The End of the Summer of 2011

It has flown by. It seems like just a few weeks ago that staff were first arriving. Before we knew it, the middle of the Summer had arrived and now the end is in sight. It has been great. It is always amazing and refreshing to see how God is working in the lives of the campers who come here. It is wonderful to watch the fiery red sunsets on Round Lake, to hear about the fish that were caught with the camp grand parents and to watch the power of God in a thunderstorm. It is joyous to listen to campers sing worship, to listen to the staff playing their instruments and to hear God's word shared, for some, hearing it for the very first time. It is energizing to hear kids playing at the waterfront, to see the splash of a person jumping off the rope swing and to hear the hum of the speed boat pulling the red shark across the water. And it is powerful to sit in the silence, to hear the wind in the leaves and to look into the night sky and realize that we are so very small but that a God who created it all knows each and every one of our names. This is why we do what we do. And, although it is not the end of camp for the year, it is the passing of another season. It is a season that holds many fond memories for those who are blessed enough to be able to come to this place. We pray for many more Summers to come, many more sunsets, bon fires and Hallelujah's to echo across the lake. And we pray that those who do not yet know Jesus would be able to experience his transformational love here, at home or wherever his followers are sent. We hope to see you sometime in the next year at Covenant Pines. If not, we will see you again next Summer. God Bless.

2011 Sr High 2

It has been a busy week and it is hard to believe it is already Friday! Yesterday, campers participated in the all camp Ga Ga Ball tournament. Due to the rain we had, the Ga Ga Ball pit was nice and muddy again. There were lots of muddy arms, legs and even a few faces. Campers had the chance to wash away the mud in the swimming area and find respite from the warm, but enjoyable, weather.

Today, campers can look forward to the Powder Puff Football game between female campers and staff. There are rumors that Rosie Peterson will be playing for the staff team. We shall see. Even though it is Friday, there are still plenty of activities to participate in, worship songs to sing, moments to be in awe of God and time to spend with friends, new and old. Please continue to pray for the campers here and that God does amazing things this week in their lives.

Sr High 2

Thunderstorms rolled through the McGregor area last night. It was a rainy start to the week but morning brought sun and a fresh start. It has been a powerful week already. Pat Hall, the speaker for the week, started off with a rousing session that has set a high tempo for the week. It will be fun to see how the campers grow and expand this week in their faith. It is great to talk with them and see what God is doing in their lives. Perhaps there will be a few storms exposed in peoples lives that will bring a new day, sunshine and a fresh start.

2011 Sr. High 2

It is the beginning of the end! The last youth camp of the Summer! Today kicks off our Sr. High 2 week of camp and we are all excited, tired but excited. Our speaker is Pastor Pat Hall and we are ready to see and hear the amazing things God is doing in the lives of the campers. Please keep all of the staff and campers in your prayers. Also, remember to check the facebook fan page or website for pics of the fun. Facebook.com/covenantpines or www.covenantpines.org.

Pack Attack Day

Today is the Pack Attack! The packs have their cheers, their costumes and are ready to cheer each other on. It is going to be a great day at Covenant Pines. The weather is good and God has been doing amazing things in the lives of campers and staff. After all of the craziness of the day, campers and staff get to kick back and enjoy each others company at Pines Fest this evening. It's a time to relax, talk, throw a frisbee and enjoy the beautiful surroundings God has blessed us with here at Covenant Pines.

2011 Jr High 2

The Pack Attack is fast approaching!!! For those of you who don't know, one of the highlights at Jr High camp at Covenant Pines is the Pack Attack. It is a giant relay race that covers the entire territory of Covenant Pines. The best part is that it is fun. The saying is, if the pack attack stops being fun we stop having the pack attack. The race includes all sorts of fun challenges like canoeing, biking, trivia, speed beading, slushy drinking, archery and more. There is something for everyone. What is probably more fun is that the campers find out their pack early in the week and spend time prepping for the big event with costumes and cheers. The dining hall is often filled with various chants from the different teams. Stay tuned for the results! And thanks for the continued prayers and support!

2011 Jr High 2

We are off to another week at camp! Jr High 2 is under way and the weather is excellent. We are excited to see God working in the lives of these Jr highers. Please continue to pray for our staff as they work with the kids. The Summer is nearly over! Hard to believe, but true! We hope to see you at camp. And as always, keep up with us on Facebook.com/covenantpines for pictures of the action.

2011 Trailblazer 2

Apparently Summer decided to show up. The weather is drastically different from what it was at the beginning of June but we'll take it. This week has been good so far. The kids are having lots of fun at the beach, playing big games and singing songs at worship. We hope God has changes in store for our campers and staff like the change in the weather. Thanks for the continued prayers and support. God bless!

Trailblazer 2

We are getting ready for another awesome week at camp! It will be warm but there are plenty of ways to cool down at camp. The waterfront activities will be well utilized this week. It is a nice change from the cool start we had to Summer. Please pray for our staff, campers and volunteers. We are excited for the things God is doing this Summer!

End of Trailblazer Beginning of Jr High

Sunday brought the end of Trailblazer 1. It was a great week filled with energetic kids, staff and lots of fun and learning. Sunday also brought a brief rest for the staff before Jr Highers arrive Monday morning.
There was also a bit of excitement Sunday night when the power went out for a while. Thankfully the power was restored and things are ready to go for this week!

2011 Trailblazer 1

Today is another gorgeous, sunny day at Covenant Pines. We are in our second day of Trailblazer 1 camp and this are going well. It was a crazy first day, full of fun, swimming, singing and big games. Today won't be any different. We appreciate the continued prayers and support! God bless!

Trailblazer 1

After a long stretch of non-stop camp the staff finally got a break over the July 4th weekend. The weather has been gorgeous and it finally feels like Summer. Today marks the start of another week of camp as we await the arrival of our Trailblazers. It is bound to be an exciting and energy filled week and we look forward to what God will be doing in the lives of the campers and staff!

July Family Camp

We are right in the middle of July Family Camp and it finally feels like Summer. Yesterday was hot and sunny, a welcome change from the unseasonably cold weather we had been having. Relief from the heat and humidity came in the form of a thunder storm in the evening. Although the lightning prevented anyone from going onto the lake, some people took the opportunity to sit on the shore and watch the storm slowly roll in. It is an amazing sight to watch the lightning in the distance, listen to the thunder booming across the sky and to realize just how small we are in this world of our creator. Sometimes it takes a trip to camp to appreciate those moments.

Perhaps there will be more of those moments to come. Today is another sunny day and we will see what God has in store for us.

2011 Sr. High 1 Leave and Kids Campers Roll In

Today marks the first transition in one of our endurance stretches this Summer at Covenant Pines. Sr. High 1 leaves today and they will be going home on the buses that bring up our Kids Campers! It is definitely a change of pace for our staff but those Kids Campers require a lot of energy. Please pray for continued focus and energy for our staff. God bless and we hope to see you at camp soon!

2011 Sr. High 1 Friday

The sun is out!!! It is a gorgeous day at camp. Currently, the Powder Puff Football Game is under way. The field is more like a swamp, but there is plenty of stiff competition to go around. After that it is time for a snack and then it is time for free time! The beach will probably be busier today than it has been all week! Thanks for the prayers and we look forward to seeing you or your kids at camp soon!

2011 Sr. High 1

Rain, rain go away. The rain continues to fall here at Covenant Pines. It has been a fairly cold a wet Summer so far. However, that doesn't stop the kids from playing Ga Ga ball, Dodge Ball, whip n strip or having fun at the beach. And it certainly doesn't stop Chapel from being powerful, amazing and fun.

2011 Sr. High 1

Sr. High 1 is under way and we are all very excited. Our speaker for the week is Stephanie Williams, director of community life at Mill City Church in Minneapolis.

The weather continues to be cold and overcast but it has not dampened the fun for a moment. Stay tuned for updates on the week!

2011 Open Session Wrap-Up

It was great to have the Jr. Highers and Trailblazers here and God was obviously at work in big ways. We had great speakers for both sessions. Our Trailblazer speaker was Suzanne Elliott and our Jr. High Speaker was Tara Tysver.

Our staff was definitely tired at the end of the week but put a good first week in the bag. A weekend off and now they are ready for their first week of Sr. Highers.

2011 Open Session Thursday, Friday

It has continued to be a cool week here at camp but that hasn't dampened the fun or God's spirit. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what the weather is like, God is still going to do great and amazing things. This week has been no different. Wednesday night was U Turn night and you could see God at work in the kids staying after chapel to talk and pray with their counselors. It is always an exciting sight to see people of any age committing, or re-committing, their lives to Christ.

There was also plenty of fun to be had. Wednesday afternoon was our beach bash and campers enjoyed a cookout and then a variety of water activities. Free time brought with it the usual attractions such as the tower and the canteen. But the new draw seems to be our Ga Ga Ball court. Don't know what it is? You'll have to come to camp and find out!

Tonight Jr. Highers have Pines Fest! They will get to go over to Silver Beach and enjoy games, food, camp fires and music.

Thanks for reading and we hope to see you here this Summer at Covenant Pines!

Open Session Tuesday and Wednesday

Camp is off to a great start. Kids are having fun and are very energetic during chapel. Tuesday had pretty good weather but gave way to rain on Wednesday. Some of the girls cabins went out to Out Camp Tuesday night but returned later due to the rain. It looks like Wednesday will see our first indoor skill times, one of which is karaoke! No matter what the weather, there are always great things to do here at Covenant Pines. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and be excited for the stories of what God is doing this summer here at camp!