Training Requirements
There are many requirements that a noncom needs to complete before training camp ends on Friday, June 21st.
Most of the requirements, including 10 memory verses, plus the Roman Road sweep, are listed below. We STRONGLY encourage you to begin working on these things now. It will make the training weeks go more smoothly for you…with less stress. We’re asking for a concerted effort to finish all training requirements to the best of your ability. If there are specific challenges that make certain requirements especially difficult for you, please have a conversation with us about it.
We reserve the right to end a noncom’s service at camp if there appears to be insufficient motivation to complete these requirements. (There’s nothing worse than trying to tidy up those last few requirements the first week of camp during your spare time while toiling on dish or grounds crew … we’ve seen it before.)
Please understand, this is NOT a race to see who finishes first. And it’s NOT a competition. We know some requirements won’t come as easily for a few guys (i.e., we’ve had noncoms who struggled with lifeguarding skills; others struggle more with memorizing verses). That’s okay. But everyone is expected to come to camp prepared, ready to work hard, do their very best and keep plugging away, even if you don’t get it right the first, or second, or even third time. We are all here to encourage and help one another. No noncom will feel belittled or slighted if he can’t complete a requirement. However, we must see that you’ve made an honest effort to get as many of these accomplished before training begins. There isn’t a lot of time we can give you to study memory verses, work on your testimony, etc., once training camp starts. You need to get going now…in the weeks leading up to camp. “I didn’t have time’’ is not an acceptable excuse. We all have time for the things we establish as priorities. However, if time is limited, focus mainly on the memory verses.
If you have any questions, concerns or desire help with these requirements, please don’t hesitate to contact us in the coming weeks.
Required Memory Passages
Romans 3:10-11: “As it is written, there is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.’’
Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’’
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’’
Romans 5:8:“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’’
Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’’
Romans 10:9-10, 13: “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,
and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ... for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’’
Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.’’
Note: Once all the above verses are memorized, you will be asked to do a “Romans Road sweep’’ –meaning, recite them in order, one at a time, for your team leader, the program director or camp director.
1 John 1:8-9: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’’
1 John 5:11-13: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.’’
2018 Theme Verse: (TBD)
Required Spiritual & Camp Skills
Share your personal testimony with your training cabin leader (one or two collegiate staff members, who will be announced when you arrive at camp). This is a 3- to 5-minute verbal account of how you came to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and how He’s working in your life today. Here are some tips on how to prepare your personal testimony (1 Peter 3.15-16):
Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and guidance (James 1:5-6), then use this 4-point outline to develop it:
Your life before accepting Christ as your Savior (or before you re-dedicated your life)
How you realized you needed Jesus Christ in your life (or needed to re-dedicate)
How you came to know Christ (be specific) or re-committed your life to Jesus
Your life after you received Christ (changes He has made; what He means to you now)
If possible, include your favorite scripture verse.
Write out your testimony in advance and practice it until it becomes natural. Keep it brief, honest and humble, yet sincere (“real’’). Avoid Christian jargon and don’t be phony.
Lead a training cabin leader to Christ. This is a role-playing exercise that will test your ability to present the Gospel to campers during the summer as well as others once you’re out of camp. This skill will be practiced during training; you are not expected to be an expert when you arrive. However, knowing the Romans Road (below) is essential. Also, in your noncom manual (rookies will receive them shortly), read the “Evangelism’’ section to help clarify the Gospel and define how the Lord might have you lead someone to eternal life this summer.
Write out the words to 2 camp fun songs, 2 transitional songs and 4 spiritual songs. A partial list of many camp songs are listed in the noncom manual. On a sheet of paper, write out as many verses as you can think of (or at least the intro line to each new verse, if the rest of the verse is identical to the first one). Most guys (especially returning noncoms and veteran Nathanael campers) should be able to write or type out the words to enough songs in the above categories. If you can do this before training, that would be best. If not, camp song books will be available during training to familiarize yourselves with the words.
List at least ten Stockade cabin period activities and at least ten Battalion cabin period activities. These must be distinct and age-group appropriate. (Stockade camp is for 3rd-6th graders; Battalion camp is for 7th-12th graders). We’ll go over this together at camp. Also, list three possible rainy day cabin period ideas.
Schedule test. Study the daily schedules in your Noncom Manual. We’ll cover all of this during training, but be prepared to take a test on the elements of the daily schedule.
Prepare five devotionals that you could lead for a group of campers (i.e. your cabin group when you are assigned to a cabin). One approach would be to list five character traits that you believe a Christian young man should pursue. Find some Bible passages that teach those lessons. Write down two or three discussion points along with some leading questions to involve your group in a discussion. We’ll talk more about this during training but you can begin working on this now.
Learn and tell a Monday Night Cookout story. You will be able to choose one of two possible stories. If these stories are not included with your Noncom Manual, we will be doing our best to get these to you so you can study them before training begins.
Some additional requirements will be discussed and completed during training.