Each year, Black Rock welcomes many international staff to serve in our summer camp program along with a few interns in key positions throughout the year. For over 60 years, Black Rock has been a place that God has used to draw people to Himself. If you feel that you may be called to love God and love people through a position in camping ministry, then please consider serving at Black Rock!
Interested in a different department? We are always open to discussing new ideas on how your gifts and talents could fit in at Black Rock!
Summer CAMP
Our summer camp programs are the heart of our ministry here at Black Rock! Each summer, we run 8 weeks of a traditional sleep away camp and 8 weeks of day camp programming. Over 1,500 youth ages 7-17 attend our summer programs and experience a potentially lifechanging week of fun, adventure, and growing closer to God. Every year we hire 50+ staff from all over the world to be counselors, activity leaders, media staff, and more. The 10-week program features 2 weeks of training before campers arrive in mid-June. Click the ‘learn more’ button to see what it’s like to be a part of our summer camp team!
ouTdoor education jobs
Our Outdoor Education Team primarily serves schools through day and overnight field trip programs in the spring and fall. Team members facilitate the mission of Black Rock by leading hands-on, environmental science-oriented sessions for various age groups, which help learners to explore & learn from His creation. Experience and/or background in Education, Biology, and Youth Ministry is preferred, however the most important requirement is the desire to impact the lives of young people by sharing the love and gospel of Jesus Christ. Year long internship opportunities available.
Hospitality
Black Rock operates a year-round retreat center, welcoming over 20,000 guests each year. Hospitality at Black Rock includes making guests feel cared for and welcomed even before they set foot on the property. Our Guest Services team works hard to ensure that from the moment someone calls us about a retreat to the moment they leave at the end of their retreat, their needs are met. Team members earn valuable experience in customer service. Learn how to problem solve for groups unique needs and get to see what God is doing in countless ministries that Black Rock has the privilege to serve. Year long internship opportunities available.
Multiply Your Impact
We believe that summer camp is a powerful ministry. When youth come together with their peers into a temporary community, they can break away from the expectations those around them at home hold them to. Memories made at camp will last a lifetime, and we hope that what will stand out most vibrantly of all will be the incredible work that God did. As we share the Gospel with campers and sow seeds of salvation and sanctification, we pray to see those seeds bloom into a beautiful harvest of faithfulness.
Important Links
If you are not already working with an outside agency, please CONTACT US directly to learn more or to apply today!
Black Rock cannot offer visa sponsorships, so we highly encourage you to check out the websites below of organizations we work with for our international staff. This is a great place to start to see if you would be eligible to join us at Black Rock either as a part of our summer camp staff or as an intern.
IENA: Summer Camp counselor positions, typically June through the beginning of August
CENET: Summer Camp counselor positions, trainee and internship programs
CETUSA: internships (up to 12 months) in hospitality (working with year-round retreat groups) or programming (Outdoor Education and Summer Camp programs)
“God touched my heart.”
In 2018 I had the opportunity to work as a camp counselor at Black Rock. Through this experience, I was impacted by how God changed lives through camp ministry. At that time, since camp is not part of the culture in Colombia, I didn’t know much about camps or camp ministry; my knowledge of camps was only what I had seen in movies.
So, in my mind camp was just about fun activities, but I started to be impacted by how God touched so many kids’ lives; not only the campers’ but the staff’s lives, as well. I was amazed by how, in just a few days, so many things in their lives were happening. I can say I can confirm that, because that’s what happened to me, even though I grew up in a Christian family and served at my church since I was young, at Black Rock, God touched my heart, I wished I had the chance to be a camper when I was a kid. That summer, I got the dream to bring what I saw in the States to my home country, desiring kids, and volunteers from Colombia “to know Christ and make Him known”.
After a season of prayer, I started sharing the dream with people at camp, especially with the Executive Director, Peter Fiorello. Since God gave me the passion for camp ministry, I wanted to continue learning more about it. I was able to serve at Black Rock for five summers. I was also part of the Black Rock team that went to Chile to help start a camp in. These experiences helped me in the process of how to start and run a camp in Bogota.
Through God’s timing and provision, in January 2023, we were able to run our first camp in Bogota where we had two camps of about 33 campers each plus a group of international and local volunteers. By God’s grace, 39 campers, as well as our two drivers, gave their lives to the Lord. In January 2024, we ran two camps of 40 campers each plus a 1-day youth conference. Once again, God showed up and did great things, and 29 campers gave their lives to Jesus.
I want to share a story that impacted our team. In our last camp, we had a junior volunteer who came as a camper in 2023. She expressed that before she went to camp in 2023, she wanted to commit suicide. But then, at camp, she found that God had a purpose for her, and she found that Jesus was the only One who could recover her joy and her willingness to live. Now, she wanted to help at camp so other kids get the same opportunity she had before.
We are grateful for the Lord’s guidance and provision, and the great things He is doing here in Colombia; we are already praying and planning for Black Rock – Colombia 2025.
International Staff FAQ
Black Rock is in southern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. We are surrounded by a beautiful combination of rolling hills, a lot of farmlands, and small forests. We are 5 minutes outside of a very small town, Quarryville, which has a variety of stores where you can find basic supplies and food. Lancaster county is a diverse place. We have a lot of farms, some of which are owned by Amish (a people group/religion known for dressing in plain clothing, living simply without electricity or cars, and driving carriages pulled by horses), but there is also Lancaster city (25 minutes from camp) with a lot of art, shops, and a great reputation for its restaurants! Lancaster is also home to one of the largest refugee populations in the United States. We are also just 1 to 1 ½ hours away from the major cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., and roughly 3 hours away from New York City.
Your contact person (dependent on which department/program you will be working for) will designate certain airports that are best to fly into and certain dates to look for when booking a flight. Typically, Philadelphia (PHL) or Baltimore (BWI) are the preferred airports. They will help coordinate someone to pick you up at the airport!
This really depends on which department you would be working with and the length of your program with us. As a year-round retreat center and summer camp, we have programs/groups on property all days of the week, especially in Spring, Summer, and Fall. While your schedule may vary, we try and give our staff 1-2 days off each week.
YES! Our Summer Camp and Outdoor Education staff have 1-2 weeks of training before the seasons start. We provide opportunities to receive training for many certifications required for your position (such as lifeguard, high ropes, First Aid, etc.). For hospitality positions, there will be a combination of training sessions and shadowing other staff members during the first few weeks of your program.
As Black Rock is in a more rural part of the county, there are very limited public transportation options nearby. If working for our summer camp program, we plan a variety of trips both for sightseeing and to go to the store for any needed supplies. If working here with a longer internship program, we recommend having an international driver’s license, however, our staff will also be available to drive as needed.
Black Rock has a variety of housing options on site, and we guarantee that housing will be provided. Expect a shared bedroom (all furniture is provided), and a shared common space and kitchen. Meals will be provided.
If working in our summer camp program, we work with our payroll provider to set up staff with pay cards to use while they are here and after returning home. They function as debit cards and can be used at ATMS for cash or at the store as a card payment. If working here for a longer internship program, staff have the option to open an American bank account and receive pay via direct deposit (recommended), or as a check which would have to be cashed at a bank.