Camp has looked different in Fall 2020 but God has still been a work. Emmanuel and Excelsior Covenant both had plans to do a Confirmation Retreat and a Youth Retreat. The ‘how’ to do a retreat at camp has been complicated by COVID- but it is not impossible. Covenant Pines has worked hard to do all we can to make camp as safe as possible and we are thankful to Emmanuel and Excelsior Covenant for their desire to work together and get their families and students to camp. Here is what they both had to say about the retreat experience, both churches had this fall at Covenant Pines.
Chris Studenski, Founding and Senior Pastor
Emmanuel Covenant Church
We were created for community. What better place to foster it than CPBC’s beautiful, four-season setting?
Yes. It CAN be done! We just brought 100+ to camp and would do it again in a heartbeat!
If planning a COVID-conscious Fall Retreat wasn’t challenging enough, we got hit with record cold and snow! It would have been tempting to throw in the towel, but we’re SO glad we didn’t. With the help of the remarkable team at Covenant Pines, we were able to give our church family memories that will last a lifetime. We found ways to safely sing outdoors around multiple campfires. We found ways to safely enjoy games. We were able to conduct physically-distanced sessions and services that brought us together.
And…. the food was just as amazing as always!
The Covenant Pines facility is like a Swiss Army Knife. The CPBC staff can help you make the most out of it. If you have ideas, they can help you bring them to life in safe and responsible ways. If you could use some creative help, they can draw from their own wealth of experience along with best practices from all around the country. Regardless of your sense of readiness, the team at Covenant Pines can help you prepare for, and guide you through, an event that people will thank you for.
It could be a long time before things return to normal. There are a number of wise voices saying they never will.
In a time when so much has been taken away, an event at Covenant Pines is a gift that you can give your family, friends, or church.
Kris Causton, Creative Resource Pastor
Excelsior Covenant Church
Our fall confirmation retreat is a significant time for our students to connect with each other and to dive deeper into the focus of teaching for the year. We really did not want to miss out on the impact of the retreat but knew with Covid that we had to make some changes. So, instead of piling 20+ kids into two vans and rooming together in a few cabins, we asked for parents to come along with their child and room together. The retreat center gave us enough room for each parent and student to have their own living space/bathroom, and the south side of the dining hall had enough room to distance for our teaching times. The beautiful outdoor space at Covenant Pines was part of our learning and connecting space in so many ways. We had teaching time on the beach, played games outside, shared a bonfire, and outdoor free time gave kids time to be together in ways they cannot indoors.
It turned out to be a wonderful weekend! Parents and students who were skeptical about the presence of so many adults were either pleasantly surprised or at least glad to have a retreat rather than not!
Lindsay said, “I felt like we ran 4 retreats: a student retreat, a parent/child retreat, a men’s retreat and a women’s retreat all in one as we watched different groups interact.”
Thank you Covenant Pines, for welcoming us, working with us, and investing in our ministry!
If you are interested in discussing what your church retreat could look like, start by reaching out to our Guest Service Director, Angie.
Winter Retreat Calendar Changes
We have made some significant changes to our 2021 Winter Retreat Calendar. We typically have offered rental retreats for small groups, but have made the decision to open camp up to families and individuals.
Adventurous Christians will offer two different retreat formats this winter. Family Wilderness Retreats where you can enjoy camp with your family and our Solitude Retreat that are focused on individual reflection and spiritual formation.
| Family Wilderness Retreats | Solitude Retreat |
| January 15-18 | January 8-10 |
| January 22-24 | |
| February 5-7 | |
| February 26-28 | |
| March 5-7 |
All of these retreats will follow COVID-19 guidelines, as it is our number one priority to provide a safe and healthy retreat experience.
Registration and details for these retreats will be available on December 1st, 2020. We will post updates on our website and social media pages.
If your church or group is interested in hosting a retreat at Adventurous Christians, that is still possible. Reach out to Lina to discuss availability and details
We are planning camps and canoe trips for Summer 2021!
What are plans for Summer 2021?
Covenant Pines Ministries is in the midst of planning for Summer 2021. There are still many unknowns and details to work out, but we will share with you what are planning on as of now. More details will be shared as they are finalized.
Adventurous Christians
We are planning to run canoe trips with limited capacity. We will stagger arrival and departures on trail for different groups
Covenant Pines Bible Camp
We are planning to run summer and youth camps this summer at a reduced capacity.
Programs & Transportation
Both AC and CPBC will need to offer adapted programs this summer to follow COVID-19 guidelines. Camp will look different in order to be safe and healthy for all, but we know it is possible!
Transportation will NOT be provided to camp in Summer 2021.
Registration
Adventurous Christians
Canoe Trips Registration is set to open November 20th through the AC office. Email Lina to get stared.
Covenant Pines Bible Camp
Registration will go open on January 11th. This is a delay in registration from previous years. We are taking some extra time to plan to make things go as smoothly as possible. With limited capacity, we expect space to fill up very quickly, so please plan to register early. Thank you for your patience in this!
Calendar & Pricing
Covenant Pines Ministries is still working on finalizing pricing for camps and canoe trips. Registration costs for Summer 2021 will be available on our website the first week of December.
Adventurous Christians
Click here to see the 2021 Canoe Trips Calendar.
Covenant Pines Bible Camp
Click here to see the 2021 Summer Camps Calendar.
We thank you for your patience and flexibility as we navigate how to best prepare for Summer 2021. We will post updates to our website and social media pages as they become available and include changes in our monthly newsletters.
For the past 12 summers, I have worked at some form of summer camp. Each morning I have been greeted by little voices and prayers and my days have been spent making sure young campers have the best experience possible. This summer, for the first time, my summer camp wasn’t filled with students running around, playing games and worshipping Jesus. At first it seemed impossible to imagine what Covenant Pines could even look like without Trailblazers, SWEATs and a full summer staff of college students. But much like everything else in this COVID-19 world, we had to pivot, adjust, be creative and trust that God would work.
One weekend at one of our Summer Getaways, I got the chance to catch up with a couple that I worked with on summer staff “back in the day.” They now have two children, and told me how excited they were to come up to camp. They explained to me that the two weekends we have traditionally offered for Family Camp never worked with their schedules, but this allowed them to come up to Covenant Pines in the summer – something they have always loved. We made jokes about how they packed their cars with more stuff for the few days they were here than they did for an entire summer on staff and how tie dying t-shirts is like riding a bike – the technique will come back to us. It brought me so much joy to witness this young family enjoying time together at a place that is so special to them – and it was a gentle reminder that the pivots, adjustments and creativity we had spent so much time discussing earlier in the spring would come to fruition. God was at work.
That following Monday, I was looking through our evaluations from the weekend and stumbled upon my friends’ response. I was immediately struck by the generational impact that Covenant Pines can have. When asked the question, “The mission of Covenant Pines Ministries is to encourage campers to take a next step in the Christian faith. How did you experience Christ at camp this weekend?”, my friend responded with this, “It was a joy to see our kids enjoying camp and looking forward to being at camp on their own some day. It is our hope that camp can be a place for them to encounter Christ and grow in their faith as it has for us. Being together as a family in such a special place is such a blessing.”
Sure, Summer 2020 was different. I was saddened to not be surrounded by campers….but I gained a new appreciation for the ways we at Covenant Pines can minister to families.This was such a helpful reminder for me to notice how God is continuing to work in this unique and challenging season of life. As 2020, COVID-19 and the pivots continue, I know God will continue to reveal to us new ways to appreciate and honor Him.
While there will be new and different things this fall at camp, there will be much that is familiar too. Our desire at Covenant Pines is to create a program that invites you all into deeper community with the circles you’re already a part of. We desire to give you space to play together, to laugh together, to slow down together, to retreat and experience God together. And I think that’s the best of what camp is, right? So while there won’t be corporate worship in the sense we’re all used to at camp this fall, there will be space for you to experientially engage in worship. While there won’t be a big game of Capture the Duck, there will be other big games for you to play with your people and compete against the other campers. Senior High Fall Retreat is designed with youth groups in mind. Quilt and Craft Retreat will continue to invite crafters into community together around their shared experiences. Man Camp might be a smaller group but will hold the same playfulness and authentic conversations we’ve come to expect when we’re together. Fall Retreats are a new model of retreat that provide families a breath of fresh air and quality time together.
As I reflect on a new normal as we continue to live with COVID-19 after nearly 7 months of disruption, I feel the deep need for connection. I feel the deep need for community and for the ways I know God shows up when we’re together. Being together looks different then what any of us expected at the beginning of 2020. As we plan and creatively prepare for a different looking fall around here at Covenant Pines, I find God’s Spirit in the truth that we need community. Join us this fall—with your family, your youth group, your friends, whoever—knowing that when we’re together, God’s heart is reflected more fully. I can say confidently that this fall will be filled with much joy and laughter and God’s presence will be felt deeply, all while experiencing community in safe ways this season. God reminded us of his faithfulness this summer, and I know he has new things in store for the seasons ahead.
To learn more about the retreats we are offering this fall, visit our Retreats Page.