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FAQ for Parents |
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The following questions are the most common we receive from the parents concerning the Servanthood Projects.
Q: How can I tell if my child is mature enough to handle this week? A: This is a wonderful week of service towards others for the glory of God. If your child is not interested in being a servant (or has no desire serving someone other than himself) this week is not for him. If your child is not respectful of others, authority or property, this week is not for him. Please discern ahead of time whether your child is ready for this week. This is an incredibly fun week so long as your child complies with the high standards for the week.
Q: What is the ratio of leaders to students? A: We aim for a 1:4 (leaders to students) ratio. Every participating church must provide sufficient leadership for their own group and ensure that those leaders example biblical standards of behavior and leadership.
Q: How much interaction will my child have with youth from other churches? A: A lot. Although there will be opportunities each day for just your church youth to be together, the week is designed to expose them to other students and adults of like minded faith for interaction and fellowship. Having said that, there is no point where your child will be with other students without adult leadership present. We have made sure that adequate leadership permeates every aspect of this camp.
Q: What are the sleeping arrangements? A: For the Jr. High Week - Ben Lippen classrooms become bedrooms for the week. Students will sleep on air mattresses, cots and sleeping bags and will be divided by gender among the rooms. Adequate adult leadership from all churches will be dividedly equally among the rooms. For the Sr. High Week - Faith Presbyterian Church in Ballentine. The set up will be similar to the Jr. High Week.
Q: What is the age limit to attend the Servanthood Conference? A: For the Jr. High week, each student must be a rising 7th grader to attend. For the Sr. High week, the student must be (minimally) a rising 8th grader. A graduated 8th grader may attend both weeks. A graduated senior may attend the Sr. High week.
Q: Can my child pick which ministry location he/she would prefer to serve at for the week? A: No. Our desire is to encourage all participants to be a servant. A true servant does not get to select where he serves but rather serves where he is needed. Although your child’s youth leader will aim to place your child in a position that will maximize their gifts, strengths and interest, we cannot guarantee that they will serve in their first choice location. We do ask that each student prepare their heart to be a servant, should we need to make a switch to an area they do not prefer. Thank you for assisting us with this heart preparation.
Q: Could any of the ministry sites be considered dangerous? A: At all ministry locations, we take extreme caution to ensure that no one gets hurt. Recognizing that God is sovereign and we cannot possibly control all variables (including a poor decision by a youth), we take all precautions possible (within our power) to ensure that everyone is safe at all times.
Q: What vehicle will my child be riding in all week? Who will be driving? A: Your child will be riding in a 7 or 15 passenger van driven by one of the full-time youth Directors or their adult leadership. All seats will be equipped with working seatbelts and all drivers will instruct students to wear them prior to departure. All drivers have their driving license in good order and possess clean driving records. Safety is our first concern and we do everything in our power to see to it that your child remains safe while in our care.
Q: What is the shower situation during the week? A: For the Jr. High Week - All showers are located within the Ben Lippen locker rooms. With Ben Lippen’s permission, we built an amazingly secure partition system in both locker rooms to give your child maximum privacy. Each locker room is equipped to service three students in the shower area at a time with the partitions not allowing visibility among each individual stall. For the Sr. High Week - secure, portable showers will be installed on campus for the week.
Q: What is the dress code during the week? A: Since this is a mission project, fashion statements will not be necessary. We will not allow anything too tight, anything too short or anything showing skin in inappropriate areas (mid-drifts, cleavage, thighs, etc.) Recognizing that we all have different standards in how we allow our children to dress, please err on the modest (conservative) side of the spectrum. Most environments your child may be in (nursing homes, children’s shelters, children’s camps, etc) and the work they may be asked to do (physical work projects, sports camps, etc) do not allow immodest attire. Please oversee carefully what your child is packing to make sure that all clothing is appropriate. There is a bit more detail on modesty guidelines on the official Things to Bring List found under the “Forms” section of this website. Should we see inappropriate clothing on your child, it WILL be addressed and you WILL be called to fix it. Should this be a repeated problem, it may be clear that the Lord has other plans for your child during that week since modesty is generally less about clothes and more about one’s heart.
Q: What should my child pack for the week? A: An official Things to Bring List can be found here. Please encourage your child to pack as light as possible reminding them that they are packing for a mission project, not a fashion show. (Can you tell we have dealt with vain 8th grade girls in the past?) Q: Can I volunteer in any capacity during the week? A: Yes, in several ways. Each participating church will be responsible for a lunch meal during the week. Your particular Youth Director will need volunteers from his/her church to assist with the purchasing and assembly of these meals. Some churches may need additional leadership to spend the night. Please contact your Youth Director to find out how you might serve in this or other capacities.
Q: What is your discipline policy during the week? A: We rely heavily that the individual Youth Director will address any discipline issue that arises from the students in his/her group. Should the offense be on a scale beyond what the individual Youth Director can handle alone, the Servanthood Project Director will be involved in resolving the case. The Servanthood Project Director reserves the right to intervene on all discipline issues and his word is final in the event that a child needs to be removed for the week. Our desire is to see the youth treat each other in the way they want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). Should we find this is not the case, the child will be warned and reconciliation will be strongly “encouraged” with the offended party. Should this be a repeated offense, parents will be called in and appropriate action will be taken. If a child is removed from the camp, they will be removed at the parent’s expense and will lose their entire deposit.
Q: What is the security situation at night? A: For the Jr. High Week - The campus of Ben Lippen and Columbia International University are patrolled by 24 hour security guards. Also, every evening at curfew all exit doors are locked and no students are allowed to exit the building without adult supervision. Adult chaperones will sleep by the door of each classroom to ensure that no one can enter or leave without their knowledge. Bathrooms are located on each floor within 50 feet of all classrooms so that no one has to exit the building at night to use the restroom. Overall, security is tight and well managed. You should feel most secure with this set up. For the Sr. High Week - we will maintain the same commitment to security.
Q: How do I reach my child in case of an emergency? A: On the first night of camp, we will give you a postcard (during the parent’s briefing) with all the contact information you need to reach your child immediately during the week. Outside of a situation beyond our control (lack of cell phone coverage, etc) - you should have immediate access to your child, should an emergency arise. We also have an extremely tight communication network in place that we can reach you immediately, should we need to. Please make sure your contact information is accurate and up to date when you register your child.
Q: Can we come to the evening session at night to see what our child is learning? A: Absolutely. The evening session should begin around 7:15pm. We ask that you sit towards the back of the room to minimize any distraction to your child. It would be best for you not to attend the small group discussion since your presence may hinder the transparent conversations the Lord would desire.
Q: What will my child be given to eat for the week? A: Please click here for more information about the food offered during the week. Q: What other churches are participating this year? A: To see the current list of other churches, please click here. Q: What are the various ministry projects that you will be working with this year? A: To see the current list of ministry projects, please click here. Q: What is the general schedule for the week? A: To see the general schedule, please click here. Q: Our church is not listed as one of the participating churches but my child would like to attend anyway? Is this possible? A: Unfortunately, we do not allow students to attend outside the umbrella of one of the participating churches. However, if one of the participating churches will “adopt” your child for the week, they are welcome to attend that way. We would encourage you to encourage your church (or Youth Director) to participate with us next year! |
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