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.
Ever since he was 7 years old and attended Kids Camp, Tate Randall has maintained that Covenant Pines Bible Camp is his favorite place on Earth.
Since that day in 1997, Tate has made the trip into the Minnesota wilderness almost every summer of his life to spend a week at his second home. For the past six summers, we have been blessed to have him as part of our Summer Staff. He has served in a variety of roles: a counselor, Worship Director, Day Camp Coordinator, and Audio/Visual Tech.
We were excited that Tate was interested in pursuing camp ministry after he graduated from UW-La Crosse with a degree in Education. So Tate was hired to join the Covenant Pines team as a seasonal intern last year.
This past January Camp Director, Matt Braun, approached Tate with the idea of creating a new full-time Marketing position at camp. Tate was very interested and in July it was made official. Tate will help create promotional materials, develop our website, manage our social media, and bring new groups to camp.
Tate has this to say about his new position:
“I believe in the power of Covenant Pines. This is the first place where I had a significant encounter with Jesus and it changed my life. God continues to do that here for many people, every year, in every season of ministry. I think this new position boils down to one goal: bring more people to camp. It’s not about not about money, it’s not about bigger retreats, and it’s not even about relaxing or having fun. I want to bring more people to camp because, when you’re here, you will experience the love of Christ. Some days I can’t believe that God has put me here for this. I’m so excited! And I should probably say something like…follow us on Instagram or Twitter! Or like us on facebook! Or how about all three?”
It’s our hope that this new role will help create more effective communication with our Churches, bring new groups to camp, and keep us engaged with campers and guests throughout every season of the year.
For nearly 20 years Silver Beach has been the best kept secret at Covenant Pines Bible Camp.
Many families have come summer after summer to experience God together as a family in our beautiful north woods setting. With the construction of White Pine a few years ago, and the development of new single-family, four-season cabins on the lake, Silver Beach has grown to become a vital part of our year round ministry.
To give this growing ministry leadership and direction Covenant Pines has hired Angie Sampson as the new Silver Beach Director. Angie grew up at Anoka Covenant attending camp and was a little surprised herself when God called her to be on summer staff 2 years ago with her family. After two summers, Angie and her family Josh (a teacher in McGregor), Ethan (13), Max (8), and Tessa (6) are all joining our year round ministry team. Camp is grateful for Angie’s creativity and attention to detail. In addition to role at Silver Beach, Angie will also serve as our Guest Group Director. Her gift of hospitality and her warm spirit are a welcome addition to our camp family. We are grateful for Angie and the entire Sampson family and excited to see how God will continue to use them as they embark on this new ministry adventure with us.
Angie has this to say about her new position at camp:
“I would never have guessed, as I approach 40, that God would call me to camping ministry at Covenant Pines. But what a humbling honor it is! Having spent the last two summers at Silver Beach God has placed a burden on my heart to help guide families, as He sees fit, to reconnect with each other through Him and the beauty of this place. And what a gift it is to be a small part of that here at Covenant Pines year round. I also have enjoyed working with our churches and other groups that we host here at camp in the non-summer months of year. What a blessing to help plan their stay here from conception to loading their cars and to heading back home. It has been a blessing to see what God has done in our family of five as He has prepared a way, for not just me, but the rest of my family. Providing a teaching job for my husband, Josh, right here in McGregor and already some new friends for our three kids. God is so good and so faithful. We feel blessed beyond words to become apart of the Covenant Pines family!”
1. Confront a Bear
Okay, not literally though. Real bears can be scary if they’re facing you down in the woods, but we’re talking about the figurative “bears;” things, people, or places that are scary to confront or do in our lives. Maybe you’ve never joined an athletic team because you’re scared you might not be good at it. Or maybe you’re scared to talk to certain people in your school because you’re afraid they won’t like you. Don’t live a life of fear! Try something new this year – whether that be joining the basketball team or sitting by someone you don’t know at lunch.
Extra Credit: Deuteronomy 31:6.
2. Experience God Outside of Church
Do you know what the Church is? God says that we are the church; the body of Christ. In other words, we as Christians, together, make the body of the Church with Jesus as the head. Some people may automatically think that church is a building with painted windows, hymnals, pews, and a pastor. While that is what some church buildings look like, it’s not what we should think of when we think of church. Church can be at any time – it’s the body of Christ (us) coming together in one place to learn and worship God. So this school year, try to be involved not only in church on Sunday, but go to your church’s youth group, or be a part of your school’s Young Life. Being a part of these programs will not only be fun, but you will strengthen your relationship with Jesus by learning and experiencing Him.
Extra Credit: Ephesians 4:4, 1 Corinthians 12:12, Matthew 18:20
3. Try Applesauce in Your Mac-n-Cheese
Go on and try it! Putting applesauce in mac-n-cheese might sound a little weird -maybe even a little silly, but it’s a little taste (no pun intended) of not taking life too seriously. Somehow along the way, it has become expected to get more serious as you get older. However, God wants us to enjoy life and everything He has made! Don’t hop on that train; don’t take yourself too seriously. If you’re at Youth Group or Young Life, they’re probably going to ask you to do something silly, like feed someone cheetos with your toes, or get up in front of everyone and play a game. Just go for it! So much joy comes with not worrying about what others will think of us.
Extra Credit: Ecclesiastes 3:9-14
4. Get Free Ice-Cream
Your family, however it may look, is a blessing. This year, make time for your family. You have your friends and that’s a great thing, but don’t forget about good ol’ ma and pa. Even though it may not feel like it all the time, your parents love you. The school year can get crazy pretty fast, so don’t forget about your family! Take initiative to do something with them, whether that’s making cookies with your mom, playing a card game with your dad, or having the ‘rents take the family out for ice-cream, (tell them Camp says it’s okay). School and friends will come and go, but your family will always be with you. Make your family a priority, today.
Extra Credit: Psalm 127:3
5. Eat more Carbs
It’s scientifically proven: Carbohydrates give you energy. We all have experienced when we don’t get enough food, our bodies feel bad and don’t function very well. It’s the same with our spiritual lives. If we don’t get enough food or “bread,” (as God refers to it in the Bible), our connection with God gets fuzzy, and can cause us to not function in a way that honors God.
Ask yourself this question: “What do I do that makes me feel close to God?” Maybe it’s listening or playing music, or painting quietly in your room. Maybe it’s reading a verse in the Bible every day, or going through a daily, weekly, or even a monthly devotional. This school year, make the decision to spend time with God daily. Being a Christian is about being IN relationship with Christ. Just like we want God to be involved in our story, He wants us to be involved in HIS story too – and that begins by making God a priority.
Extra Credit: Matthew 4:4