Author: Anna Birch
Inside the Cove Coordinator
Anna grew up in northwest Arkansas, graduating from John Brown University in 2012 with a BS in Broadcasting. She has worked at Pine Cove in many capacities: at the Bluffs while she was in college, later serving full time as an Institute of Wilderness Studies Instructor, IWS Site Coordinator, Towers Castle Rock Director, and Bluffs Women's Director. God changed her life while working at camp, and she also met her husband Jerad "Pile Driver" Birch at camp too. Anna is passionate about sharing the Gospel, coffee, books, movies, and Christian rap.
by Anna Birch Posted Mar 2, 2021
Kristen “Good Sherpa” Ray may not have worked at camp during her college days, but she has made quite the impact while she has been on Pine Cove’s full-time staff the past few years! From working with retreats, leading a Pine Cove City team, and now pouring into the women in the Forge, Pine Cove’s […]
Tags: forge
by Anna Birch Posted Feb 17, 2021
From Disney cartoons to action flicks, movies are common themes behind some of the best camp names. We gathered up a few of our favorites (sorted by genre) and would love to know if you can guess the titles behind a few of the more obscure references! Cartoons/Family: Dinglehopper Princess Pee-a Therpopolis Princess and the […]
by Anna Birch Posted Jan 20, 2021
There’s something extra special about camp covered in fluffy, white snow! Here are a few of our favorite photos from ETX camps when several inches of snow fell in early January.
by Anna Birch Posted Jan 20, 2021
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a part of the Forge? We asked four current “Forgies”—Ferrin Gillespie, Austin Lim, Mattie Stewart, and Mark Garwood—to share their experience so far in Pine Cove’s leadership development ministry. Take a little behind-the-scenes look (without any spoilers!) at lessons learned and the benefits of the program. […]
by Anna Birch Posted Jan 5, 2021
January often means the start of New Year’s resolutions, and many of us resolve to begin a new Bible reading plan or devotional. If you’re still on the hunt for resources to bolster your time in the Word, we put together a short list of studies, reading plans, and books that we are raving about! […]
by Anna Birch Posted Dec 16, 2020
These staffers must be extra excited for Christmas… because their names are about the holiday season! Give a shout-out if you know one of these staffers (or tell us if it’s you!). As one camp name suggests, “Let’s Get Down To Christmas”! Whether you’re decorating, hosting, or wrapping gifts, you can’t forget these essential items… […]
by Anna Birch Posted Dec 16, 2020
There’s just something so cozy about gathering as a family around a fire or the Christmas tree and reading a book together. We asked some of our staff, family members, and friends of Pine Cove to share which books are current and perennial favorites in their homes during Christmas. We hope these inspire you to […]
Inside the Cove | Summer Staff
by Anna Birch Posted Nov 11, 2020
Have you ever wondered what our full-time camp teams do during the other nine months of the year? Much of it is spent preparing for the next summer, pouring into current college staff, and recruiting new staff. Since recruiting makes up a substantial part of the year, it begs the question: HOW do we find […]
Tags: recruiting, summer, summer staff
by Anna Birch Posted Oct 20, 2020
As the leaves change color and our decor goes from bright summer colors to warm fall colors, we couldn’t help wondering what camp names are about colors. Here are some that grabbed our attention and of course made us laugh! Let’s kick it off…. All the Colors of the Rainwhoa Otter-Color Broseph and the Amazing […]
Tags: camp names, colors, fall
by Anna Birch Posted Sep 24, 2020
Taylor “Roctober” Gembol has been on full-time staff at Pine Cove since 2017 and is currently the Timbers camp director. A fan of extreme sports, spending time with his wife and puppy, and all things related to the ocean, this guy loves people and fun! Something that is evident by just meeting Taylor is that […]
