Staff Profile: Colin “Sneaky Pete” Post

Ever met someone who literally lives and breathes Pine Cove? Someone whose summers are basically measured in iconic blob flights, porch cheers, and seriously fun shenanigans? Meet Colin “Sneaky Pete” Post! As the Ridge associate director, Colin has spent at least part of every single summer of his life on Pine Cove grounds (yes, every single one!), and we think that’s just plain incredible (and we love it!). From his legendary camper pranks to now guiding college staffers with the same energy, wisdom, and maybe even a song or two, Colin brings the heart and humor of camp wherever he goes. Join us as we dive into his staff profile to uncover the story behind his iconic camp name, what lights him up about his job, who inspires him most, and how Pine Cove has truly changed his life.

What is your job, and how did you get to Pine Cove?
I am the associate director at the Ridge in Columbus, Texas, and my Pine Cove story actually starts before I was born! My parents began attending the Woods Family Camp in 1997, and I was born in 1999. I spent my first summer at Pine Cove in 2000 as a nine-month-old and have been there every summer since. Pine Cove has truly shaped my life, my family, and my walk with the Lord.

After spending many summers as a camper, I worked as a “Counselor in Training” at the Woods in 2018, and then spent five summers on staff there, which was especially meaningful since I had grown up going as a family camper. Getting to give back and serve in that same place was both growth-filled and full circle. After graduating from TCU, I completed the Forge program, and at the end of it I stepped into the Ridge Men’s Director role in 2023. This is now my third year on full-time staff, but I have been part of Pine Cove in one way or another my entire life, which is really special!

How did you get your camp name?
My full camp name is Sneaky Pete. That is what everyone calls me, and people often ask if there is more to it. The real story is behind the word Sneaky. My last summer as a camper at the Woods was 2017. Some counselor friends convinced me to sneak into the guys-only staff meeting on Friday night, and as an overconfident high schooler, I thought it would be hilarious to jump in and “take over.” It was dark and I blended right into the circle with all the other guy summer staffers. I didn’t make it very far before Ben Gasaway spotted me and immediately sent me back to my cabin. Years later, when I was on staff and he was the associate director, we finally talked it through. It made perfect sense why he sent me back to my cabin, and I finally got to share the “why” behind my mischief. Now he’s a close friend and mentor, and the whole moment is even funnier in hindsight.

As for Pete, it has almost nothing to do with my name. Someone asked if I liked Peter from the Bible, I said sure, and they went with it. I do not even think the person who sold my name knew exactly where he was heading with it. At the time I wondered what Sneaky Pete was even referencing, but eight years later I cannot imagine going by anything else.

What is your favorite part of your job?
This is an easy question for me, because I really do love Pine Cove. I have been here so long and care so deeply about the ministry that in a lot of ways I bleed Pine Cove. But what truly makes my job feel perfect for me, and what makes it hard to imagine doing anything else, is seeing fruit in the lives of the college guys I hire, disciple, and walk with. Whether they have been here a few weeks or I have gotten to invest in them for several summers, watching them start to understand what God is teaching them is incredibly rewarding. I have seen guys experience God taking hold of their lives in ways they did not expect, overcoming things they never thought they could, stepping into ministry with confidence or humility they did not think they had. There are so many stories.

When I see that kind of growth, I think about the people who did the same for me at the Woods, like Chris Boddy, Josh Bice, and Ben Gasaway. As a college student, I needed someone to believe in me, challenge me, and encourage me. Getting to do that for others now feels like such a gift. It is humbling and exciting, and it makes me grateful every day that God has allowed me to serve at Pine Cove. There are a lot of things I love about my job, but my favorite is seeing guys “get it” and realizing this is so much bigger than a summer. It is kingdom work.

Any hilarious or unexpected stories from this past summer at camp?
I was not in too many skits this summer, but I really enjoyed the ones I got to do. My favorite was playing a character named Travis, the younger brother of the main character. He is kind of a wannabe pop or rock artist who thinks he is making it but definitely is not. At one point in the skit something bad happens to Travis, and I was supposed to look upset or in shock. I dropped to my knees and, on the spot, started belting out this dramatic, made up song. It was not a good song at all, but it was hilarious. In that moment I knew I had to fully send it or it would fall flat, so I committed and sang this edgy, over the top “woe is me” song into the microphone. Thankfully the crowd thought it was funny. Walking back to the skit closet afterward, I remember thinking, ‘I really hope that landed.’ And it did. By the end of the skit, Travis made amends with his brother and everything worked out, but in that moment he was in the gutter and I just went for it with the song. It ended up being one of my favorite skit memories.

Who is someone at Pine Cove that’s had a big impact on your life, and what did they teach you?
The short answer is that there are so many people. My time at Pine Cove has been filled with men and women who have taken serious time to pour into me, often in moments when I did not deserve it. I feel especially blessed right now to work for and with Conor Barry. He is an older brother figure and a steady mentor. But the primary answer to this question is easy. It is Chris Boddy.

Chris was the director at the Woods for much of my time as a camper and all of my time as a staffer. Outside of my own dad, no one has impacted my walk with the Lord more. He is a dear friend and mentor, and the most important lesson he taught me came in the 2020 to 2021 off season. I believe that period was the most pivotal turning point of my life and a big reason I am in this job today.

At the start of summer 2021, he told me, “Colin, I believe in you, and I think there is more you could live for when it comes to considering others as better than yourself.” He encouraged me to stop focusing on what was best for me and instead use my time at camp to serve and consider others. Matthew 10:39 finally clicked for me_the idea that you find your life by losing it. That summer, I began to truly live that out. It changed my view of others, of camp ministry, and of following the Lord. It is still something I am working on, but summer 2021 was the first time I sought to serve instead of seeking my own comfort. That shift flowed into the next summer, then into doing the Forge, and now into full-time ministry.

If Chris had not taken the time to challenge me in love, I do not know if I would have learned that lesson in that season, and I doubt I would be in this role now. I owe him a lot, and God has used him powerfully in my life. I look up to him and hope to be even a small percentage of the man he is. I am grateful that we get to work in the same organization now and remain close friends.

What is something most people don’t know about you that you think will help people to know you better?
One thing most people do not know unless they are close to me is how much I love music. I also love having favorites and strong opinions, whether it is sports, food, or random topics. I enjoy talking confidently about things, and sometimes I will even have dramatic takes just for fun. With music, I not only love listening to it, but I love digesting it and forming opinions about what I think is really good and what I think is not as good. Every year I make a Top 50 Songs of the Year list. It is 50 songs from 50 different artists, no repeats. Over time it has grown into something more detailed, where I write explanations for why I like each song, point out specific parts I love, and include quotes from the lyrics. I like organizing my thoughts from the year, sparking conversations, and maybe helping people discover a song they have never heard.

We hear you’re a big sports guy. What are some of the coolest sporting events you’ve been able to attend?
A really recent answer is the Iron Bowl. I went this past weekend and got to see Auburn play Alabama, which was incredible. It is one of the coolest rivalries in college football and such a unique experience. But my real answer is from 2022. I went to TCU and studied sports writing and sports broadcasting there, so for a long time I thought I would work in sports before I got the job at the Ridge. In 2022, TCU football made an unbelievable run to the national championship, something no one expected, not even the most optimistic fans. I ended up going to all three postseason games: the Big 12 title game, the semifinal playoff game they won against Michigan, and then the national championship. They lost two of the three, but that semifinal win was one of the greatest days of my life. TCU was a major underdog, and everything about that game felt magical. Even though TCU got completely blown out in the national championship, being at a game the entire country was watching still felt like a privilege and something I will always remember. So the 2022 TCU postseason run is easily the coolest sports experience I have ever had.

What is one thing the Lord has been teaching you in your present season?
I think there are three layers to what God has been teaching me this year. The first is about dependence and learning to truly lean into Him, abide in Him, and trust Him with my whole life. The second is learning to rely on Scripture more than ever. 2025 has been the year I’ve been most committed to God’s Word in my personal life, and that has come after seeing so many great men and women model and encourage that for me. God has helped me realize how crucial daily time in His Word is, especially in learning to depend on Him.

The third layer is a specific moment in Scripture. Recently I’ve been going through Luke, and Luke 10, the story of the Good Samaritan, has stood out. A commentary I read explained that Jesus is teaching the lawyer not to ask who his neighbor is, but instead to ask, “God, how can I be a neighbor today?” In verse 37, Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” Practically, I have set an alarm for 10:37 AM every day that says, “Luke 10:37, go and do likewise.” God has been challenging me through this to be more others-oriented and to ask how I can love those around me rather than putting limits on it. These three layers—dependence, Scripture, and this specific call to action—connect and continue to shape how I’m growing this year. It’s a daily reminder to slow down and live more intentionally for others.

What are you praying for regarding this upcoming summer of ministry?
I’m sure some very specific things will come up right before summer, but I’ll mention another daily reminder on my phone. A big influence on that is working for Conor Barry. He’s so good at being persistent in prayer and using his phone and other tools to stay consistent. I have a 9:00 PM alarm every day to pray for the Ridge. Lately, I’ve been focusing on how we, at the Ridge, emphasize Pine Cove’s core mission, purpose, and values to our staff. Out of that concept, Conor has developed a guiding expression for the Ridge: We are unified servants of King Jesus, living out the kingdom of God by practicing holy hospitality.

Every day when I see that reminder, I pray that this would not just be words we say, but that God would ingrain it into our hearts and the hearts of our staff, so it would become our natural default. I pray that this wouldn’t just apply May through August, but all year, so that working at the Ridge helps us live more unified, display the kingdom of God, and consider others through hospitality in a way that honors Him. I also pray for our full-time team, that we would be unified in that as well.

This has been really meaningful because it’s easy to focus on these things only during summer. We talk about it a lot then, but what if summer ministry was less about the season and more about life outside the gates, walking with God 12 months a year? Praying for our staff in this way has also been shaping my own heart, helping me live these truths personally. This has been my focus in prayer recently, and it has been really encouraging and grounding for me.