In 2016, Brad & Brooke Shannon joined the CPM staff as Directors of Adventurous Christians. For the past two and half years these two, along with their three children, have been a key part of what makes AC so special. They served everyone who came to AC with Christ-like humility and care. Under their leadership, construction on the new Portage Haus building was completed, the roof of the lodge was replaced, and significant funds were raised for new building projects. Aside from these more visible projects, Brad and Brooke also organized and upgraded many behind-the-scenes parts of camp. They streamlined administrative processes, cleaned up the physical property, and recruited new groups and volunteers. Operating under the philosophy that “everything speaks,” they have brought intentionality and care into every aspect of AC.
We are sad to see the Shannons leave. They will be sorely missed. We’re thankful for their loving stewardship of AC during their time with us. They helped many people take their next steps with Christ on trail and on site. Please join us in praying for them as they take their next steps as a family.
In 2005 my family took a literal step into the unknown. We relocated across the country, I started with a new camping ministry and we built a house. Each of these three events shaped the next decade of our family. We eventually became comfortable on the East Coast and my kids readily identify with New England as where they grew up. Through new experiences and challenges, I developed greatly as a leader and Executive Director. The new house we built transformed from concrete, 2×4’s and drywall to our “Home”. It became full of significant life memories (first steps, broken bones, shared holidays and much more) that define our family. It was bittersweet in 2015 to leave our home to start a new chapter of our life with Covenant Pines Ministries (CPM).
CPM is now poised to embark on a similar bittersweet period. At the April CPM Annual Meeting, I announced that we are moving forward on three building projects in the near future. While exciting and new, each project will bring a sense of loss for some. Change always does that. One of the stated values of CPM is to “Embrace Healthy Change.” This is what we are hoping to live into.
Silver Beach Lakeside Cabin
Beginning in the Fall of 2018, we are constructing a new Lakeside cabin at Silver Beach Family Camp. In recent years, we have been able to replace two of the original seasonal cabins with beautiful year-round cabins. These cabins have been funded primarily through memorial and estate gifts by individuals who have desired to see families impacted through camping ministry. This new cabin will continue this vision.
Adventurous Christians Health Center
While maintaining its wilderness feel, Adventurous Christians is striving to serve campers better by creating isolation space where sick campers can rest and bathe. (The Cook County Health Inspector has also asked us to create such space). We have received an extremely generous gift that will fund the construction of a Health Center. We are also intending to add a second level to the building in order to expand available housing for staff members.
Covenant Pines Bible Camp Worship Center
In July of 1955, Covenant Pines Bible Camp was dedicated “for worship in prayer and praise; for the ministry of the Word of God and the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.“ This ministry purpose has not changed over the years, but how we do ministry has changed. A large, seasonal building with straight rows, functioned wonderfully in our early years. But as we developed into a year-round ministry and the use of worship spaces changed, the Chapel remained the same. The Gospel, the lake views and maybe the smell have remained constant, but the building is functionally lacking. Looking towards the future, and needing to address structural issues, we have decided to build a new worship space. Beginning in the Fall of 2018, a building task force will be meeting to lead the construction process. A team is also being assembled to assist with the significant fundraising effort needed.
I recognize the bittersweetness of new buildings and the sense of loss that can accompany them. I feel them myself. I have sat with Ken Bosworth and listened to stories of the formative years at AC. I personally lived at Silver Beach and walked past the original cabins daily. I’ve sat in too many chapel services to remember and watched as counselors shared Jesus with campers in our beloved A-frame Chapel. At the same time, I’m excited to see what new reality we will live into. The vision of Covenant Pines Ministries is “to Change a Life.” While buildings don’t do this, they do provide the physical space where campers can meet God. I ask that you join me in praying for these three upcoming building projects. If you are interested in learning more about any of the projects, curious about volunteering to bring them to reality or want to contribute financially, please contact me at dave@covenantpines.org.
This summer, God called my wife Emily and I to bring the Joy of Christ to a few hundred day campers. I think we did a solid job of doing that!
Our theme for the summer was “Next Steps” and our lessons each day revolved around John 4 and the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. We helped the campers learn that asking questions of Jesus is instrumental to spiritual growth and understanding our own faith and walk with Christ.
While “Next Steps” was at first challenging to break down to elementary school kids, it was encouraging to see the majority of children jump in with both feet, and ask themselves; “What would I say to Jesus if he walked up to me today? What would He say to me?” As our day campers grew more comfortable with each other and their volunteer counselors throughout each week, one consistent answer to that second question would emerge. Jesus would say to these kids: “I love you, no matter where you are.”
Versions of this phrase were articulated by campers at every day camp: McGregor, Bethlehem Lutheran in Grand Marais, Maple Grove Covenant Church, Plymouth Covenant, Crossroads Church in Cottage Grove, and Bethlehem Covenant. Not just that Jesus loved them, but like the Samaritan woman, Jesus loved them regardless of any messiness outside of church and youth group. For such a profound concept to be articulated with the clarity we witnessed in their cabin devotional time, was incredibly affirming.
Additionally, each church took great pride in their volunteers. Which they should have! For Christ’s love to be discussed well in elementary age groups, it requires skilled facilitators, which our churches undoubtedly had. At the end of each day the Covenant Pines Day Camp staff would recap with our host church staff & volunteers and hear stories from the day. Jesus showed up all over the place! Funny stories and camper quotes, challenging moments as leaders, and most importantly: campers taking next steps in their journeys with Christ, some even saying “yes” to Him for the very first time.
Camp ministry is unique in that you’re never sure of the spiritual lives your campers lead as the week starts. But what is especially cool about day camp ministry, is that the volunteers for the week are attending the same church as the campers in most cases. Whenever a camper prayed that prayer or wanted to take a next step with Jesus, the Children’s Ministry Pastor would always jump in with follow-up details. That follow-up can be so important. This church partnership allows for adult church members to engage with that camper as the school year progresses.
We learned about the love of Christ and we Experienced the Joy of Christ at Day Camp. I have full confidence in each and every host church, volunteer, and Children’s Pastor that participated with us. Emily and I have been praying for all of our campers and staff now that Day Camp has ended, and we want to thank all the host churches for partnering with us this past summer!
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.
Once again God has been so good and has impacted the lives of people who have come through AC. The impact often may seem small, but is always deep, significant and lasting. In fact, as of this writing, we just put a family out on Trail this morning and the mom said they are back because, “It’s incredible the way we bonded as a family the last time we were here.” Another testimony from this summer was from a father saying he has always wanted to bring his boys to the BWCAW and, “It was the memory maker that I really desired for our family.” The impact goes beyond families and kids and certainly includes our staff. We had a wonderful AC Team this summer. One of them Jared, shared that he has grown so much in his faith. The other day he told me, “I am going home a different person.” Our vision continues to be “to change a life,” one at a time. Our hope is that AC guests would Experience the Wonder of Christ through faith and community in a wilderness setting. Blessings from the Trail.