Connect with camp on a whole new level. Camp is looking for volunteers to help out during one of our busiest seasons of the year, winter. Once the holidays are over our calendar is filled with groups taking advantage of our winter weather; playing broomball, snowshoeing, ice fishing, cross country skiing or just sitting by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate. We need volunteers to help in the kitchen, keep firewood stocked, or pitch in on one of the many projects we have going on around camp.
Please don’t let a lack of knowledge or perceived skill set keep you from volunteering. Camp is looking for people of all ages and abilities to pitch in. Housing varies by weekend, but camp will feed and house you for free. Don’t underestimate the impact you can have. Our staff is strengthened and encouraged and our ministry multiplies each time someone chooses to volunteer at camp.
Below is a short testimony from a camp volunteer, Wilder Freed. Read what he has to say about his experience helping out for a weekend.
“When we came up to camp to volunteer, we had a blast! There’s something about being able to give back through service; I felt like the time we spent working on projects at camp also served to help me clear my head of distractions, and scrub away some of the things that hinder me back home. It was a chance for us as a group to bond as brothers while earnestly working in service to Christ, and when the weekend was over, all we talked about on the way home was when we could come again.” ~ Wilder Freed
We are primarily looking for weekend volunteers, but if your schedule is flexible we could also use you during the week. We would love to have a few people from your women’s Bible study, men’s group, youth group, or even your individual family, serve at camp sometime this New Year.
Covenant Pines would not be where it is today without the faithful support and sweat given by past volunteers. Our goal for 2015 is to increase participation to include all of our 40 owner churches. Help us make this dream a reality, and have a whole lot of fun serving God at Covenant Pines. Please contact Angie Sampson or call the camp office 218 768-2610 to volunteer today.
We have a thriving Junior Staff program here at Covenant Pines in the summer. The program consists of three levels, Leader in Training (LIT), Junior Counselor (JC), and SWEAT. All three levels of our Junior Staff program aim to develop Christian leaders and teach about biblical service.
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!
We love our churches. We are so blessed by the friendship and support of over 40 Covenant Churches in the Twin Cities area. They help us get the word out about all of our camps, events, and retreats. We want to do the same for them! This section highlights an event that’s coming up in our area.
This month we want to put the Spotlight on First Cov St Paul. Every fall First Cov partners with a local high school as way to support the community and develop relationships with students. Over the years, more than a few of those students have joined the First Cov youth group because of the friendships they formed during the production. This is a great ministry and a great way to support our youth! Below is the all information you need. We encourage you to go and check it out.
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.