“I have a child here in tears here that would like to come to the Trailblazer Retreat that starts today.”

Camp received this call from a foster mom, Monica, on the Friday of the Trailblazer Retreat we held the weekend of February 15-17. We were finalizing all the last minute details of the weekend. What a crazy blessing it is for us to have over one hundred 3-6 graders loving winter and worshiping Jesus together! These campers come from all different kinds of places and families.

Monica is an amazing woman from Community Covenant Church. We think the world of her. She cares for kids in such a way that they find Jesus through her love. In the midst of hard circumstances that God only knows, they make their way into Monica’s home. On that Friday, Monica and I had an amazing conversation. She believed it was no accident that this boy arrived at her house Thursday evening, the day before this retreat. He was supposed to attend camp with her kids. God had a plan for him to be at camp and it was truly our gift to welcome him here.

In the midst of the conversation she was able to share how sometimes midst of hard circumstances, God shows up with these sweet reminders of the plans He has for these kids. It was a gift from God that this little boy arrived at her home when he did. We found space for him and worked with Monica to get him on the bus. Throughout the weekend, he seemed to have an amazing time. 

Recently, I had a chance to check in with Monica, as we helped her get her and her kids registered for our August Family Camp. The list of kids in her family account is long and at this time she is unsure who all will join her and what kids might find her way to her home in August. But her heart is so so good and she shared some sweet reminders that were inspiring to me:

“God continues to do amazing things. I shouldn’t be surprised because He continues to show up and He does it all the time!”

“I may not have Silver and Gold but I have love.”

“I might not know their situation but I can help.”

What is it that God is showing you to do? How is he asking you to show up? Over and over again Monica talks about the blessing Covenant Pines is to her but she has also been a blessing to us. Oh the many ways God has used her and her kids to teach us. She’s taught us to look for the amazing ways He is at work and to be open for to the ways He’s asking us to show up!

I’m no stranger to summer at camp. I love summer at camp. I love the laughter of kids playing outside the office window. I love the joy on a camper’s face when they pull the sock of a staff member in a big game. I love the contrast of high-energy worship and the stillness of an acoustic vespers service. I love the picture of a counselor praying for one of their campers—remnants of paint still visible from the game that day. I love summer at camp.

As I looked towards my first summer as the program director here at CPBC, I knew all these things that I love about summer at camp, but I also knew I hadn’t experienced summer here at Pines yet. There was a level of unknown for me—would I love this role as much as I’ve loved all my other roles at camp? Would there still be those sweet moments of what camp is for me in this new place? I didn’t fully know what to expect as I anticipated a new place in a familiar, yet new season. And as the summer winds down and I step back to look at the work God has done over the course of the summer, I’m reminded of the powerful ways that God shows up at camp. It doesn’t matter what camp we’re talking about—Covenant Pines, Covenant Point, Portage Lake, Camp Squanto—there is something special about the community of camp that God uses in the lives of His people. In the midst of this new season in a new role, I’ve had many moments in which unexpected waves of God’s presence and goodness came over me.

One story of God’s presence that comes to mind is the story of one of our Junior High campers, named Sam. This camper is no stranger to CPBC and he was one of the few that I already knew because I met him at our MEA retreat. Camp is a place of safety for him, and place that he deeply loves. Sam came to camp with some recent struggles with mental health, and some other baggage from home. We knew of his recent struggles and had some intentional conversations to make sure that we could care for him well while he was here. My prayer was that he would be able to experience the love of Christ in this place just like the 199 other campers that week, and that God might lift his burdens. At the beginning of the week, we found out that Sam loves to read, and he really wanted a Bible. I had the privilege of helping him pick one out, and when I saw him throughout the rest of the week, I often saw him with his nose in that beloved book. And when he wasn’t sitting reading his new Bible, he was walking with his counselor, having conversations. Or he was inviting a new friend to go swimming with him at free time. I was reminded almost daily through Sam of how big and good and unexpected our God really is. This junior high kid, who has not had an easy childhood, is not only Experiencing the Love of Christ at camp, but he was helping others experience Christ around him. I expected our staff to come alongside Sam and help him Experience the Love of Christ in this place, but in reality my staff and myself alike were seeing God in and through him. He welcomed new friends into his community, he spoke simply of the joy he was finding in being in God’s word, he was honest about the hard things going on in his life with those around him. I saw God in such an unexpected way through Sam and I know others on our staff did too.

God shows up at camp. He shows up through our staff in the lives of our campers. He shows up through the beauty of his creation here in the space between Davis and Round Lake. And, like Sam’s story, He shows up through our campers to touch lives of other campers and our staff. No matter what role we’re in at camp—camper, summer staffer, guest, or full time staffer—God is so clearly seen here. This summer more than ever, I’m grateful for the unexpected ways that God is present. In the midst of a new season for myself, I celebrate stories like Sam’s. And I’m reminded of the good, constant, faithful presence of the God we serve—may we all have eyes to see His presence around us.

In September, we hosted our women’s retreat where just over 100 ladies from all over the Twin Cities area came up to CPBC to enjoy fellowship in God’s creation. This year our speaker was Kyliah Villa from Crosstown Covenant church. Kyliah took games and stories from her children as analogies for our walks with Jesus. She was engaging, creative, and invited good conversations for small group discussions following each worship session. The warm September weekend lent for some quiet paddle-boarding on Round Lake as well as a guided canoe trip on Davis Lake with some of our staff. For me, this weekend fully encompassed some of the best things we do at camp—there were times of quiet reflection outside to be with God, times of fun and laughter, doing childlike things like our Giant Swing and Climbing tower, and many times of good conversation over a cup of coffee or around a fire. And God was so present in all of those places. So thanks to all who chose to take a weekend away from the craziness of fall to slow down at camp with us. Check out some pictures below. We hope to see many of you again next fall!

As a newcomer to Covenant Pines Bible Camp, I’ve heard a lot of talk about our MEA retreat. A lot of people—campers and former summer staff alike—look forward to it as a weekend to enjoy camp once more before winter hits. Many who love CPBC described MEA to me as one of the best retreats we do here at camp. So naturally, there was a lot of anticipation built up for this new program director in her first MEA retreat. And man, it didn’t disappoint.

As just over 100 junior high campers made their way off the busses here in McGregor, my heart was full of a lot of things.

Full of excitement as I so love fall retreats and youth retreats together. These retreats provide an awesome opportunity for youth groups to build community and deepen relationships as they begin their journey through a new year together.

Full of nerves as this was my first experience as the program director at a CPBC  youth retreat.

But mostly, full of anticipation for all that I knew God had in store for these two retreats over the extended MEA weekend. Both Junior and Senior High MEA were filled with much laughter, warm hot chocolate and coffee beverages, good conversations, and many games. A highlight of our programming revolved around pumpkins—we launched some full sized pumpkins with a giant trebuchet that some of the staff built and we also played a classic Covenant Pines favorite “whip n’ strip” with pumpkins. The unseasonably warm October weather lent itself to lots of hanging out in the sunshine and enjoying the beautiful creation that God provided. Our speaker for the long weekend was Rebekah Strobel, a youth pastor at Selah Covenant Church in Washington state. She told many stories and spoke about following God “Into the Wild” of our lives.  She called campers to live into their identity as images of God, and to have enough faith to “get out of the boat” as Peter did with Jesus.

The MEA retreat is really all things summer camp rolled into a couple of days for each age group. And as I was standing on the steps leading up to Oak Ridge while the Senior High campers played pumpkin whip n’ strip, my heart was so full. I was reminded in that moment that God shows up in every aspect of camp. He shows up in games, worship, conversations, everything. I was reminded of what a privilege it is to get to watch campers love camp and experience God in this place month after month and, hopefully, year after year.

I’m grateful for our youth pastors who chose to take their MEA weekend and partner with us as counselors with their students. I’m grateful for our former summer staffers who jumped in to help out camp and the new program director they hadn’t even met yet. I’m grateful for the people who pray for us often. We can feel those prayers. And I’m grateful for camp; a place where kids and adults alike can experience God in so many different ways. I look forward to many more MEA retreats to come—join us next year!

Day Camp this summer was full of tie-dye, friendship bracelets, games, and singing the theme Bible verse at the top of our lugs. More importantly, day camp was filled with a lot of conversations about hospitality. Campers learned what hospitality is, where and whom we should show hospitality towards, and most importantly, how God shows us the ultimate form of hospitality when He invites us to live with Him.

While every week at day camp was a successful week and we saw a lot of campers accept Christ throughout the summer, our week at Plymouth Covenant seemed to be especially fruitful. We had nine campers accept Jesus! While every single one of those decisions deserves celebration and praise, there were a couple in particular where we were able to hear more of their story. One camper had previously had some long conversations with her parents leading up to day camp about what it would mean to accept Jesus. At day camp is then where she officially took the step of accepting Him! Another camper started the week feeling very nervous to come to day camp because she did not know anyone else that would be there for the week. But throughout her four days at day camp she not only accepted Jesus, she also became so excited about day camp that by the last day she wanted to get there an hour early. After her week at day camp, her mom decided that she would begin sending her daughter to AWANA at Plymouth this fall.

I also wanted to write about Plymouth because of one of the volunteers. One of the unique things that Covenant Pines Ministries does well is getting students involved in helping us lead – at the Bible Camp we have an awesome junior staff program and at Day Camp we have teenage volunteers at most of the churches. When arriving at Plymouth, I was very excited to see one volunteer in particular because she had been in my cabin a couple summers ago when I was a counselor at CPBC. While she was in my cabin she decided to follow Jesus for the first time. I can still remember sitting in Chapel with her, both of us so excited that she had taken the next step of claiming Jesus as her savior. At day camp, she was able to take another next step in her faith by sharing her faith and making disciples. By the end of the week she, along with other volunteers, had even expressed interest in helping out in children’s ministry when the school year starts again. Experiencing all of this was a reminder of how God uses camp as a part of his long-term plan for our lives. The work He is doing at the Bible camp impacts the work He does at Day Camp, which also impacts what He is doing at schools and churches throughout the Twin Cities.

We had a wonderful time at every single church, but Plymouth stands out in my mind not only because of the campers that took the next step of accepting Jesus, but there were also multiple volunteers who took the next step of going and making disciples. Our week there was a reminder of the long-term mission God has for us. Important next steps in our faith not only happen when we take the leap of accepting Jesus, but when we take the steps of telling others about Him. Next steps can even take the form of deciding to send your child to AWANA. Our prayer for everyone who experienced Covenant Pines this summer – whether that be in McGregor, in the cities, or in the Boundary Waters – is that camp would help them discover what next step God is calling them to take.