English Camp
English speaker: We need you!
English camp is coming
Partner with us for Neues Leben's English Camp!
Our one-week English Camp at Neues Leben in Germany is a one of a kind experience for campers and staff alike. Through engaging English classes, vibrant community, and powerful Gospel oriented experiences, 13 to 18 year olds have the opportunity to encounter Jesus in a life-changing way.
Some of our campers have never heard the Gospel before. Others come as believers, eager to deepen their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Every year, we see hearts soften, lives transformed, and young people inspired to live for Jesus.
English language integration draws these teens to come learn new things and practice their skills with YOU, the native English speakers. You will teach classes, lead activities, and engage in conversations, giving you lots of opportunities to build relationship and share Jesus with the campers.
2027 Dates
July 20th - July 31st
You would need to arrive on campus at Neues Leben by July 20th. The program officially starts on July 21st. Departure would be in the late afternoon of July 31st after camp and clean up.
English Classes and Workshops
Every morning the campers attend English classes divided by their fluency level and English Skills Workshops to develop in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. We work to create a relaxed and fun environment where they can learn and practice without embarrassment or fear. The curriculum integrates the Bible and topics about God and our relationship with him into tasks, activities, and games. One highlight for our teachers each year are the daily English journals. Students and teachers can have deep conversations as they write back and forth each day about what they are learning.
Community
Every afternoon, we offer different activities, games, or workshops. American Sports is always a hit! As a native English speaker, you may have the opportunity to lead a workshop or seminar in English to teach a skill or do something creative with the campers. During our free time every day, campers and staff have many options to keep themselves entertained. The campus has several soccer fields (including a covered court), a basketball
court, a sand volleyball court, and lots of space for sitting and talking or playing games. In the evening, campers can choose to gather around a campfire or enjoy an organized fun activity inside (like Karaoke).
Spiritual Engagement
The campers gather once a day in either English or German small groups to discuss what they’re learning and apply it to their lives. We begin our evening Celebration Time every day with the traditional Monkey Dance and some games, which open the campers up to be ready to worship and hear the Word of God. Our band is made up of our staff members from all over the world, who lead us in a variety of German and English songs. To provide further English integration and ensure that the campers with less fluency can understand, the sermon is given in English and translated to German. To us, reaching the hearts of the students with the truth is just as important as helping them learn English.
Could you be an English Camp Staff Member?
Our staff are all volunteers who come from Germany and around the world. We are all passionate about providing campers with a great experience and helping them improve their English (even our German staff speak English during the week!)
The location
Our camp ground and retreat center are nestled in the rolling green hills and fields of western Germany in a little village called Wölmersen. Our little secluded village is about a 10-minute drive from the closest grocery store, and is located about an hour from Bonn, Cologne, and Koblenz.
Contact us
Rebekah Hodges
The camp leader, Rebekah Hodges, has been a missionary in Germany for 5 years. She and her husband have 3 school-aged kids who join in
with camp festivities! She is passionate about leading the camp staff in providing a fun and Jesus-filled environment for language learning.
She looks forward to answering your questions about English Camp or potentially joining our staff!
Support our mission
Neues Leben is a non-profit organization. The campers‘ registration fees pay for their housing, food, and a small portion of the camp programs. For the rest of the expenses, like staff food and housing and special program materials, we depend on donations from our generous supporters. You can sponsor a staff member for $290 or give any amount toward camp expenses.
We partner with Kontaktmission USA, a missions organization based in Tennessee, to collect and wire funds internationally.
FAQ
How much does it cost to be on staff?
Each staff member must fund their own travel costs and purchase international health insurance.
There is no required registration fee to be on staff at English Camp.
Neues Leben is a non-profit organization. The campers‘ registration fees pay for their housing, food, and a small portion of the camp programs. For the rest of the expenses, like staff food and housing and special program materials, we depend on donations from our generous supporters. You can sponsor a staff member for $290 or give any amount toward camp expenses.
We partner with Kontaktmission USA, a missions organization based in Tennessee, to collect and wire funds internationally.
Do I need to know German to be on staff?
No, about half of our staff are native German speakers who also speak very good English. It encourages the campers to use their English when they have no other option.
Do I need to have teaching experience to be on staff?
It is helpful when our native English speakers have teaching experience, but it is not necessary.
Our curriculum is designed to be used by anyone with any level of experience. The activities during class are meant to be fun and encourage the students to use the language. Lectures from the teacher are NOT encouraged.
What is the food like?
Neues Leben has a full cafeteria, which serves three meals a day. The breakfast buffet includes German breads, rolls, meats, cheeses, spreads, yogurt, cereal, and granola. There is coffee, juice, and milk to drink.
In Germany, it is more common to eat the largest warm meal for lunch. Every day, the cafeteria offers a different main dish and different salad options.
For dinner, you can enjoy a light meal of breads, cheeses, meats, salad, and a soup.
It is possible to request vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or lactose-free options.
Snacks, sodas, and coffee are available to purchase outside of meal times. We also keep our camp staff room well-stocked with snacks during camp.
What are the accommodations like?
Most of the staff sleep in cabins with other staff members during camp. The cabins are furnished for eight people with bunk beds, a table, and chairs. They have electricity (but no A/C). Windows can be opened to get fresh air. Bathrooms are located centrally on campus. There is a dedicated shower and toilet for the female staff members, and one for the male staff members.
We have a small number of rooms available in the Main Guest House. These are usually reserved for older staff members or staff who have their families with them. They accommodate one or more people depending on the room. Like the cabins, they have no A/C. The bathrooms are shared with the other rooms in the building.
Bedding and towels are provided for any staff traveling from outside Germany.
Which airport should I fly into?
The international airports in Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, and Cologne are all good options. We are happy to come and pick you up and give you a ride back at the end of camp. Otherwise, if you’re a seasoned traveler, you could experience traveling to and from the airport on Germany’s trains!
Would I have a chance to do some sightseeing?
We do not plan any official sightseeing into our time as a staff. However, Cologne is about an hour train ride away and is a popular destination for our staff to visit at their own cost before we start preparing for camp or after we finish cleaning up.
What is Neues Leben?
We are passionate about helping people get to know Jesus, deepen their faith, and be empowered to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Neues Leben has stood for this for almost 70 years and is always looking for the best ways to make this vision a reality in the areas of evangelism, media, hospitality, and education.
“We must tell people that life with Jesus is worthwhile!” – the vision of founder Anton Schulte (1925– 2010) has shaped the mission of Neues Leben for six decades. With a team of preachers, a wide range of evangelistic concepts, various media offerings, intensive seminar and leisure activities, and the “Theologisches Seminar Rheinland” study center, the interdenominational mission and educational organization supports Christian churches and congregations as a service provider in all matters relating to evangelism. Since its founding in 1954, Neues Leben has given rise to numerous independent ministries in Germany and abroad, including in Indonesia, Argentina, Canada, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as the sports missionary work “SRS” (“Sportler ruft Sportler” or “Athletes Call Athletes”).
