1. Be prepared!
    1. Be sure that you are a clean vessel, usable by God.
    2. Have your Bible in hand, mapped out in advance.
    3. Don’t wait to be called on; move as you see the need.
  2. Use a lighted area or have a flashlight to read the Scripture.
  3. Ask the camper why he came forward.
  4. Regardless of the camper’s answer, question him closely about his salvation. Can he give you a biblical reason?
  5. As you counsel, have the camper read each verse aloud. Explain it to him until he understands it completely (Romans 10:17).
  6. Ask him to pray aloud. Don’t put words in his mouth.
  7. Follow up on the decision.
    1. Discuss the next step.
    2. Fill out a decision card and put it in the proper box in the staff lounge. This is very important!
      1. A counselor filling out a decision card on his camper should put the card in the program common secretary’s box.
      2. An operations team member or a counselor filling out a decision card on another counselor’s camper should put the card in the box of the camper’s counselor.
    3. Inform the camper’s counselor of the decision.
    4. Get the camper’s address for your own future follow-up.

Salvation and Assurance

  1. The Romans Road
    1. Romans 3:23 (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10; Romans 5:12; James 2:10)—the camper needs to realize that he has sinned.
    2. Romans 6:23 and John 3:16 (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 5:8; John 14:6; Hebrews 9:26–28)—sin earns death; God has power over death.
    3. Romans 10:9–10, 13 (1 Thessalonians 4:14)—choose to trust (believe) in God and accept His Gift.
  2. The sinner’s prayer should include the following:
    1. Realization that he is a sinner
    2. Realization that God has the power to save
    3. What a person believes about Christ—the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ
    4. Choosing to trust (believe) in God and accept His gift
  3. Lead the camper to full assurance.
    1. Listening to the sinner’s prayer in his own words will give you a good measure of his understanding.
    2. Ask him questions.
      1. If you were to die tonight, where would you be?
      2. How do you know? (Give him a biblical reason if he doesn’t have one.)
    3. Use other verses for assurance if necessary (1 John 5:12–13; John 3:36, 5:24; 10:27–29).
    4. Develop an object lesson to illustrate.
    5. Have the camper agree to tell someone about his decision.
    6. Record the decision in the camper’s Bible. (Bibles are available if the camper has no Bible.)
  4. Encourage the camper to identify with God.
    1. Public profession (Matthew 10:32)
      1. Give a testimony at camp.
      2. Tell someone (preacher) right now.
    2. Water baptism after returning to home church (Acts 2:41; Matthew 28:19–20)
    3. Walking the aisle at church
    4. Witnessing

Full Surrender

  1. The act of full surrender (Romans 12:1; Luke 14:25–35)
    1. Explain that God wants everything—body, life, ambitions, etc., (Galatians 2:20—dying to self; Matthew 16:24).
    2. Ask the camper to pray aloud. This prayer should include the following:
      1. Unconditionally giving his body and everything that comes with it to the Lord
      2. Being willing to do whatever the Bible says by statement or principles
  2. The process of living a fully surrendered life (Romans 12:2); these things happen daily!
    1. Being different from this world—separation
    2. Renewing their minds—transformation
      1. Prayerful study of God’s Word
      2. Obedient practice of God’s Word
  3. The next step:
    1. Record the decision in the camper’s Bible.
    2. Encourage the camper to tell someone about his decision and give a public testimony at the campfire service.
    3. Set some definite goals for victory.
      1. Daily Bible study—definite time, definite place, and definite amount to be read (2 Peter 3:18)
      2. Daily giving oneself anew to God (Luke 9:23)
      3. Immediate confession of sin (1 John 1:9)

Full-time Christian Service

As opposed to full-time vocational service

Dedication is the voluntary act and decision on the part of the believer to yield his whole life to the Lord Jesus Christ by allowing God the Holy Spirit to control his life for sacred service and a life of ministry.

  1. The dedication decision
    1. Counting the cost (Luke 9:23–26, 14:27–29)
    2. Act of full surrender (Romans 12:1)
      1. Realize that God wants it all—body, life, ambitions, etc., (Galatians 2:20).
      2. In prayer, give your body and everything that comes with it to the Lord, unconditionally.
      3. Be willing to do whatever the Bible says, either by statement or by principle.
    3. The process of full surrender (Romans 12:2)
      1. Being different from this world—separation
      2. Renewing the mind—transformation
        1. Through prayerful study of God’s Word
        2. Through obedient practice of God’s Word
    4. The next step
      1. Record the decision in the camper’s Bible.
      2. Encourage the camper to tell someone about his decision and give a public testimony at the campfire service.
      3. Set some definite goals for victory.
        1. Daily Bible study—definite time, definite place, and definite amount to be read (2 Peter 3:18)
        2. Daily giving anew oneself to God (Luke 9:23)
        3. Immediate confession of sin (1 John 1:9)
  2. Dedication of life to Christ for full-time Christian service
    1. Dedicated to Christ—not to a cause, idea, person, or country
    2. Christ’s preeminent place in his life forevermore (Colossians 1:15–19)
    3. Christ’s highly exalted place (Philippians 2:9–11)
    4. Christ’s position of great authority (Ephesians 1:20–23)
    5. Christ’s worthiness to receive glory (praise), honor (respect), and power (authority) (Revelation 4:11)
    6. Christ’s names
      1. Lord, Master (Luke 6:46)
      2. Jesus
      3. Christ
  3. Decision of “Here Am I, Lord, Send Me!”
    1. The volunteer
    2. The call of God
      1. Through leadership
      2. Through God’s specific call
      3. What’s next (Matthew 25)?
        1. Practice
        2. Preparation

Getting Right with God / Restoration

  1. Be sure the camper is serious about turning his back on sin.
  2. Have the camper spend time in prayer asking God to bring to remembrance any sin in his life (Psalm 139:23–24).
  3. Have the camper confess all sin to God (1 John 1:9).
    1. Name sins specifically as God brings them to remembrance.
    2. Turn his back on these sins.
    3. Ask God to give the camper His attitude toward sin.
  4. Have the camper make a written list of restitution to be made (Matthew 5:23–24).
    1. With Christian brothers and sisters, family members, etc.
    2. For stolen property, etc.
    3. If the items on this are forced, the list has no value.
  5. Have the camper ask God to fill him with His Holy Spirit; don’t stay empty (Ephesians 5:18).
  6. Lead him to the next step.
    1. Make things right with the people and situations written on the restitution list.
    2. Set definite goals for future victory (Philippians 3:13–14).
      1. Aim toward pleasing God in every area of his life (1 Corinthians 10:31).
      2. Begin a systematic program of daily Bible study and prayer (Psalm 119:9–11).
      3. Keep short sin accounts (confess sin immediately) (Proverbs 28:13).

Life-Transforming Decisions Involving Specific Action

  1. Invitations are sometimes given for campers to make decisions in specific areas of practical Christian living.
  2. In counseling with these campers, be sure to include the following information:
    1. Establish a biblical foundation with one or more verses in the Word of God that deal with this decision.
    2. Together, come up with a suitable project that will help put the decision into action.
    3. Determine exactly when this project will begin.
    4. Set up some sort of accountability program.
  3. One of the first goals is to see the camper decide to have a continuing fellowship with God. This includes the following:
    1. Daily Bible reading and study (1 Peter 2:2; Joshua 1:8)
    2. Daily time of prayer (John 16:24)
    3. Daily confession of sin (1 John 1:9)
      1. The important thing is for the camper to decide to do something daily in each area—only then will he be able to grow into daily fellowship. Make victory possible and defeat difficult.
    4. Use a project sheet as a counseling tool to give the camper a specific plan of action that could help transform his spiritual life. (See pages 46–54.)

Follow Up

Before Camp

Encourage youth worker to attend camp.

  1. He sees what is happening at camp.
  2. He is better able to continue when back home.
  3. Counseling opportunities are opened—“I saw you go forward,” or “I heard your testimony.”

During Camp

Do our best to make sure each decision is a good decision—decisions just start the growth process.

  1. Daily devotions—challenge to do it, teach how to do it, and give a plan to do it.
  2. Answering questions and further counseling—what is the next step on the Spiritual Ladder? (See pages 23–32.)
  3. Telling others about the decision—public testimony.
  4. Resisting temptation—the reality, types, and sources of temptation.
  5. Handling being in the minority in this world—what about any old friends?
  6. Faithfulness—the road to respect.
  7. Prayer—real prayers get real answers.
  8. Church attendance.
  9. Handling sin—What happens when the camper sins? How should he handle it?
  10. Breaking break bad habits.

After Camp

  1. Two philosophies
    1. Responsibility of the local church
    2. Responsibility of the camp
  2. What Ironwood does
    1. Writes letters to pastors giving names and decisions that their young people made
    2. Sends names of unchurched kids to the closest good church.
    3. Has counselors correspond with campers
    4. Sometimes has campers write themselves letters that will be mailed to them later
  3. What some churches do
    1. Give opportunity for public testimony the Sunday evening after returning from camp
    2. Counsel each youth listed in the follow-up letter
    3. Set up follow-up meetings with some members of the Ironwood staff
    4. Give help to youth in doing daily devotions
    5. Give youth opportunities to put decisions into action
    6. Continue doing a good job of edifying the saints and helping the kids grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord—good growth takes time
    7. Plan another camp or retreat within six months