Passion for Prayer: Behind the Scenes of Our Board

Did you know Pine Cove has a Board of Directors? It is made up of 16 men and women who love Jesus and want to be involved in how He is working through camp! There are attorneys, pastors, CEOs, doctors, homemakers, and more—many have taken their families to family camp, spoken at camp, or have kids who attend youth camp. All have been majorly impacted by Pine Cove and desire to serve.   

The purpose of the board is not deciding how to run camp, but a policy board—a group of people who ask good questions, provide recommendations and advice on future strategy, and help with long-range planning. Even though these are all vital parts of their role, you will often hear it said from our board: prayer is the most important way that they serve. Not only do they pray for the leadership, staff, and organization at large, but anyone and everyone who will be impacted by Pine Cove! 

Wende Gaikema, the 2019 Chair, has been a part of the board for nearly 10 years over several terms. Her professional background is in marketing and she was a family camper and mom of youth campers for many years. 

Wende says, “I love what we’re doing. I really do believe in camping and I believe that there’s something powerful that happens when people get a chance to step away from life, to unplug and hear from the Lord, be in nature, get some great teaching, and interact with godly staff. The vehicle of camping is really powerful. And the way that Pine Cove does it is life-changing, effective, and seriously fun.”

Not only does Wende have a heart for this ministry, she also LOVES prayer! She has been involved in prayer ministries for years and it has become a way of life. She explains, “I feel like I can pray with anyone, anywhere, about anything. It’s so powerful.”

She is not the only one on the board that is passionate about prayer. In fact, the board is uniquely marked by how they have woven it into the very fabric of their meetings. Each meeting begins with a devotional led by one of the members and then someone else will lead a time of prayer. They often use the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication) format and a prayer calendar that prompts them to pray for specific people, departments, and camps. They also pray for our President and CEO, Reed “SI” Livesay, and for his travels and meetings. 

It doesn’t stop there. During the meeting, whether there is a big decision needing to be made or a big praise has been reported, they will stop what they are doing and join together in prayer. 

“We have fabulous staff, a great board—we have lots of things at Pine Cove that are really awesome, but at the end of the day, it’s God’s ministry. And we want to do His will, His way. And the only way that’s going to happen is through inviting Him in—very intentionally, specifically and regularly into all aspects of it,” Wende says.

As the board continues to pray for all of us, they ask that we pray for them! Pray for wisdom and clarity, to hear from the Lord and know exactly what He has for Pine Cove, and for there to be even more diversity on the board as it grows.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” -2 Corinthians 4:18