The Application Form will ask for referees to vouch for your character and suitability to volunteer in this mission context. An email will automatically be sent to the people you name as your references. You are entitled to see the reference and may request this from us.
RETURNEE Applicants – if you have served with ACORNCAMPS in the past, you are only required to provide one reference - the Church Referee. Please use the most senior member of your church who knows you well e.g. Minister / Pastor, Elder, Youth Leader, Student Leader etc. If you require a paper copy or would like to discuss anything further please contact us.
NEW Applicants – if you have not volunteered with ACORNCAMPS before, you must provide 2 referees:
- Church
Referee – See description above.
- Second
Referee – This should be anyone who knows you well and can account for
your character and suitability to volunteer in this role.
Information for Referees
Thank you for being willing to complete a reference for someone wanting to volunteer with ACORNCAMPS. Please make sure you read the What is ACORNCAMPS?, and the Should I go? sections first to aid your understanding of who we are and what we look for in our volunteers.
Mentors: the mentors have an important role on the camp: We are asking them to model expository-style engaging youth talks for the student; give feedback on students’ talks and share life and ministry with them throughout the week.
Mentors will be:
- Gifted, experienced Bible teachers with a passion for seeing lives changed
- People who can pastorally care and disciple others
- People of integrity, whose life and ministry is Christ-like and marked by humility and servant-heartedness
- Comfortable in serving within a cross-cultural setting
Working with teenagers in a cross-cultural mission setting with a difficult language barrier is not easy. Due to the limited number of team places, it is essential that every team member is one (or a combination of) the following ‘types’:
- CAMP MAKER: someone who makes a
camp happen. This could include a gifted speaker / large personality /
older Christian who cares for the team / activity leader / program
planner.
- TEENAGE ENGAGER: someone who is naturally gifted to pro-actively talk and engage deeply with teenagers.
- POTENTIAL LEADER: someone whom you feel could be involved in the future work.
We aim to use the opportunity camps provide for people to use the gifts that God has given them. This might involve being stretched out of their normal comfort zone. However, people are not forced to do things they really feel unable to do. There is opportunity on the reference form to mention particular reasons for recommending someone, for examples what skills, abilities or experience they have. Please note that the applicant may request a copy of your reference at any time before camp, so please keep this in mind as you write it.
For access to the reference forms, please see here:
- Church Reference (New Applicants), please click here
- Second Reference (New Applicants), please click here
- Church Reference (Returning Applicants), please click here
If you require a paper copy or would like to discuss anything further please contact us.