Summer Staff

As a member of our Summer Staff, you will serve as part of a team executing the mission programs of our Youth Summer Ministry. You will lead communities of volunteers from all over the country in their mission work (either Day Camp or Service Project) and spiritual practices, such as worships and devotionals.

Have questions? We would love to answer them!

Reach out to Rachael or call us at 931-692-3999.

Apply Now

Meet the 2026 Summer Staff

Why Summer Staff?

We are committed to your long-term development at Mountain T.O.P. Though you will only be with us for about 10 weeks in the summer, we want to give you opportunities to learn skills that will last a lifetime. We focus on spiritual and professional development in our summer staff. Here are some ways we challenge our staff to grow spiritually and professionally.

Professional Development: Staffers develop practical leadership skills such as public speaking, delegation, and team leadership. They grow in self-awareness, conflict resolution, and communication skills by working with people from diverse backgrounds and personalities. Together, these experiences prepare staffers for future careers, ministry, and leadership roles—while shaping who they are becoming.

Spiritual Development: Staff are encouraged to engage in meaningful spiritual practices as a way to rest in God’s presence and deepen their faith during daily work. Staffers will have opportunities to lead devotions, participate in and lead worship through prayer, music, and preaching. Staff also gain a rich cross-cultural experience, becoming part of the Appalachian community while building relationships with peers and participants from across the country.

Work With Us

As a staff member at Mountain T.O.P., I had the opportunity to demonstrate high proficiency in logistics, mentorship, and spiritual leadership. As a college student I am often told I have to get a degree before I can make any real change in the world, but here at Mountain T.O.P. we are empowered to take on challenges that strengthen us no matter what level of education we possess.

— 2025 Summer Staffer

Job Requirements

All staff must be:

Be a high school graduate and at least 18 years old by May 19, 2026
Able to provide your own personal vehicle and auto insurance, and have a valid drivers license
Available to serve from May 19, 2026 to August 2, 2026
Certified in First Aid and CPR by May 19, 2026
Committed to preparing yourself spiritually, financially, and administratively by reading all prep materials, raising partnerships, and completing all necessary paperwork
Raise $1,800 in financial partnerships

Qualified applicants have:

✔️ A commitment to following Christ and living out the Gospel through words, thoughts, and actions

✔️ Confidence in being a spiritual leader to others

✔️ A teachable and open heart

✔️ Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with proven leadership skills

✔️ A desire to grow in professionalism and acquire real-world skills

✔️ A readiness to invest in a grace-driven community and build Christ-centered relationships

✔️ A willingness to work hard and get the job done

Job Descriptions

Directors manage the staff leadership team and the staff as a whole. Directors oversee and are ultimately responsible for all camp operations and staff effectiveness to ensure the quality of both camper and staff experience. This role acts as the point of contact for all camper groups and is accountable for establishing standards and successful execution of each camp week. Direct job responsibilities include: the leadership development of the staff both professionally and spiritually, the coordination and cooperation with Support Staff and fellow camp directors regarding staff life and camp operations, and the management of financial and administrative tasks of their respective camp weeks. The director is responsible for the development of all staff members in the areas of spiritual growth, group leadership, personal development, and job performance.
Read the Weekly Responsibilities here.
Salary: $4,100
Program Managers serve on the staff leadership team with the Director and other managers. Program Managers oversee and manage all in-camp programming operations for their respective weeks. Direct job responsibilities include: the organization and management of the staff office, the coordination of camper group registration and division, the facilitation and direction of all programming planning (activities, games, daybreaks, worships), and the assurance of quality execution of the aforementioned programming events. Additionally, the Program Manager, in conjunction with the rest of the management team, assists in the development of the Ministry Coordinators in the areas of spiritual growth, group leadership, personal development, and job performance.
Read the Weekly Responsibilities here.
Salary: $3,700
Day Camp Managers serve on the staff leadership team with the Director and other managers. Day Camp Managers oversee and coordinate total Day Camp operations for their respective camp weeks. Direct job responsibilities include developing the complete programming for Day Camp weeks with accordance to established Day Camp curriculum, ensuring the effective integration of daily Day Camp and Mountain T.O.P. themes, coordinating with applicable sites and contacts, and confirming accuracy and completion of daily van routes. Additionally, the Day Camp Manager, in conjunction with the rest of the management team, assists in the development of the Ministry Coordinators in the areas of spiritual growth, group leadership, personal development, and job performance.
Read the Weekly Responsibilities here.
Salary: $3,700
Service Project Managers serve on the staff leadership team with the Director and other managers. Service Project Managers oversee and lead all of the service project operations for their respective camp weeks. Direct job responsibilities include: the procurement and delivery of materials, the assurance of project quality, and the overall management of each project assigned to their Ministry Coordinators. Additionally, the Service Project Manager, in conjunction with the rest of the management team, assists in the development of the Ministry and job performance.
Read the Weekly Responsibilities here.
Salary: $3,700
Day Camp Ministry Coordinators (DCMCs) prepare for and lead teams of youth and adults in their daily activities during the week of mission work. All Ministry Coordinators inherently participate in the planning and execution of programming activities, in addition to those responsibilities of their respective field operations. Programming responsibilities include: ensuring community building, planning and facilitating nightly games, preparing and delivering daily daybreaks (or devotionals) to their respective teams, and planning and leading worships. Planning and leading worships utilizes an established scriptural theme to develop original, meaningful worship experiences. Day Camp field operations include: visiting and registering children for participation in day camp programs, working with the Day Camp Manager to prepare for activities prior to camper arrival, leading and executing planned curriculum at various sites during the camp week, and managing teams at said sites. Day Camp responsibilities may also include personal execution of drive by day camp programs if needed rather than facilitation of Youth Renewal groups.
Read the Weekly Responsibilities here.
Salary: $3,500
Service Project Ministry Coordinators (SPMCs) prepare for and lead teams of youth and adults in their daily activities during the week of mission work. All Ministry Coordinators inherently participate in the planning and execution of programming activities, in addition to those responsibilities of their respective field operations. Programming responsibilities include: ensuring community building, planning and facilitating nightly games, preparing and delivering daily daybreaks (or devotionals) to their respective teams, and planning and leading worships. Planning and leading worships utilizes an established scriptural theme to develop original, meaningful worship experiences. Service Project field responsibilities include but are not limited to: acquiring projects through visiting families, estimating tools, materials, and durations of projects, and managing work teams at work sites. There may be a need for SPMCs to facilitate Major Home Repair projects during the summer rather than traditional Minor Home Repair work.
Read the Weekly Responsibilities here.
Salary: $3,500

Apply Now

Application Process

Once you start the online application, you cannot save and restart. If you’d like to prepare your answers ahead of time, you can see the application questions here. Please answer the questions, fully and thoughtfully, in complete sentences, aiming for 100-200 words each. You will be asked to submit your resume as part of the application, as well.

Application

Application

First-time applicants are required to have 3 refernces. Two of the three references must include a previous employer and either a pastor, youth leader, or campus minister. The third reference may be a personal one but not a family member. We do not extend job offers to first-time applicants without first receiving all 3 references.

Reference Form

References

Once an application has been received, a member of our Support Staff will reach out to schedule an interview.

We look forward to getting to know you!

If you ever have questions, please let us know.

Contact Us

Interview

Important Dates

September 17, 2025

Applications open for all positions.

November 4, 2025

Interviews begin. Hiring decisions are made on a rolling basis.

February 13-15, 2026

Leadership Weekend for all Directors and Managers.

May 19, 2026

Directors and Managers arrive for Staff Training

May 21, 2026

Ministry Coordinators arrive for Staff Training

August 2, 2026

All staff depart for the summer.

“If I had to give one piece of advice to someone about to experience their first summer on staff, I would tell them to not only take that leap of faith, but to dive. You may have hesitations, doubts, or feelings of unworthiness, (I know I did) but know that you have a whole team of support here waiting for you. Pour into this summer and ministry with everything you have, and your cup will be overflowing with contentment, joy, and peace knowing you did your best and changed so many lives.”

— 2025 Summer Staffer

Summer Staff Blogs

A Year of Jubilee

by Scarlet Sweat
There is Beauty in the Process

by Mimi Bushnell
The Unexpected Kindness of Strangers & Friends

by Abigail Rogers
The Magic of Day Camp

by Eliza Tyer
Jubilee is Here and Now

by Delanie Gustin
Summer Staff Experience

by Samuel Fralich
The What & Why of Worship

by Natalie Hope

What do summer staffers have to say about working with Mountain T.O.P.?

Let them tell you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Staffers are required to be 18 years old and have graduated high school by the time they show up for Staff Training.
Camp Cumberland Pines in Coalmont, TN.
In 2026, all summer staff will raise $1,800 in financial partnerships, regardless of their position. This helps cover the cost of employment at Mountain T.O.P. We believe our staff deserve to be paid for the work they do here. Mountain T.O.P. cannot cover the cost of this on our own, so we require our staff to raise a portion of this cost.
Upon hiring, we help our staff set up an online giving page and equip them with resources to do crowd-sourced fundraising. Through social media, speaking engagements, or letter-writing, our staff members are typically successful in raising their partnership requirements. Do not let this requirement deter you from applying for staff. We are happy to help our staff raise their partnerships!
We require a commitment from May 21 - August 2 for Ministry Coordinators and a commitment from May 19 - August 2 for our managers and directors. Management Teams will attend a Leadership Team Weekend in January or February.
Mountain T.O.P. tries to be flexible with our staff but we really need them present throughout the whole summer. If you need to be away for more than a weekend, it’s hard to make that happen while still respecting our schedule and other staff persons that remaining responsibilities would fall on. Let us know of any possible conflicts with the dates of employment ASAP.
Mountain T.O.P. has a unique schedule. Because of this, we encourage people to get as much rest as they can and to take breaks during the day when they are able to. In a 14 day cycle, our summer staff have 3 days off.
We ask that our summer staff do not drive more than 6 hours away on break in order to take advantage of their time off. We have friends of the ministry who have graciously offered their homes to host Mountain T.O.P. summer staffers.
We start with training, which is an intense 8-10 day period before the start of the summer where we try to prepare you for your job this summer. After training, everyone goes on a 3-day break. After that break, we enter into the pre-camp/camp week cycle.
Pre-camp starts at 9:00 am on Wednesdays and runs until Saturday afternoon. Pre-camp is when you prepare everything you need for your campers. This includes but is not limited to program roles, service projects, Day Camp activities and curriculum. You then have a Staff R and R (Rest and Relaxation) Saturday night.
Sunday is when your campers arrive. This is the beginning of your camp week. You orient them to Mountain T.O.P., lead worship and games, and prepare them for their week of service. On Saturdays, you tie up loose ends from the week and help turn it over to your sister staff (the other staff that shares your camp facilities). After all staff people are back on Saturday and you have your loose ends tied up, you go on R and R as a staff again. Sunday morning, your staff goes to church together, and then you are off for a break until Wednesday morning at 9:00 am for your next pre-camp.
You are working 11 days in a row with 3-day breaks.
Of course! Serving at Mountain T.O.P. is not a requirement to be on summer staff. We can’t wait to introduce you to our ministry and serve alongside you.

Come into the summer with a completely open mind, and forget everything you thought you knew about Mountain T.O.P. It's a completely different, but even better experience than you could possibly imagine. You no longer just get to watch the magic of this place, but instead you're now a part of it.

—2025 Summer Staffer
I’m so incredibly excited to take down this new sense of self. I have learned how to be a more confident, joyful, and loving human. Mountain T.O.P forces you to become comfortable in what many would consider uncomfortable positions. I am ready to take this light for life into the valley!!

—2025 Summer Staffer
Being on staff allows you to see Mountain T.O.P. from a completely different perspective. I was able to become a leader that I have always looked up to. The fulfillment I got from working through failures, facilitating my major group, and fellowshipping with homeowners.

—2025 Summer Staffer
The most rewarding aspect of being on staff is without a doubt the people you meet. Whether that's the homeowners for projects, the campers you spend a week with who you get to see grow, or the supportive staff that you have alongside you every step of the way. At Mountain T.O.P. it is so evident to see the genuine love and compassion these people all feel. The relationships and friendships made here are truly like none other.

—2025 Summer Staffer