Counselor Information
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CLICK HERE for 2025 Counselor Application!
Applications may be received by:
*scan and email to [email protected],
*Bring to the Quest/Camp Briarwood Office, Briarwood Church G-100,
OR mailed to:
Camp Briarwood Counselor Application
2200 Briarwood Way
Birmingham, AL 35243
** All counselor applicants must have made a personal profession of faith, be active in a church, and be willing to share their faith. **
Please contact our office with any questions: 205-776-5237
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Quotes and Stories
"Some of my co-counselors and I have come to an agreement that Heaven will one day be like camp! There is something about pouring out into the lives of kids that leaves you with a renewed longing to be more like the Lord and to give even more of yourself away. I could never ask for a better job or find any better, life-long friends!" - Camille Beasley, Overnight Camp Counselor
"I love working at Camp Briarwood because of the kids. Not only do I get to impact their lives by telling them and showing them the love of Christ, but they change me with their joy, honesty and innocence." - Will Dunham, Day Camp Counselor
“YOU CAN CALL ME BROTHER NOW"
Jeff Young
For many years now I have been very blessed to be able to serve with a great many wonderful, unselfish, and compassionate people with some great ministries of Briarwood Presbyterian Church. Two of these ministries readily come to mind because they are engraved on my heart: Briarwood Christian School, where I have served on staff since 1975 and Camp Briarwood, where I first began to serve in 1977.
Camp Briarwood is a Christian summer camp for young boys and girls. Some of our Camp goals are to help children have the time of their lives enjoying fun and useful outdoor activities while learning wonderful truths from God’s Word in a beautiful outdoor setting with a committed and loving Camp Team. Many of our campers come to us each year from un-churched, non-Christian, or nominal-Christian families, and/or from sadly broken homes. For us all it is a great opportunity to build good relationships, to exercise our spiritual gifts, and to effectively use our experience and training in evangelism with these children in a loving and protective way. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, tells us in His Word that He was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. He further commanded His disciples at that point to pray and to beseech the Lord of the Harvest to send workers into His harvest field “for the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
One story springs readily to my mind illustrating one of the ways that the Lord of the Harvest answered our prayers. Years ago, I had a young fellow in my Camp Briarwood group named John (not his real name). He was a precious child who had experienced much pain in his short life. One day we were hiking in a single file line we like to call a “Counselor Sandwich” on a trail through the woods by a beautiful lake going from one activity site to another. As we traveled along on the camp trail we met another camp group coming toward us going the way we had just left. John was holding my hand at the head of our line. As our groups met and passed by each other going in opposite directions I would always speak to each oncoming child with the words “Hey brother! Hey sister! Good to see you today! Are you having a great day?” John looked up at me and he asked me the following question: “Why do you always call everyone Brother or Sister? They’re NOT your brother or your sister!” I gently answered my little friend in a soft tone of voice: “If they have Jesus in their heart then they are my brother or my sister in the Lord.” John then looked down and slipped his hand out of mine as he said to me “I guess you can’t call ME brother then.” He walked sadly back to the end of our line as we continued the walk toward our scheduled activity. After lunch each day we always have “Share Time” in very small groups where our counselors teach their campers a Biblical truth or a Bible story. Then right after that we transition to “Worship Time” where we sing Christian praise songs and hear a wonderful personal testimony or a story with the Gospel message usually ending with an opportunity to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer for Salvation.” Many of our young people have trusted Jesus as their Savior during one of our Share Times or Worship Times over the years! After Worship Time ended that particular day I was leading my group on a hike toward one of our afternoon activities. As we moved along the trail my little friend John caught up to me at the head of the line and put his hand into mine. As he looked up into my eyes he smiled radiantly and said “You can call ME Brother now!”
"I love working at Camp Briarwood because of the kids. Not only do I get to impact their lives by telling them and showing them the love of Christ, but they change me with their joy, honesty and innocence." - Will Dunham, Day Camp Counselor
“YOU CAN CALL ME BROTHER NOW"
Jeff Young
For many years now I have been very blessed to be able to serve with a great many wonderful, unselfish, and compassionate people with some great ministries of Briarwood Presbyterian Church. Two of these ministries readily come to mind because they are engraved on my heart: Briarwood Christian School, where I have served on staff since 1975 and Camp Briarwood, where I first began to serve in 1977.
Camp Briarwood is a Christian summer camp for young boys and girls. Some of our Camp goals are to help children have the time of their lives enjoying fun and useful outdoor activities while learning wonderful truths from God’s Word in a beautiful outdoor setting with a committed and loving Camp Team. Many of our campers come to us each year from un-churched, non-Christian, or nominal-Christian families, and/or from sadly broken homes. For us all it is a great opportunity to build good relationships, to exercise our spiritual gifts, and to effectively use our experience and training in evangelism with these children in a loving and protective way. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, tells us in His Word that He was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. He further commanded His disciples at that point to pray and to beseech the Lord of the Harvest to send workers into His harvest field “for the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
One story springs readily to my mind illustrating one of the ways that the Lord of the Harvest answered our prayers. Years ago, I had a young fellow in my Camp Briarwood group named John (not his real name). He was a precious child who had experienced much pain in his short life. One day we were hiking in a single file line we like to call a “Counselor Sandwich” on a trail through the woods by a beautiful lake going from one activity site to another. As we traveled along on the camp trail we met another camp group coming toward us going the way we had just left. John was holding my hand at the head of our line. As our groups met and passed by each other going in opposite directions I would always speak to each oncoming child with the words “Hey brother! Hey sister! Good to see you today! Are you having a great day?” John looked up at me and he asked me the following question: “Why do you always call everyone Brother or Sister? They’re NOT your brother or your sister!” I gently answered my little friend in a soft tone of voice: “If they have Jesus in their heart then they are my brother or my sister in the Lord.” John then looked down and slipped his hand out of mine as he said to me “I guess you can’t call ME brother then.” He walked sadly back to the end of our line as we continued the walk toward our scheduled activity. After lunch each day we always have “Share Time” in very small groups where our counselors teach their campers a Biblical truth or a Bible story. Then right after that we transition to “Worship Time” where we sing Christian praise songs and hear a wonderful personal testimony or a story with the Gospel message usually ending with an opportunity to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer for Salvation.” Many of our young people have trusted Jesus as their Savior during one of our Share Times or Worship Times over the years! After Worship Time ended that particular day I was leading my group on a hike toward one of our afternoon activities. As we moved along the trail my little friend John caught up to me at the head of the line and put his hand into mine. As he looked up into my eyes he smiled radiantly and said “You can call ME Brother now!”