Planning your retreat for a youth group, church or organization can be a challenging process. Whether you are planning a getaway weekend for relaxation and reflection or a session-filled spiritual retreat for your church group, there are a lot of factors to consider. Covenant Pines has put together a few steps to help you choose the best facility for your group’s retreat.
Purpose
When planning your retreat, start by determining your purpose. This will help when choosing a facility to host your group’s retreat. Think about your group’s needs, what goals you want the retreat to achieve, and things you want to include in the experience. Once you have determined your plan and purpose for the retreat, there are several key factors to consider when selecting a facility.
Location
Where is the facility located? You will want to find a facility within a driving range that is reasonable for your group. However, it should be far enough away to avoid the temptation to go home or to the office during free time. The distance to the facility has the possibility of deterring participants if they are driving by themselves. If you are transporting participants, distance won’t matter as much but be sure to take transportation into consideration. Covenant Pines Bible Camp and Silver Beach are about 2.5 hours North of the Twin Cities. Adventurous Christians is about 5 hours North of the Twin Cities.
Accommodations
What type of facility best accommodates your housing preferences? There are numerous different types of facilities where you could host your group’s retreat. Are you looking for something unplugged, relaxed, and rustic? Or are you looking for Blacklight Dodgeball and a lots of space for huge games? Or maybe your group needs hotel-like accommodations and lots of space for breakout sessions. There are camps/retreat centers out there for all tastes. At Covenant Pines, we have a wide variety of housing accommodations. Adventurous Christians offers rustic lodging that is heated by wood-burning stove. Silver Beach offers luxurious and comfortable housing for families and small groups. Covenant Pines Bible Camp offers comfortable, year-round lodges and cabins at an all-inclusive rate.
FOOD
Be sure to ask about food as part of your research. Does the camp include food in their rates, or is that an extra fee? Some camps/conference centers serve food cafeteria style, others buffet style. Still others might have a server deliver your food to the table like you’re at a restaurant. Ask about their dining facilities.
Be sure to ask about their experience with special diets. Odds are, you will have someone in your group with an allergy or other dietary need. At Covenant Pines, we pride ourselves on accommodating dietary needs by providing high-quality alternatives. We try to learn the faces and names of those with special diets so that, when they come through the line, we have their plate ready for them.
Staff
Another important part of a potential facility is the staff. Staff members are there to help you out. Your first impression of the facility starts when you call them to get details. How they treat you on the phone and in your initial interactions as you acquire information is a good indicator of how you will be treated once you arrive at the facility. Once you have selected the facility, begin the process of communicating information to the staff in a timely manner. Speaking from our experience, the earlier a facility is able to have your information, the better they are able to accommodate your needs and desires.
These questions and ideas are just a few items to consider when planning your retreat; we hope you are able to use these tips to make your retreat planning process a bit less stressful. As you consider different facilities for your group’s retreat, check out what Covenant Pines has to offer by emailing our Guest Service Director, Angie, or by giving us a call at 218.768.2610.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9
At our MEA Retreat, we revealed our summer theme. We’re calling it “Royals” and we’ll be looking at 1 Peter 2:9.
We had some fun by giving out Theme Clues over the past few weeks. If you’re curious, check out the clues here!
If you want more information about our summer programs like dates, age groups, and prices, click here.
THE THEME HAS BEEN REVEALED! The clues are still below if you want to check them out. Scroll down to see the answers!
One clue by itself will not be enough to figure out the theme. But if you put the clues together, you can figure it out! Below are the clues so far (you may want to use good ol’ Google to help you):
CLUE #1
“εὐαγγέλιον” and “επιστολές”
CLUE #2
“I traveled with Jesus. It was pretty sweet. One time I told him he couldn’t wash my feet.
In the Testament, not Old, but New, I wrote some books. Maybe three? Maybe two?
Somewhere in the one I wrote first, is where you’ll find the summer theme verse.”
CLUE #3
There are codes like this all over your schools and probably in your house, but it’s likely you never notice them. Some codes are 10 digits long and some are 13. Both of the codes below will lead you to the same place
073770635X
978-0737706352
CLUE #4 
CLUE #5
Answers
Clue #1
Those words are Greek. They translate into “gospel” and “epistles.” The gospels and the epistles make up the New Testament.
Clue #2
The rhyme is talking about the Apostle Peter. He wrote 2 books in the New Testament, 1 Peter and 2 Peter. The one he wrote first was 1 Peter.
Clue #3
Those are ISBN numbers. Simply pasting one of those numbers into Google should lead you to a history book about The 1600s.
Clue #4
Those actors are George Clooney and Elizabeth Banks. Their first names are very important: George & Elizabeth
Clue #5
Those cartoons in the middle are characters from famous nursery rhymes. They are surrounded by pictures of bridges. Can you think of a famous nursery rhyme about a bridge? How about London Bridge is Falling Down?
It was the last few minutes of our 2016 Women’s Retreat, and I was handing out silent auction items that had been won. I was exhausted after a long weekend, but was doing my best to remain cheerful as I wrapped up conversations with ladies as they headed home. A woman came to grab a silent auction item she had bid on, and we ended up having an extremely encouraging conversation. That talk was a reminder of why we all do what we do here at Covenant Pines Ministries.
This woman has a first grader who attends Minnehaha Academy. After their annual “camp chapel,” her daughter came home enthusiastic and ready to go to CPBC for the first time. Hesitant but trusting, this mother allowed her daughter to attend Kids Kamp over the summer. Her daughter returned from camp with smiles and stories about all the fun and cool things she participated in and learned about.
After her daughter’s experience – this mother, who had never been to Covenant Pines before, felt like she needed to check the place out for herself, and decided to attend the Women’s Retreat in the fall. She attended with another mother from school, and they were allowed to experience the love of Christ for themselves at the Women’s Retreat. But the beautiful thing about this story is that not only was this woman able to get away with a friend, feel refreshed and closer with God, she was also able to feel a sense of comfort about where she was sending her daughter. We wrapped up our conversation, and she mentioned to me how grateful she was for our ministry – grateful that her daughter and her friends from school have many years of fun and spiritual growth ahead of them at this safe place. This conversation was the perfect way to end a weekend of ministry – an encouraging reminder of the ripple effect Jesus can have in this place – and the opportunity we have to minister to people of all ages with the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
by: Holly Larson
It is with great excitement that Covenant Pines Ministries announces the calling of Brad and Brooke Shannon to Adventurous Christians.
Brad has served as Lead Pastor of New Life Covenant Church in Twig, MN for the past 13 years. An ordained Covenant Pastor, he has previously served on staff at Bloomington Covenant Church and Covenant Pines Bible Camp. Brad is no stranger to camping having served on summer staff at Bluewater Covenant Bible Camp, summer and full time staff at Covenant Pines Bible Camp, on the board of Covenant Park Bible Camp, as well as on the Adventurous Christians Commission. Brooke has worked alongside Brad as a significant volunteer at New Life Covenant, coordinating the VBS program and Women’s Bible studies. She has been through Tentmakers training, led multiple mission trips and served as a backpack guide in Colorado. Brooke has also worked the past 10 years as Town Clerk. The Shannon’s have three children, J – 11, Ryan – 10 and Katie – 5. Brad made news two years ago when he snowmobiled over 1800 miles from Twig, MN to Churchilll, Manitoba as a fundraiser for a new church building.
“I have known Brad for many years and am excited to work alongside him and Brooke at AC,” says CPM Executive Director, Dave Cairns. “Brad has a heart for ministry and a love of God’s creation. I’m excited for what the future holds at Adventurous Christians under his leadership.” Please join with the Covenant Pines Ministries community in welcoming Brad and Brooke Shannon to Adventurous Christians.
The Shannon’s will begin in early July.