Scenic view of trees at camp

Tag: summer staff


Top Ten Schools 2024!

by Valerie Morby

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This summer more than 2,500 (let’s count ’em!) college staffers helped make camp Christ-centered, others-focused, and seriously fun! These awesome staffers represent a wide variety of colleges and universities from all across the southeast United States—and beyond. Each year we like to see how those schools stack up against each other for a little “comp-etition, […]

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More 2024 Camp Names We Love!

by Valerie Morby

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Every year, our summer staffers come up with the funniest (and craziest) camp names for all of the newbies! From references to movies and holidays to puns based on food and songs, their creativity truly knows no bounds. We just can’t keep all these incredible—we love it!—camp names to ourselves, so we rounded up a […]

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New 2024 Camp Names We Love!

by Karissa Pitaniello

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1,538 new summer staffers this year makes room for 1,538 new uniquely hilarious camp names! This serious fun happens when each of our new staffers experience one of our favorite traditions: The Name Game! The Name Game is a time for new staffers to introduce themselves, and things tend to get personal (and sometimes pretty […]

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2024 Orientation Recap!

by Karissa Pitaniello

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After months of searching for the most trustworthy, seriously fun college students across the US, we finally have them ALL on property! Orientation week is filled with acclimating the new staffers to the Pine Cove way (remember the first time you experienced “scraperhead?” Yeah, it takes a second to get used to!) and getting everyone […]

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How Do You Find These Amazing Staff? The Ministry of Recruiting

by Elizabeth Moore

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If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Self, where do these incredible Pine Cove counselors come from?” you’re not alone! For decades, Pine Cove has been committed to hiring high-quality staff, and are often asked, “How do you do it?” Well, like everything else at Pine Cove, recruiting and hiring are seen as opportunities for ministry, where […]

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Staff Trips 2024!

by Pine Cove

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Our full-time program team cherishes each day of summer intentionally serving alongside the college summer staff… so much so that each year they make the effort to all reconnect on a mid-winter staff trip! This is a fruitful time to reminisce, look forward to the summer ahead, and as always, share lots of laughs! Our […]

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2023 Tailgate Recap

by Karissa Pitaniello

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Every year, our full-time staff hits the road to catch up with the college crew they spent the summer serving alongside. There are multiple stops along the way, and they all happen to include football, food, and fellowship! These tailgates allow everyone to stay connected, make new memories, and meet new friends. Take a look […]

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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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