Staff Profile: Tyler “Baja Smash” Arnold

As the Men’s Director of Pine Cove’s Forge program, Tyler has seen discipleship from a lot of angles. From his early days as a City summer staffer to serving with Pine Cove’s now-retired outdoor education program, and now to helping shape the lives of young men through the Forge, Tyler’s journey has come full circle. Along the way, he’s grown under several Pine Cove ministries, each one playing a role in preparing him for where God has placed him today. In this conversation, hear how Tyler found his way back to the program that helped shape his journey. Plus, get to know the heart behind his leadership as we talk about his passions, his role models, and the man God has shaped him to be!

What is your job and how did you get to Pine Cove? 

I currently serve as the Men’s Director of the Forge, but my journey getting to Pine Cove is a little bit unusual. I’m from out of state and didn’t grow up going to Pine Cove, so I hadn’t even heard of it until college. There was a guy in our college ministry who had just worked at the Shores encouraged us to apply. I did, thinking it seemed like the best fit for my summer. I got a role to work on a city team for EJ Hibbler with Pine Cove City Team Edge in 2016. And I spent all my summers working at Pine Cove. I really fell in love with it and, like a lot of people, felt like the most effective and faithful version of myself at camp. That feeling led me to want to work for Pine Cove full time.

After being a summer staffer, I joined Pine Cove’s Institute of Wilderness Studies (IWS) from 2019–2020 until that program came to an end. That season gave me a lot of time to reflect on my calling in ministry. I found myself unsure of what was next, until Dexter Carter, then the Forge Men’s Director, told me, “If you don’t know what to do with your life, do the Forge.” So I paused all my planning and applied.

I absolutely loved my time in the Forge. Fun fact: my wife, Kendall, did the program with me and we’re actually the only couple who has ever completed the program together as a couple. It helped us build a solid foundation for marriage as we learned to serve and sacrifice alongside each other. After the program, we got engaged, moved to Houston, and I worked as a student minister for two years. We got married during that time, too.

Eventually, Dexter transitioned to the Outback and encouraged me to apply for the Men’s Director position with the Forge. I wasn’t sure I was ready, but then Jared said something similar, and I started to sense God’s timing in it all. So I applied. Throughout the process, God confirmed again and again that this was where we were supposed to be. In 2023, we moved to Tyler, and I stepped into the role I’m in now, and I’ve been the Men’s Director ever since.

What does a day in your life look like as the Forge men’s director?

In the Forge, we really operate in two main seasons: when we have residents, and when we don’t. When residents are here, our focus is on observing. We want to get to know them and see how they’re responding to everything we put in front of them, including classwork, the environment, relationships, and workload. As we observe, we offer encouragement but also feedback and challenges to help them grow in their walk with the Lord and navigate whatever obstacles they’re facing.

When residents aren’t here, our time shifts toward preparation and recruiting. We ask ourselves how we can rest and prepare well for the next season. That includes developing teachings, connecting with future residents if we already know who’s coming, and evaluating the program: what worked, what didn’t, what needs to be added, and where there might be gaps or blind spots. So while observation is a huge part of what we do when residents are here, it is really a year-round focus. If we’re not observing them, we’re observing ourselves and looking for ways to make the most of the time we get with each class. And of course, a big part of it all is discipleship, which is one of the best parts of the job.

What is your favorite part of your job?

The discipleship element is by far my favorite part. When I was in the program, I realized that discipleship is one of the main ways the Lord created me to serve. I love building relationships, making connections, and really getting to know people. It’s something that comes naturally to me.

It’s also such an honor to think about the discipleship relationships I’ve had. It meant so much when someone older and wiser, with a different perspective, took the time to look at the things I was dealing with in my own life, things I saw every day, and helped me see a way forward that I couldn’t see on my own. Whether it was a way out, a new solution, or simply a path to persevere, their insight opened up something that had been hidden to me. I have a lot of gratitude and respect for the men who invested in me that way.

To know that this is now my actual job, my calling, to offer that same kind of investment to young men at Pine Cove is really special. It genuinely excites me every year as we meet new residents and begin the journey with them. Even now, some of the guys on our upcoming roster I’ve only had brief conversations with. But I know that by this time next year, I’ll know them deeply, maybe even in a way no one else in their life does. That’s incredibly meaningful to me, and without a doubt, it’s the best part of my job.

Any standout stories from this past year’s Forge class?

One thing from this past year that really stood out though was a guy in our class who was super into Dungeons and Dragons. In a lot of settings, that might be one of those hobbies people say, “Hey, that’s cool,” but don’t really engage with. But by the spring, all 15 guys were playing D&D in some capacity with him. This Forge student created a full campaign with three groups of five, and for one of our Guy Nights, a regular part of our programming, where he ran a massive final boss fight with all 15 guys and me. Everyone showed up in costume. They used accents. They went all in.

It ended up being one of the most fun, creative, and hilarious nights of the year. What made it so great wasn’t just the game itself, but the way the guys bought into something goofy simply because one of their brothers cared about it. It was such a good picture of community, commitment, and how deeply these guys invested in each other. That night will definitely stick with me.

If you had to explain the Forge program in one sentence, what would you say?

When I was just an alumnus, this sentence really hit hard. But now that I’m the Forge men’s director, I know some people might think, “Of course you’re going to say that.” Still, it truly is the greatest spiritual investment you can make.

Even during the two years I worked at a church after finishing the program, I often had older men in ministry asking me how I knew what I knew or why I handled situations the way I did. Whether we were talking about ministry challenges, conversations with parents or congregants, or responding to different situations, they were consistently impressed by the depth and maturity I brought to the table. Many of them said, “I didn’t learn this until I was in my forties. Where did you get training like this?”

I got to tell them again and again that it came from the Forge. It was incredibly impactful to take the training and equipping that I received through Pine Cove and bring it into another ministry context. And in the short time I was there, I was able to help grow that ministry and the student ministry I served, making the best impact I could.

How did you get your camp name?

My name is ‘Baja Smash!’ The ‘Baja’ part came from college, when my roommates and I discovered we could recreate Taco Bell’s Baja Blast using cafeteria drinks. It really just is a mix of blue Powerade, Sprite, and Mountain Dew. Once we figured that out, we made it constantly and would drink it like water.

The ‘Smash’ part came from my senior year of high school. I joined the soccer team, and  we once had a penalty kick competition. My friends were joking around and teasing me, so in an attempt to try and prove myself, I told the guys to watch me work. I went to take my shot, slipped in the mud, and completely faceplanted. The ball didn’t even move. I got clowned for it all year—always in good fun of course. So, ‘Baja Smash’ was formed from chugging cafeteria Baja Blast and smashing my face at soccer practice.

Who is someone at Pine Cove that’s had a big impact on your life and what did they teach you?

Can I give a Mount Rushmore? EJ Hibbler, Jacob Motl, Dexter Carter, and Jared Schuler. All four played a huge role in my Pine Cove story. Each one built on the other and shaped who I am today.

EJ, my first site director, was the first person to call me out—in a good way. He told me I didn’t need to just be the funny guy, that there was more to me than that. It completely changed how I saw myself and how I related to others. I started as a counselor under him my first summer and ended up as his program director by my last. We had a close bond, and his steady investment set a strong foundation.

Jacob was my director during my year at IWS, and it was my first real taste of full-time ministry. He helped me learn that my job wasn’t my identity and modeled what true discipleship looks like. He taught me everything from Bible study and budgeting to fitness and dating, basically all the things people joke about never learning in school. Jacob was my first year-round discipleship relationship, and was really formative to me.

When I got to the Forge, Dexter and Jared were able to build on what EJ and Jacob had already started. Dexter gave me his full attention through encouraging me, challenging me, and helping me grow. Together, they helped reshape how I viewed my story. Before the Forge, I believed I’d be better off if just a few things had gone differently. But through their guidance and Scripture, like Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 4:7, I realized I’ve received more than I ever deserved. And when you see what you’ve received, you stop chasing what others can give you and start pouring yourself out for others.

All four of these men shaped me deeply, and the way their faithfulness built on each other’s has had a lasting impact.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I’ve realized I’m a big collector. I love shoes, vintage clothing (especially old Nike soccer), and furniture. I can spend hours on Facebook Marketplace just hunting for the perfect piece. Soccer is also a huge interest of mine. And lately, this is very on-trend, I know, I’ve gotten back into collecting Pokémon cards. Nostalgia definitely drives a lot of what I enjoy.

Outside of that, I love playing sports. I play pickup soccer every Monday night with some guys from my church, and during the Forge season, playing anything with the residents, be it Spikeball, Turkish, bend ball, soccer, is always a blast.

What is something the Lord has been teaching you?

I think because my job is so rooted in discipleship, and because I know that connecting and building relationships is one of the ways God’s gifted me, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the difference between behavior change and heart change. That’s always been important to me, but especially now.

Even back in my summer staff days, I saw friends serve faithfully at camp only to return home and live completely differently. I remember wondering, ‘How do we prepare people for that? How do we disciple in a way that equips someone to follow Christ when no one’s watching?’ It’s one thing to grow when someone is coaching or encouraging you, but real transformation shows up when no one is around.

So I’m always trying to learn how to teach that well. How do you train someone to care more about heart posture than visible results, especially in a culture that’s so outcome-driven? We can be so quick to skip straight to bearing fruit without first anchoring in simply knowing and loving Jesus. But the fruit flows from that, and the fruit will come. Always.

And the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that only God can bring that kind of change. I can’t force heart transformation, but I can be faithful, I can teach well, and I can model what it looks like to abide in Christ. That’s freeing. The weight of real change is in God’s hands, not mine.