In the Fall of 2013, some of our staff felt God calling them to create a High School leadership retreat during the Winter, geared toward those high schoolers who are involved in the Junior Staff Summer programs. This past weekend was our second annual Christmas SWEATers retreat and it was a blast. About 20 high school students came from Plymouth, Anoka, Excelsior, Salem, Community, and First Covenant St. Paul.

The students learned about leadership through workshops and discussions. We focused on integrity, purpose, and the true source of our leadership strength; Christ. When the students weren’t in leadership sessions, they were playing broomball on the lake, skiing around our wooded trails, hanging out in Fireside Lounge, and doing work projects around camp.

It is so encouraging for us up here to see young people that are so anxious to be leaders in the Church. We will be praying for all of those students who came that their hunger for more growth would continue in their communities and schools.

Cold weather has arrived at Silver Beach and the wind is blowing off Round Lake. How thankful we are that the new Cabin Two at Silver Beach is enclosed and interior touches are being made.

We’re thankful for the blessing of volunteers that have sheet rocked, cut trim, taped, mudded and textured, hung doors and painted the first coat. For those who worked outside in the warm and cold installing siding, trim, windows, and shingles.  There is hope that in January Cabins 1 and 2 will be available to rent.  How grateful we are for the servants God has sent, for providing for not only one new cabin but for two.

We’re praising God for the plans He has for Silver Beach, for the changes these new cabins provide for different seasons of ministry, and for the blessings these Cabins will bring to families, not only in the summer but all year long.

Looking for a quiet week or weekend getaway in the north woods? A fun-filled weekend with family and friends cross country skiing, having fun on the broomball rink, or settling in by the fire for game night? Come up to camp and rent White Pine or the new Cabins 1 and 2 at Silver Beach. Email Angie Sampson to book your stay. Silver Beach is also filling up for Summer 2015 so reserve your stay today.

 

First Covenant Church of St. Paul – Hello Dolly!

November has been another month full of blessings. We have celebrated Bruce’s Retirement, hosted groups from all over the state, and had two retreats.

On November 2nd, hundreds of people from all over the country came to Minnehaha Academy to honor Bruce Peterson, our Executive Director. Bruce has led Covenant Pines Ministries for the last 37 years. In that time, God has done amazing things through him. The amount of people that were present at the celebration is a testament to the ripple effect of his leadership. The video below was created to honor Bruce and provide just a glimpse of all that he has done for Covenant Pines, Adventurous Christians, and Silver Beach.

After Bruce’s party, we got ready for our Quilter’s Retreat. Women from all over Minnesota came with their quilting gear to spend 4 days of creativity together. It’s a joy to watch these women dive into their passion for this long weekend. So many of them are swamped with responsibilities back home that they don’t get the opportunity to focus on this important part of their lives. We love to give that opportunity to them.

But the Quilters Retreat is more than that. There are quilting retreats all over the place. But here at Covenant Pines people retreat not just to relax, but to draw closer to God. This year the theme of the retreat was “Shine Like Stars” and was based on Philippians 2: 15-16 which reads, “we will shine like stars in the sky as we hold firmly to the word of life.” The weekend was focused on how holding onto God’s Word helps us shine in this world. If you’re a Quilter or you have another crafty passion, please join us at Quilt & Craft Retreat on March 19-22.

After Quilters we turned our attention to Men’s Retreat. Men’s Retreat, or MANCAMP, as some of the guys like to call it, is a time for brothers in Christ to worship together and play together. 140 men came to hear from Phil Print of Crossroads Church in Woodbury, MN and Sten Carlson of Cedarbrook Church in Menomonie, WI. They spoke about the life of David and how we can learn from his successes as well as his mistakes. After each session the men would break into small groups and discuss the application of the message to their lives.

When they weren’t hearing from Phil and Sten, the guys were out enjoying all that camp has to offer. The sound of gunshots echoed around camp as the men practiced at the shooting range. The squeaks of rubber soles were in the air of the gym as men played basketball. Others found enjoyment playing cards long into the night by the fire. Still others used this retreat as an opportunity to catch up on reading. There was something to do for everyone.

Mark your calendars! Next year’s MANCAMP will be November 20-22, 2015.

It’s that time of year. Snow is on the ground. Plows are on the road. New boots are breaking in. Ice is inching its way over the 10,000 lakes. Christmas carols are sneakily sung while the signer is scolded for their premature cheer. Tis the season for Thanksgiving. It’s important for all of us to look back and be thankful for what God has done for us. The staff here at CPBC want to do just that and let you know how thankful we are.

We’re thankful for the campers and volunteers that came to our first ever Trailblazer Retreat! It was one of our colder weekends, but they came up and had a blast! We’re thankful for all the creative brains that made it to our Quilt & Craft Retreat. All the dads who brought their kids to the Father Child Retreat give us reason to be grateful as well.

Almost every single weekend during the non-summer months, camp is filled with the energy and joy of churches, families, youth groups, men’s groups, and women’s groups that rent out our facilities for their retreats. We are so thankful for the friendships we’ve formed with these guest groups.

We are thankful for everyone who made this last summer possible. First, we thank the volunteers. This place would not run without the people who give to camp with their talents and their time. Plymouth Covenant Church spends an entire weekend up here every May helping to get camp ready for the summer. The very next weekend, people from all of our Covenant Churches continue where Plymouth left off and put the final touches on our grounds and facilities. By the time those first busses roll up, the campers step out and see a camp that is welcoming and beautiful. That’s because of all of you who attend our Work & Worship Retreat. Thank you all for coming up here to do those dirty jobs that need to get done.

We thank every pastor, leader, and administrator who helped tell the youth in their church about summer camp. Whether you hung up a poster, stuffed brochures into mailboxes, or prayed for a student, you helped change lives this summer. To every parent who trusted us with the physical and spiritual well being of their child, thank you. To every grandparent, uncle, or older sibling that helped pay the way to camp for a loved one, thank you. To all of the donors who gave even one dollar to the $17,000 raised for camper scholarships, thank you. To all of the nurses who spent a week or more putting band-aids on scrapes, managing hundreds of medications, and staying up late with homesick campers, thank you.

And of course, we are thankful for the 45 young adults that make up our summer staff. These guys and gals choose to spend their summer at camp, where they work well over 100 hours per week, lose their voices from talking over the chaos, wear out their backs from piggy back rides, get chewed up by mosquitoes, and are forced to discover a new standard for personal hygiene. They do all this because they want to see kids come to know and follow Jesus Christ as their savior. They are “the cream of the crop” as our boss, Bruce, would say. To the 2014 Summer Staff, thank you.

There are volunteers who come here throughout the year to help us with construction, maintenance, cooking, cleaning, and doing dishes. If you’re one of those people, you know you are. Your fingerprints are all over Covenant Pines and you are a big part of what God is doing here. We are so appreciative of your service and grateful for your friendship.

Finally, we are thankful for our Executive Director, Bruce Peterson. Bruce’s wisdom and leadership have guided campers and staff for almost 38 years. He has influenced thousands. Countless people made life-changing decisions at camp under his direction. Bruce would be the first to say “it’s not about me.” He would point to God’s grace and strength that pulled him through every day of ministry. It’s precisely that attitude that has made him so influential. His humility, his teaching spirit, and his willingness to step into people’s lives have made him a good boss, a respected mentor, and a caring friend to so many. No amount of words, parties, or gifts could ever fully express the gratitude of all who have been touched by Bruce’s leadership. Thank you, Bruce.