Covenant News

Southeast Conference Volunteers Lead Camp Sessions

GROVELAND, FL (July 23, 2003) - Most Covenant conference camps operate on a year-round basis, but the Southeast Conference recently pulled off two, week-long camp sessions in July with volunteer help on a rented facility.

Superintendent Kurt Miericke reported that the Southeast Conference sponsored simultaneous, volunteer-led, one-week Bible camps that attracted students from Atlanta to Miami. A total of 98 campers and staff members - including 46 trailblazers and 33 teens - were divided into two age groups. The camps were held at Pine Lake Retreat Center beginning July 7.

Brian Alnes, youth pastor of Faith Covenant Church, St. Petersburg, Florida, was the keynote speaker for the teen camp. Pastor David Hillberg from the Evangelical Covenant Church of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, spoke at the Trailblazer camp. The speakers focused on the theme "Fear Factor," using Old Testament characters, along with the apostle Peter, while taking the Romans 8 text to centralize the topics. Jim Black, an associate pastor of Hope Community Covenant Church, Boynton Beach, Florida, provided the music for both groups.

"We're trying to create more of a conference feel to the camp," said Alnes, who had previously worked for Covenant Pines camp in McGregor, Minnesota, before coming to Faith Covenant as youth pastor. "Kevin Brintnall from Audubon Park Covenant Church, Orlando, Florida, has done a great job with registration and staff training and he has been part of this for years. And camp was awesome this year. We had more than 40 first time dedications or rededications (for Christ) during the week."

Along with Alnes, Black, and Brintnall, camp coordinators included Jan Osburn of Faith Covenant Church, St. Petersburg, Florida, and Doug Oliver, who pastors with Black at the Boynton Beach church.

For more information about the camps, call Alnes at 727-525-1699.

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