Four-Fold Philosophy and Honor Code

Greystone’s mission is to delight and inspire for the glory of God. Everything we do at camp is shaped by this goal, and as a staff member, you are a big part of the “how” to this “why.” We hope that you will also experience delight and inspiration this summer as we strive to inspire and delight our campers and parents, all for the glory of God.

As a way to honor what the Lord has called us to do at Greystone, we have two different philosophies that we live by during the summer: the Four-Fold Philosophy and the Honor Code.

Four-Fold Philosophy

We believe that Luke 2:52 gives us an outline for personal growth. This growth happens best when we work at it in small ways every day! Camp provides the perfect place to grow, and we structure our days to this end.

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” -Luke 2:52

Mental Growth: Wisdom

• Positive Attitude: Mental growth at camp focuses on developing a positive attitude toward all circumstances. No matter what happens, there is always a positive way to see that circumstance. This is one of the biggest things you will model to the campers around you!
• Goal Setting: By writing down your goals (for the day, for the week, for the summer), you take a step towards accomplishing what you want in your life. We suggest you carefully consider what you want to accomplish in your program, with your campers, with your fellow staffers, and with the Lord this summer.
• Curiosity: Camp is the perfect place to be curious! We’d encourage you to be curious about the people around you, the beautiful place we’re in, and why God has brought you to Greystone for the summer. Curiosity starts with asking good questions and listening well to the answers.

Physical Growth: Stature

Our bodies are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God Almighty. Knowing this, it is right that we care for and respect the bodies we’ve been given; this is the foundation for physical growth at camp.

• Eat Well: We provide great food at camp, and this is for a purpose. Enjoying wholesome food, made with simple ingredients and eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables allows our bodies to work better!
• Sleep Well: We need 8-10 hours of sleep every day, especially at camp! Deprive yourself of sleep and you will feel worse over time. Plenty of sleep is a big part of your body working well, a fact you will discover quickly here!
• Exercise: The average camper puts in about 5 miles of walking every day, just going from class to class. Getting exercise on a regular basis makes your body feel better. You might have to schedule time to get this done at camp, but we’d encourage you to do so!
• Self Image: This can be a particular struggle for girls, and we pray that our campers and staff would see themselves the way God sees them. God did not make a mistake when he made you! Camp can be a wonderful place to step away from the pressures of social media and friends at home as you grow in how you think about yourself.

Spiritual Growth: Favor with God

Our committment to Christ is probably one of the big reasons you chose to work here. It is what we are known for in the camping world, and we want spiritual growth to be a major component of your time here this summer.

We provide lots of opportunities for you to grow spiritually, but just like at college, it is up to you to decide to take advantage of them. We’d encourage you to prioritize your relationship with the Lord this summer and to start praying that He would work in your life while you are at camp.

We provide (and you participate in):

• Group Prayer at every meal, Morning Assembly, and Evening Program
• Praise and worship and a scripture-based devotion led by the camp Minister at Morning Assembly
• Scripture-based cabin devotions every night
• A Bible (we will give you one if you need one)
• Large group staff Bible studies
• Devotion books for you to borrow
• Daily resources printed in the Bottom Line staff newsletter
• Sunday Worship Service
• A Christ-centered community

We provide (and you choose if you want to participate in):

• Spiritual-growth oriented small groups
• Weekly Counselor Bible Study
• Counseling time with the camp Minister
• Praise and worship nights
• Staff prayer partners
• Time at Rest Hour and during other free time to read the Bible

Campers deeply appreciate the Spiritual growth they experience at Greystone. This growth arises from their whole hearted participation in the process. You will experience the same thing, but it will arise not only from “quiet time” but from days filled with loving service.

We pour ourselves out in love, just as Christ did in His ministry on earth. And just like Christ, we will become tired. You will benefit greatly from the occasional early morning prayer time on your porch or late night devotion time by the lake. We suggest you do this at least once a week - God speaks in such moments!

Social Growth: Favor with (wo)man

Social Growth (making friends) is what we specialize in at camp! We make more new friends in a week at camp than in a year elsewhere - and not just any kind of friend! Camp friends are often friends for life; they stand the test of time because they are deeply rooted in Christ.

Without the distractions of the world, we talk to each other face to face. Our talk is often just “fun” but it can be very meaningful as well. We call these DMC’s (Deep Meaningful Conversations). We arrange times to talk (a good time is while eating a treat from Shoppe - we call these “Shoppe Dates”) and we talk throughout the day (in the cabin, during meals, walking to class, waiting for programs, watching the sunset). We encourage you to work at deep conversations this summer and to invest in the lives of other people, both campers and counselors.

Reach out to people you would not normally talk to (every person you will see at camp is going to be an interesting person to know), and see what happens. Expect to make some really great friends of all ages this summer!

Honor Code

We introduced the Honor Code in 2021 and have since woven it into all parts of camp life. We talk about the different aspects of the code as a whole and in cabin groups, looking at how to live it out in age-specific ways. While no one will be able to live it out perfectly, the Honor Code gives us a standard to strive for as we all grow and show grace to each other.

“I commit to showing kindness, seeing the good, and taking ownership of what I do. This is how I will have fun, make friends, and glorify God both in this place and in the world.”

While we have been encouraging these characteristics and instilling them into what we believe for many years, the Honor Code gives our campers a toolkit so that they can take what they learn and put it into practice both at camp and at home. We want our Greystone community to be one of positivity and support where girls gain confidence and feel safe. This Honor Code is the hands and feet of what girls will live out in their day to day interactions at Greystone.