Our Facilities Are Our Program

If you have been around Pine Cove for any amount of time, you have already corrected the mistake in the title of this post.  You have heard Opee say countless times,

Our staff is our program.

If you are new to staff this summer, you will soon understand the expectation we have for our staff is high, because we know that staff make or break our program.  I have seen summer staff make sitting on a picnic table in the rain fun!

Part of my job with Base Camp is to talk to churches about partnering with us.  This often involves a visit to the church coinciding with a presentation where we go through all that it means to partner with us.  Many times I enter a church that is absolutely beautiful.  The children’s building is incredible – wall to wall murals, big stages, 3D sets with built-in bubble machines, a skit closet bigger than ours, state of the art AV equipment – and the staff there are very proud of their facility.  They see their building as a direct reflection of their program.

To be completely honest, there are times when I walk out of those meetings thinking, “And why would they want us to come in here and do camp?  They’ve got everything they need.”  But, they don’t.

I leave meetings with other churches that sit at the opposite end of the spectrum.  They are using one multi-use space for their children’s program (the good ol’ Audicafetorium), and they look at me with sad eyes and say something like, “Well…I’m sure you all need a lot more than what we have here.”

Then I get to tell them about our staff.  This is one of my favorite parts of speaking on behalf of Base Camp.  You are our biggest selling point!  The thought of bringing in 30 college students who are passionate about Jesus and who are excited to engage kids with the Gospel is something that churches do not have access to.  I often get emails throughout the year from churches begging us for staff to come to their Fall Festival or volunteer for their Sunday morning program.

YOU are what they remember – the example you set and the way you love their kids.  We are proud that you are our program!