Recently, we identified areas where safety measures at both Adventurous Christians and Covenant Pines Bible Camp needed to be strengthened. At Covenant Pines Ministries, safety is foundational to everything we do and remains our highest priority while campers are on site. We want every camper to feel secure and cared for so their hearts, minds, and bodies are free to take a next step in Christian faith.
While Adventurous Christians invites campers to step outside their daily routines and comfort zones, the rustic nature of the experience must never compromise safety. In response, we have implemented several enhancements across all Adventurous Christians spaces, including night lights in sleeping areas, interior door locks, hall lights that remain on throughout the night, and radios that allow camper groups to contact staff at any time.
At Covenant Pines Bible Camp, there are areas that may be accessible but not continuously supervised outside of programmed activities. Locations such as the boat beach, tubing hill, and ropes area are staffed during summer youth camp and scheduled retreats, but not at all hours during guest group use. To better communicate this, we are developing updated signage across camp to clearly outline potential risks and set safety expectations.
Additional improvements include our CPBC Camp Director, Matt Braun, attending a two-day CampWell training through the Alliance for Camp Health, focused on both physical and mental health and safety for campers and staff. We have also strengthened our evacuation procedures on both properties to ensure clear, effective response plans if a full site evacuation is ever required.
In addition, our Board’s policy committee is actively reviewing and strengthening our safety procedures to ensure they reflect best practices and our ongoing commitment to camper wellbeing. This work will continue as we seek to grow and improve.
If you or your child have ever felt unsafe or experienced harm while participating in a Covenant Pines Ministries program, we want to hear from you. Your voice matters. We are committed to listening carefully and responding thoughtfully as we continue to strengthen our culture of safety and care.
We also recognize that many of our campers come to us during a season when their broader communities may feel unsettled or uncertain. In moments when families are navigating instability or fear, it is more important than ever that camp remains a place of security, consistency, and peace. Our commitment is to provide an environment where every camper is safe, supported, and able to encounter the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We look forward to a camp experience that is safe, joyful, and rooted in Christ’s care for each person entrusted to us.
We can’t wait for Summer 2026! Our Program Director, Jared Jensen shares a little more on what we have planned this year.
Our theme for summer 2026 is Power Up. Taking inspiration from classic video games, we will have decorations, skits, and games that will make campers feel like they are living an epic adventure. We will also use iconic items and characters to teach Biblical truths that will stick with campers.
Our theme verse is Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
We will unpack that true power comes from God, and we will learn about topics like: God’s protection, support from friends and family, forgiveness and second chances, and growing stronger in a relationship with Jesus. To help campers remember the lessons, we have tied each of these topics to an item that comes from a ? block in Mario. God’s Protection (Star), Support from Friends (Yoshi), Forgiveness & second chances (1 Up), Growing stronger (Mushroom).
Some good news – I am most excited to be fully staffed this summer! Our summer staffing has been pretty consistent for the past three years, but this year we have a lot of positive momentum building from last summer. It’s February, and we have already received more applications than we did for any of the past 5 summers. Having already conducted nearly 50 interviews, I am excited about both the quantity and quality of the staff for this summer.
Sign up for Summer 2026 at Covenant Pines, here! You can also watch our summer promo video by clicking on this link.
Greetings from Covenant Pines Ministries! 2026 is off to a busy start at camp. Since the New Year, we’ve been hosting groups on site—churches, youth groups, women’s retreats, and Trailblazers – all coming together to enjoy winter fun and meaningful time at camp. Alongside these retreats, our staff is hard at work preparing for the months ahead. There is much to look forward to in 2026.
Before we look too far into the new year, we want to pause and reflect on the close of 2025. As you’ll see elsewhere in this newsletter, we ended the year in a strong financial position, exceeding our year end goal by more than $75,000. This milestone was only possible because of the faithfulness and generosity of people like you.
Entering a new fiscal year with this kind of support is a true gift for a nonprofit organization. In 2025, we welcomed more than 8,000 campers to our sites. While we did not fully meet our summer camp registration goals and experienced some unexpected costs associated with operating the new Worship Center year-round, the strength of our year-end campaign provides both relief and flexibility as we plan for 2026.
We are deeply grateful for your continued partnership. The theme of our 2025 year-end campaign, Camp Tells a Story, highlighted the vital role camp plays in the unfolding story of a person’s life. Because of your generosity, that story continues – one where campers are encouraged to take a next step in Christian faith.
So what’s ahead in 2026? A strong and dedicated summer staff at Covenant Pines, a full season of Canoe Trips at Adventurous Christians, and exciting plans across all our sites as we prepare for the future.
Thank you again for your support – and here’s to a great year of ministry ahead. Let’s do this, 2026!
As we close out the year, we’ve been sharing the stories of camp: our favorite camper moments from the summer, funny memories from our own staff days, and the ways camp has shaped our lives. As these stories have surfaced, one theme has clearly emerged-the shared experience of camp creates lifelong memories and cherished relationships.
Camp leaves an imprint early. A safe, fun, gospel-centered environment gives children, youth, and families a place to step away from the noise of everyday life and create the kinds of shared memories that inspire spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with God. These moments, big and small, become the scenes that help write each camper’s story.
Think about a teenager on a canoe trip at Adventurous Christians. We’ve heard countless stories of young people saying their Boundary Waters trip was the hardest thing they’ve ever done, and yet one of the most transformational. Instilling confidence, perseverance, teamwork, and a sense of accomplishment can change the direction of a teenager’s story in a profound way.
We’ve also heard plenty of lighthearted stories from former summer staff – funny skits by the campfire, chasing animals out of buildings they didn’t belong in, teasing each other between cabin duties. But every story ends the same: working at camp created some of their favorite memories and some of their most meaningful Christian friendships. And those friendships, rooted in faith and shared mission, continue to help write their stories long after the summer ends.
So, what is your camp story? And how has camp shaped the story of your life? As we wrap up the year, we hope you find a moment to connect with a camp friend, share memories, and celebrate the ways God has worked through Covenant Pines Ministries to encourage campers to take a next step in Christian faith.
Your story, and the stories of so many others, remind us why this ministry matters. Thank you for considering a year-end gift to our Camp Tells a Story campaign. Together, we can keep creating the spaces where faith grows, friendships form, and life-changing stories begin.
As we close out the year, we’ve been sharing the stories of camp: our favorite camper moments from the summer, funny memories from our own staff days, and the ways camp has shaped our lives. As these stories have surfaced, one theme has clearly emerged-the shared experience of camp creates lifelong memories and cherished relationships.
Camp leaves an imprint early. A safe, fun, gospel-centered environment gives children, youth, and families a place to step away from the noise of everyday life and create the kinds of shared memories that inspire spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with God. These moments, big and small, become the scenes that help write each camper’s story.
Think about a teenager on a canoe trip at Adventurous Christians. We’ve heard countless stories of young people saying their Boundary Waters trip was the hardest thing they’ve ever done, and yet one of the most transformational. Instilling confidence, perseverance, teamwork, and a sense of accomplishment can change the direction of a teenager’s story in a profound way.
We’ve also heard plenty of lighthearted stories from former summer staff – funny skits by the campfire, chasing animals out of buildings they didn’t belong in, teasing each other between cabin duties. But every story ends the same: working at camp created some of their favorite memories and some of their most meaningful Christian friendships. And those friendships, rooted in faith and shared mission, continue to help write their stories long after the summer ends.
So, what is your camp story? And how has camp shaped the story of your life? As we wrap up the year, we hope you find a moment to connect with a camp friend, share memories, and celebrate the ways God has worked through Covenant Pines Ministries to encourage campers to take a next step in Christian faith.
Your story, and the stories of so many others, remind us why this ministry matters. Thank you for considering a year-end gift to our Camp Tells a Story campaign. Together, we can keep creating the spaces where faith grows, friendships form, and life-changing stories begin.