• Sponsors are the representatives of their church—with that assignment comes responsibilities and even specific objectives from pastors and parents; this pressure may surface in a variety of ways.
• Sponsors will vary greatly in experience, spiritual maturity, giftedness, and ministry experience—sponsors generally come invested in the camper’s lives
• The average sponsor will seek to be active in the life of their campers—they are deeply interested in their youth having a life transforming week of camp.
• The average relationship between the sponsor and the camper will outlive the one with the counselor—their relationship may span generations.
• Sponsors are often excellent resources for knowing and understanding the camper you are serving—working with them will aid the spiritual effectiveness of the week; many can become resources for ministry considerations as well.

Opening Questions

• How much time does a camp counselor spend in encouraging their camper to come to camp? When does their relationship normally begin?
• Comparatively how does the amount of time a counselor has with a camper compare to the average church sponsor? And how does a counselor’s relationship to the parents compare to that of an average church sponsor?

Closing Thoughts

• Rookie sponsors may be challenging because they come with prior expectations; it will take time to share the philosophy and process of Ironwood’s camping ministry.
• A good week of camp will gain the confidence of sponsors and often they become enthusiastic representatives back to their church and its parents.
• Sponsors often benefit as much from camp as the camper.