Policy Statement on Staff Conduct and Lifestyle
The Mission of Crowsnest Lake Bible Camp is to bring glory to God and effectively respond to the needs of the whole person according to the Biblical principles of evangelism and discipleship. To accomplish this mission, Crowsnest Lake Bible Camp is committed to building a community that fosters the most important kind of growth: in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. CLBC will labour together with anyone who shares our mission and who will contribute to and benefit from our community.
We trust Jesus, who says that the way to bear this kind of fruit is to abide in Him. We are therefore deeply committed to discipleship -- the practice of learning how to walk as Jesus did. As our leaders become aligned with the character of Jesus through the process of discipleship, they become able to obey, and to flourish in the way that God intended. Then our camp community will be equipped to bless those who curse us, and truly to love our enemies.
Our expectation is that the learning transformation of discipleship is difficult. (After all, Jesus learned obedience by the things that he suffered, not the things he enjoyed.) By observing Jesus’ life, and the lives of his followers and disciples, we can identify practices that will aid us/equip us/enable the transformation. These “spiritual disciplines” may include:
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Inward disciplines (prayer, fasting, meditation, and Bible study)
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Outward disciplines (simplicity, solitude, silence, submission, and service)
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Corporate disciplines (confession, worship, hospitality, fellowship, guidance, and celebration).
The practice of the disciplines does not imply that we can earn righteousness. They are merely good and practical advice: Christians have found the imaginative and regular practice of the spiritual disciplines to be helpful, equipping us for work that cannot be accomplished through sheer effort.
We will encourage all of our staff and leaders to follow Jesus closely. We are looking to create disciples, encourage disciples, and live as disciples. Those who are uninterested in a life guided by the Word and the Spirit, or who are unwilling to re-arrange their lives with the intention of walking as Jesus did, may not feel comfortable at Crow. Staff and volunteers who actively undermine or distract from our mission at camp will not be welcome.
Staff Conduct and Lifestyle Agreement
We’ve learned that successfully living in community requires adherence to certain standards of conduct. Our purpose here is not to list a series of rules. Instead, we want to share the general principles that support and motivate our mission, so that potential camp leaders can align their expectation to our practice. We encourage all of our leaders to live beyond the rules, as outlined in Galatians 5:13ff.
Below, some virtues that we have found that contribute to the proper function of our community:
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Chastity: Discretion of sexual conduct according to one’s state in life.
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Temperance: Restraint; practicing self-control, abstinence, moderation & deferred gratification.
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Charity: Generosity, and self-sacrifice.
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Diligence: A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work; decisive work ethic, and perseverance. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness.
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Patience: Building a sense of peaceful stability and harmony rather than conflict, hostility, and antagonism; resolving issues and arguments respectfully, as opposed to resorting to anger and fighting. Showing forgiveness and being merciful.
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Kindness: Compassion and empathy.
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Humility: Having the character to undertake tasks which are difficult, tedious or unglamorous, and to graciously accept the sacrifices involved. Giving credit where credit is due; not unduly glorifying one's own self.
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Dialogue: Direct and regular communication; especially when conflict, disagreement, lack of clarity, or confusion threaten unity.
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Edification: The instruction or improvement of a person morally or intellectually; the commitment to build each other up; being sensitive to issues that might be distractions from or obstacles to another person’s relationship with God. Wholesome, polite, reverent, encouraging conversation.
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Promptness: Showing up on time for activities, events, and meals.
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Courage: Being bold in doing what is right and good, especially when that is most difficult.
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Justice: Being fair, even when advantage lies in being unjust!
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but our community celebrates and encourages these virtues. Likewise, we work to displace the vices that oppose them. We believe, and have seen first-hand that this contributes to the success of the Mission of Crowsnest Lake Bible Camp.
If you are uninterested in pursuing these virtues, practices and habits of mind, you may find that you are uncomfortable in our camp culture. If you seek to undermine those virtues, or encourage the vices that are their opposites, you will be disruptive to our mission, and will not be welcome.
I have read, and understand Crow’s Mission Statement, Statement of Faith, the Policy Statement on Staff Conduct, and the Staff Conduct and Lifestyle Agreement. [Check one below]
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____I will respect and not detract from the Mission, or undermine the work at Crowsnest Lake. |
____I commit myself to pursuing and enabling the Mission of Crowsnest Lake Bible Camp. |
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Signed: |
Date: |
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