyone at churchunderstands missionand values, and is onboard.Failure to hit or exceed the mark may result In Inability to host camp in future years

1 0T h e i n f o r m a t i o n b e l o w e x p l a i n s h o w C I T C a n d h o s t c h u r c h e s s h a r e i nt h e c o s t o f c a m p .Cost-Sharing PlanTier 1 - Covers 44% of the true cost of Camp: $4500Tier 2 - Covers 54% of the true cost of Camp:$5500 Tier 3 - Covers 64% of the true cost of Camp:$6500 T h e t r u e c o s t o f a w e e k o f c a m p a t a g i v e n s i t e i s $ 1 0 , 2 0 0 . W e k n o w f o rm o s t c h u r c h e s , p a s s i n g o n t h a t l e v e l o f f i n a n c i a l c o m m i t m e n t w o u l dm a k e c a m p a n i m p o s s i b i l i t y . W e a l s o w a n t t h e c a m p t o b e f i n a n c i a l l ys t a b l e e n o u g h t o s e r v e c h i l d r e n n o w a n d f i f t y y e a r s f r o m n o w . * A p p l i c a t i o n s e l e c t i o n a n d c h u r c h / c a m p e r e x p e r i e n c e w i l l n o t b e a l t e r e db e c a u s e o f c h u r c h ' s l e v e l o f c o s t s h a r i n g .W e a s k c h u r c h e s t o s e l e c t o n e o f t h e t h r e e t i e r e d p r i c e s , w i t h a m i n i m u mo f $ 4 , 5 0 0 t o t a l , a n d t o p r a y e r f u l l y c o n s i d e r a l a r g e r s h a r e i f i t i sf i n a n c i a l l y f e a s i b l e . * I f t h e r e i s a g a p b e t w e e n t h eh o s t c h u r c h p o r t i o n a n d t h e t r u ec o s t , o u r F i n a n c i a l P a r t n e r s h i pC o m m i t t e e w i l l r e a c h o u t t o y o ut o r e c e i v e f e e d b a c k o n p o t e n t i a lf i n a n c i a l p a r t n e r c h u r c h e s i ny o u r c o m m u n i t y .T h e y w i l l t h e n b e g i n t h e h a r dw o r k o f c l o s i n g t h e f i n a n c i a l g a po n b o t h o f o u r b e h a l f s , a n d o nb e h a l f o f e v e r y c a m p e r w h on e e d s c a m p .T i e r e d P r i c i n g

1 1T H I S I S T H E C O N D E N S E D V E R S I O N O F W H A T H A S P R E V I O U S L Y B E E NL A I D O U T A S T H E C O M M I T M E N T S O F T H E C A M P A N D H O S T I NP A R T N E R S H I P .Church ContractCITC Commits To:Pre-Camp LeadershipOnsite Leadership (2)Camp Counselors (Based on Registrations)Junior Counselor TrainingPublicity MaterialsParent GuideRegistration FormsDaily ProgrammingEquipment and SuppliesBible Study CurriculumMorning/Afternoon WorshipInsuranceHost Commits To:Host Site CoordinatorCamp Planning TeamRecruitment of CampersMedia/Social Media Policy AdherenceProof of Liability InsuranceMeeting SpaceDaily VolunteersJunior CounselorsLunches and SnacksAccess to Bathrooms and WaterMinister in ResidenceHousing for StaffMeals for StaffPost Camp EvaluationCommitment to Our VisionCost Share ($4500-6500)Agreement to CITC Church Handbook I have read and understood the contributions required of a Host Church and any partner churches,and of Camp in the Community (CITC) outlined in the Church Handbook.In signing this contract with Camp in the Community, Inc on behalf of the host church, I agree tothe aforementioned contract tenets, and agree to inform camp families of the policies they mustagree to in order to participate in camp. I have informed the church and partners of the inherentrisks associated with camp, including damage to property, personal injury, and even death. Inconsideration for being permitted to participate in this event, we agree to assume all such risks andhereby release and discharge Holston Conference Camp and Retreat Ministries, and its affiliatedCamp in the Community, Inc, including offers, sponsors, trustees, employees, agents, and otheraids and/or volunteers from any and all liability for any and all damage, loss, injury, death of everykind and nature whatsoever which in any way arises out of our participation with this camp event. I agree to pay the cost-share portion agreed upon in the application to host camp.I agree to provide Camp in the Community, Inc a Certificate of Liability Insurance naming Camp inthe Community as an additional insured. CITC DirectorPastorHost Site Coordinator