Scenic view of trees at camp

Category: Stories


Unplugged and Thriving: The Benefits of a Phone-Free Camp Experience

by Valerie Morby

A young male counselor posing with four elementary boy campers who are smiling while standing outside the cabins at Pine Cove Camps, a Christian Summer Camp in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina.

When parents dream and pray about their children’s future, they often envision the extracurricular activities they’ll participate in, the church youth groups they’ll join, and the universities they’ll eventually attend. Less frequently thought of—though still prevalent—is anxieties they may develop along the way. Anxiety is at an all-time high for the generation born since 1995, […]

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“To Battle!” Spiritual Applications at Camp

by Elizabeth Moore

Two girl campers at Pine Cove, an overnight camp for kids, smiling and wearing helmets before going down the zipline

From the Slidosaurus to the zipline to the bungee trampoline, Pine Cove is jam-packed with “seriously fun” activity classes for campers to create memories that last a lifetime. But we want campers to take home more than just a fun camp experience. We want them to take home a deeper understanding of the Gospel and […]

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A Camper’s Leap of Faith

by Pine Cove

A female counselor at Pine Cove Woods, an overnight family camp in Tyler, TX, encouraging a young girl camper to conquer her fear of riding the zip line

Editor’s Note: The following story was shared by Sami Grace “Scoob” Donnelly, a summer staffer at the Pine Cove Woods.  I was a Crew counselor for Week 5 in 2022, so I was super excited when I found out my assignment for Week 5 of 2023 was Crew again. My old cabin and my new […]

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Solo Dios: Joi and Anna’s Story

by Valerie Morby

Joi "Fuzzy" Hernandez, counselor at Pine Cove Silverado, an overnight elementary camp in Columbus, TX

“Toda palabra de Dios es purificada.” If you grew up in a Spanish-speaking home like Joi “Fuzzy” Hernandez did, you know that the above sentence translates to: “Every word of God proves true.” That key truth transcends language barriers, because His word remains true no matter the dialect. The Gospel is the same in English, […]

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How Staffers Share the Gospel

by Valerie Morby

A female counselor and camper sitting at a wooden picnic table and discussing the Gospel at Pine Cove Camps, a Christian Summer Camp in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina.

When a camper heads home after a week or two at Pine Cove, we hope they’re bringing with them the memories of silly skits, stories about their new friends, and maybe a few souvenirs and Ebenezers of their time at camp. Most importantly, though, we hope they’re leaving with a deeper understanding of the Gospel.  […]

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All Things for Good: Ayden and Lauren’s Story

by Lizzie Klein

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In October 2015, Ayden “Trips” Drake prayed over a verse, Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” That month, her mother had passed away from a condition called cystic fibrosis. Through the pain and confusion, Ayden […]

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Burdened For Their Brothers

by Valerie Morby

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Caroline and Ashlen had a lot in common. They both were college students—Caroline (or “Chip,” as she’s known at Pine Cove) at the University of Texas, and Ashlen (aka “T-Feels”) at Ole Miss—who had been serving for several summers at the Pine Cove Timbers. Both were thriving in their roles, seeking after the Lord, and […]

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From Summer Camp to the Principal’s Office

by Elizabeth Moore

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When Joshua “Cool Front” McDonald came to work at the Woods in 2006, he didn’t know it would turn out to be one of the most spiritually pivotal years of his life.  “My dad was a pastor, so I was always in the church in some form or fashion, but there wasn’t a lot of […]

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Even Bigger Than We Could Have Imagined

by Kelsey Kaigler

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“I can’t get over what a miracle it is watching You transform hearts right in front of me. I don’t deserve it. May I never forget it.” Silverado counselor Emma Cate “Pink Princess” Williams wrote those words in her journal after her hangtime with Madison Maddux, a fifth grader from Waco, Texas. And she couldn’t […]

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2023 Camper Quotes

by Karissa Pitaniello

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One of our favorite things about summer is getting a front-row seat to all God has in store for His people through their time at camp. We want you to enjoy that too! Read along to see what the Lord has been up to this summer at Pine Cove. “God showed me that He doesn’t […]

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