Mountain View Bible Camp
Staff & Leadership Training
Module 3
Leading a Camper to Christ
Leading a camper to Christ
Frank shuffled a stack of papers
and looked out over the rows of staff.
“OK, for this session we’re going to
break up into small groups from the
start. It’s an important topic—you
could say it’s the entire reason for a
Bible camp. How can you lead a
camper to Christ?”
Tracy nodded. She remembered
the conversation she once had in this
very room with her own counselor
about trusting in the Lord.
Leading a camper to Christ
Frank drove his point home. “In the
other two sessions we were talking
about your leadership and your
relationship with campers.”
He paused. “Ultimately, you want to
understand their spiritual needs. How
can they move along that bridge
toward the place where God wants
them to be?”
Frank handed out discussion sheets
and guided the staff into groups of five
or six people. Tom, Tracy, and a few
other teens and twenty-somethings
pulled their chairs to one side of the
room.
Leading a camper to Christ
As the staff settled in their seats,
Frank gave some final remarks.
“The sheet you're holding has three
different ways to explain the
message of the gospel.
“Don't use the verses to armwrestle a camper into making a
confession of faith in Christ, as if we
just want to hear the right words.
Still, when a camper is ready to hear
more, it’s important to know some
key verses that will help you explain
things clearly.
“So, look up these verses and talk
about how they might help you do
that.”
Tuck this question
away for later:
How can you tell
when a camper is
ready to hear
more about the
gospel message?
Leading a camper to Christ
As Frank stepped away from the
microphone, Tom scanned the
discussion sheet. He looked around
at his group.
“Well, it looks like we've got a
bunch of verses on this sheet. How
about if we each look up one or two
of them, then say how we would use
them?”
“Sounds good,” Tracy replied, and
the others nodded. Bible pages
rustled as everyone started looking
up different passages.
As the verses are listed on
the next few slides, write
them in the space provided
on your own sheet. Copy a
few key words from each
verse, too.
Leading a camper to Christ:
the “Roman Road”
The Roman Road
Romans 3:23 – the fact of sin
Romans 6:23 – the result of sin
and the payment for sin
Romans 10:9 – the certainty of salvation
and the value of confession
Leading a camper to Christ:
“C – B – A”
C – B – A Verses
Confess – 1 John 1:9
Believe – Hebrews 11:6
Accept – Romans 10:9, 19
Leading a camper to Christ:
the “we all” verses
“We All”
We all are sinners.
Romans 3:23; Isaiah 53:6
We all must pay for our sins.
Romans 6:23
We all are offered God’s gift.
John 3:16
We all have to decide whether
we will accept His gift.
John 1:12; Revelation 3:20
Leading a camper to Christ:
Discussing the verses
“Some of these verses are listed on
here more than once,” Tracy
commented.
Across from Tracy, a teenager
named Christi nodded her head.
“They must be pretty important,” she
offered.
Tom agreed. “Personally, I like how
the verses are arranged. The 'Roman
Road,' the 'we all' verses... that makes
it easier to remember.”
Frank was walking among the
groups and passed behind Tom at that
moment. “It does help to have some
kind of memory hook, doesn't it?”
Leading a camper to Christ:
Discussing the verses
Christi spoke up. “But what if
campers ask something that's not on
this list? Even with these verses, I still
feel a little unprepared.”
“Getting tough questions can
happen to any camp worker,
regardless of experience,” Frank
replied. “Two things: First, remember
it's the Holy Spirit's job to bring the
Bible to our minds. He is always ready
to do that!
“Second, don't be afraid to say
you're not sure about an answer. You
can always ask another staff member,
either right then or later on.”
Leading a camper to Christ:
Wrapping up
After about 20 minutes of smallgroup discussion, Frank asked the
staff members to gather back at the
front of the room. “I watched you write
notes and heard your comments about
these verses,” he said. “You're taking
this seriously, and that's great.
“To conclude this session, here are
five essential points to keep in mind
about the gospel.”
Tom's pen had gotten lost in the
shuffle back to his seat. He leaned
over, borrowed one from Tracy, and
got ready to write.
For the next three
slides, add
information to the
bottom section of
your worksheet.
Leading a camper to Christ:
Five principles of the gospel
1. Who is God?
God is alive
He is the Creator
He is the author of the Bible
He is holy and just, yet He loves each of us
2. We all need a Savior
People are born with the “want” to do wrong things
We all do many sinful things
God says there is punishment for sin
The punishment is to be separated from Him forever, since He is holy
Leading a camper to Christ:
Five principles of the gospel
3. God’s way of salvation
Jesus, God the Son, became a perfect man
He took our punishment on the cross, as a substitute for us
He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again
4. Response and assurance
Personal belief that Jesus died for YOU
Salvation is a gift, not earned by what we do
God forgives your sins and gives everlasting life; you can't become
“unsaved”
God promises never to leave you
Leading a camper to Christ:
Five principles of the gospel
5. Spiritual growth
Confess sins after salvation, too; this keeps joy in your Christian life
Grow as a Christian:
 Pray
 Read and obey the Bible
 Tell others about your faith
 Have fellowship with other Christians
Closing thoughts
Standing in front of his newest
staff members, Frank shut off the
projector. Its low hum faded away,
and the room became almost
completely silent.
“Let's spend a few moments
praying for the campers we'll meet
this summer,” he suggested. “God
knows them. He's sending them to
us. Let's be ready.”
Tom, Tracy, and 25 other quiet
staff members bowed their heads.
Your own thoughts
Look back over the points in this
presentation. Your worksheet is now
a resource for three excellent
approaches to explaining the gospel
message.
What other verses would you
add?
What scriptures could you use to
support Frank's “Five basic
principles” of the gospel message?
Your own thoughts:
Readiness for the gospel
Consider this Leadership Verse:
Ephesians 6:11, 15
Put on the whole armor of God ... having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of peace.
How does this verse relate to presenting the gospel to campers?
How will it affect the words and actions of camp staff?
Congratulations!
You've completed Module 3.
Review your worksheet,
and then close this file when you're ready.