Training and Orientation Recap 2022

Summer 2022 is finally here! Soon we’ll be opening the gates of camp to our first groups of kids and families, plus welcoming tons of day campers to churches all across the Southeast. First, though, we’ve got to get our summer staff trained!

Last week more than 1,000 college students arrived at Pine Cove camps in all of our regions: East Texas, Central Texas, and the Southeast. They spent a ton of time learning how to do some of our more specialized jobs and activities. These roles include lifeguards, media staffers, boat drivers, wranglers, and high ropes staffers. We’re so proud of their diligence and perseverance as they received instruction and went through testing to ensure they’re experts in their roles! G-double-O-D J-O-B, good job, good job! 

This past week the rest of our staffers (another 1,000, believe it or not!) joined the party for orientation, and it’s been a blast having everyone together on property. The entire staff went through multiple days worth of sessions where they learned what makes Pine Cove Pine Cove. These sessions were also full of super loud camp cheers, seriously fun games, and camp dances that shook the floor!

Our summer staffers also served selflessly throughout the week by completing a ton of camp projects to ensure that every bungee trampoline, blob, and mountain bike is ready for campers. They cleaned equipment, unpacked boxes, painted signs, petted puppies (that was an easy one), and more. There was a good amount of hard work, and we’re so blown away by their willingness to serve and complete plenty of “get-tos.”

But don’t worry—they played hard too! Hundreds of name games took place, and the new staffers have all been given some hilariously clever camp names. (Stay tuned to hear about some of our favorite new names soon!) They also played dodgeball, learned camp dances, competed in many games of pickleball, planned some serious fun for our summer theme nights, and had a blast getting to know each other!

Finally, and most importantly, our staffers spent time worshiping the Lord together. Hearing hundreds of college students lift their voices and hearts to the Lord is encouraging, humbling, and holy. We are grateful.

Please continue to cover our staffers in prayer! They are eager to give of themselves this summer, investing in the lives of our precious campers this summer. Pray that they would stay healthy, that they would lead others well, and that they would inspire campers to walk intimately with Jesus. We can’t wait. 

Summer 2022—let’s GO!