After a summer full of ministry, we have transitioned into our retreat ministry here at Covenant Pines Bible Camp. This summer was the first time we experienced worship in our New Worship Center. It was, of course, an adjustment – but it was amazing to see the Spirit of God so present in campers as they worshipped and had fun in this new space. Campers continued to take next Steps in Christian faith – it was a great introduction to what the future holds here for us at CPBC.
Now that retreat season has began, we have begun to see even more what the effect of the New Worship Center will be on our ministry. We have had a busy fall – hosting multiple midweek groups and large groups on weekends. The busyness is tiring, but the impact of ministry is worth it. Here are just a few examples of ways the new Worship Center has made a difference in our retreat groups this fall:
- We hosted the Minnehaha Academy Middle School Retreat which included almost 250 people. They were able to comfortably worship together in the Worship Center altogether.
- Emmanuel Covenant Church was able to open their Middle School Retreat to other Twin Cities Covenant Churches, allowing for more participation across youth groups of our owner churches.
- CPBC was able to host 160 Christian Camping Leaders from across the state to gather for worship and lunch at the beginning of October.
A year ago, we would have had to make major adjustments to accommodate groups like this. While raising money for the Next Steps Campaign, one of our goals shared for the New Worship Center was to increase our retreat ministry. Even in the short time we have been able to utilize this building, we’ve been able to begin to accomplish this goal. It is just a glimpse of what we hope is a flourishing retreat ministry for years to come.
One faculty member from Minnehaha, who is a former staff and board member, shared,
“Covenant Pines has an amazing new Worship Center but I was worried the singing wouldn’t feel the same. Nope…still impactful. I love CPBC.”
We are looking forward to continuing through our retreat season, and many more retreat seasons like this in the future. It is truly remarkable to see the plans and hopes of this space come to fruition, both in summer and retreat season. We can’t wait to see what God has in store next for us…including this weekend with 150 Senior Highers at our MEA Retreat!
