The Shorge: Pine Cove’s Newest Collaboration

Imagine that you are sitting in class.

As time ticks by, you glance out the window. Instead of the dry side of the building next door, you see towering, East Texas pine trees.

Instead of a boring parking lot, you see a field of luscious green grass. Instead of a stream of random cars passing by, you see the waves rippling on a lake that goes on for miles.

For the Forge Class of 2023, this isn’t imagination but a seriously fun reality, as Pine Cove’s eight-month leadership program has set up camp at the Shores property for the first time ever.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us introduce… “The Shorge!”

Resting on the edge of Lake Palestine, the Shores hosts more than 300 high schoolers each week of the summer, showcasing some of the most beautiful property that Pine Cove has to offer.

“I have witnessed God transform lives for a decade at the Shores summer after summer, and I couldn’t be more excited that this property is now being used the other nine months for His purpose and glory with the Forge program,” Shores Camp Director Taylor ‘Fish Face’ Jervis said. “If you want to have a faith worth following and have an incredible view out your front door, I know just the place.”

Founded in 2005, the Forge invites men and women between the ages of 21 and 27 to “experience the sufficient life in Christ” and learn to be “leaders who embody a faith worth following.”

For as long as most can remember, the program was based at family camps, with its students living at the Woods property for nearly a decade before moving to the Bluffs in 2020.

When the Bluffs property became unavailable this offseason, though, Forge Women’s Director Kristen “The Good Sherpa” Ray said it was a no-brainer for the program to move to the Shores for the 2022-2023 class.

“The Shores is, in a non-biased way, my favorite camp in all of Pine Cove, just because it’s the camp that’s on the lake,” Kristen said. “It’s really cool to get to be in class, look outside, and see the lake and boats on the water.”

Kristen added that the numerous activities and facilities available on property make it easy for students to have central locations to spend time together, especially in the early weeks when everyone is trying to get to know each other.

A perfectly-groomed sports field, a basketball gym, a sand volleyball court, a weight room, a giant pool–you name it, and the Shores property has it! 

“At the Forge, we work out every morning, so the facilities at the Shores are a blessing to our program,” Kristen said. “Also, just for orientation week, getting to see students play spikeball outside, and even hanging out on the grass and at picnic tables during the week—there just hasn’t been an awesome central location at the other camps we’ve been at.”

This year’s class has been up and running for over a month now, and when they haven’t been enjoying the amenities at their new home, they’ve been taking classes and meeting to discuss their goals for the year in the Shores’ meeting room, the Kavaratti.

The weekly schedule for a Forge student really is no joke, and to Blake “Sipping and Screaming” Roberts, being on the stunning Shores property has brought peace to what can be a stress-filled first month of the program.

“I’ve loved the view. I’ve loved the peace and quiet, the serenity out there by the lake,” Blake said. “I am a person that really enjoys lakeside views and being on the lake, so waking up to that, seeing the sunrise, the sunset, that’s been great.”

Having never worked at Pine Cove before starting the Forge, Blake is one of just six out of 32 students in this class with no previous Pine Cove experience.

Blake said that any doubts he entered the program with were quickly extinguished when he realized that every student was facing the same challenges.

“Everyone was just as scared, just as confused as I was,” Blake said. “There’s been a lot of awesome things that have just kind of happened in [the challenges], and getting to see other people alongside me through the kind of hard first month has been encouraging to know that I’m not alone.”

It makes sense that Blake has already bonded with his new Forge family. Every class is charged with creating a purpose statement for their year, and one of the main themes of this group’s statement is “delighting in unity.”

A big way that bonding happens in the Forge is through trips, and this class has already been on two! Although we can’t tell you where they went, they were fun, challenging—and not in Texas!

Even with all they’ve already experienced, the Forge Class of 2023 has still just begun their journey. 

Over the next six months, they’ll grow closer as a family, learn more about themselves, and get to explore even more of their stunning new home at the Shores.

If you want to get to know more about the Forge or apply to be a part of the class of 2024. Applications are open!

Learn more: pinecove.com/forge