Statement of Faith

All Dickson Valley staff read and affirm this Statement of Faith annually as a condition of employment. These doctrinal convictions reflect our staff's own beliefs and shape the ministry we carry out together.

We believe…

• In the Holy Scriptures as originally given by God, divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy, and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
• In one eternal God, the Creator of all things, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• In our Lord Jesus Christ, God revealed in human form, His virgin birth, sinless life, divine miracles, atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, ongoing intercession, and personal return in power and glory.
• That salvation comes only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, by grace through faith, apart from works, and that regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit.
• In the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who empowers believers to live a holy life and to serve and witness for Jesus Christ.
• In the unity of all true believers in Christ, forming the Church, the Body of Christ.
• In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, those saved to eternal life, and those lost to eternal separation from God.

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Staff Lifestyle Covenant

All Dickson Valley staff read and agree to this Lifestyle Covenant annually as a condition of employment, committing to live in accordance with it both on and off camp property.

However long your time at Dickson Valley, our prayer is that it becomes a genuinely good chapter of your story: that you are encouraged, built up, and sent forward more rooted in Christ than when you arrived.

Healthy communities don’t happen by accident. It requires each of us to choose, daily, to be a blessing to the people around us, to handle one another with honesty and care, to pursue Christlikeness not as an obligation but as a desire, and to extend the same grace to our coworkers that we ourselves need and receive.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3

I affirm the Dickson Valley Statement of Faith. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and I am committed to walking in that faith actively, not just as a belief I hold, but as the shaping force of my life and my work here.

I understand that Dickson Valley’s mission is explicitly Christ-centered, and that my role, whatever it is, is part of that mission. I will represent the faith and values of this ministry with integrity in everything I do on and off this property.

I commit to honesty in all things, in how I represent myself, in how I handle camp property and resources, in how I communicate with my supervisor and coworkers, and in how I follow through on what I say I will do.

I will not take what is not mine, whether that is property, credit, or another person’s dignity. I will keep my word. When I fall short, and I will, as we all do, I will own it honestly and move toward repair rather than away from it.

I understand that my character off this property is part of my character here. The way I live my whole life reflects on this community and its mission, and I take that seriously.

Dickson Valley holds to the biblical understanding of human sexuality: that God designed sexual intimacy exclusively for the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman, and that this design is good, purposeful, and worth honoring.

I commit to conducting myself according to this standard. I understand that sexual activity outside of marriage, including premarital sex, adultery, and homosexual conduct, is outside of God’s design as we understand it from Scripture, and is incompatible with employment at Dickson Valley Ministries.

I also commit to extending genuine dignity and kindness to every person I encounter here, regardless of background or struggle. Holding to a biblical standard does not give any of us license for contempt, cruelty, or self-righteousness. We are all people in need of grace.

Conflict is inevitable in any community. What matters is how we handle it. At Dickson Valley, we are committed to addressing conflict in the way Jesus described in Matthew 18, directly, honestly, and with the goal of restoration rather than winning.

This means:

• If someone has wronged me or I have a concern about a coworker, I will go to that person directly before involving others.
• I will not gossip, triangulate, or recruit others to my side of a disagreement.
• If a direct conversation does not resolve the issue, I will involve my supervisor, not to report the person, but to seek help toward resolution.
• I will receive correction and feedback with humility, understanding that being corrected is not an attack but an investment.
• I will not let unresolved conflict fester. I will pursue peace actively, not just avoid conflict passively.

We will not always agree. We will sometimes hurt each other without meaning to. But we are committed to being the kind of community that works through those moments rather than around them, because that is what it means to bear one another’s burdens.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” — Proverbs 4:23

What we consume shapes who we are. The media we watch, listen to, and engage with forms our imagination, our desires, and the way we see other people. We take this seriously not because we are afraid of culture, but because we care about the condition of our hearts and the kind of community we are building.

I commit to making wise choices about media, to avoid content that is sexually explicit, gratuitously violent, or that feeds attitudes and desires I would not want to bring into this community. I will be present with the people around me rather than retreating into screens, and I will honor the media guidelines outlined in the employee handbook as a practical expression of this commitment.

This is not about a list of approved and banned content. It is about the question behind every choice: does this make me more or less the person I want to be, and more or less present to the people I am here to serve?

I commit to honoring the substance use expectations of my employment category as described in the Dickson Valley Employee Handbook. I understand that these expectations, which may be stricter during certain seasons or roles, exist to protect the unity, witness, and safety of our community, and I agree to them willingly as part of choosing to be here.

I commit to taking care of myself during my time here, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. This work can be demanding, and a depleted staff member cannot serve well. Rest is not laziness. Asking for help is not weakness. I will do what I need to do to remain healthy and present.

I also commit to caring for the people around me, noticing when a coworker is struggling, encouraging rather than competing, and contributing to a community where people feel seen and valued. My goal is not just to do my job well, but to be the kind of coworker whose presence makes this a better place to work.