Men’s Retreat: 3/1/15
Or final winter retreat of the season was last weekend with the Men’s Retreat. With 114 men, we enjoyed good food, fellowship, and worship together. Saturday’s activities included a music jam session, broomball tournament (congratulations Ravenswood Covenant Church for winning the trophy this year!), cross country skiing, snowshoeing, trap shoot, foosball, ping-pong, and air hockey tournaments, card games and plenty of relaxing in the Dining Hall. The chapel messages were delivered by speaker Michael Vrooman on the topic of conversation with God. Thanks to all who participated! See you next year!
[fsg_gallery id=”110″]Men’s Trout Fishing Trip, July 7-10
“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”
– Henry David Thoreau
A group of adventurous men joined Covenant Point staff to retreat from everyday life, and spend time on the Bois Brule River fishing for trout. The three days were spent in community as well as some solitude and silence in the unspoiled realms of Northern Wisconsin’s Brule River State Forest. The theme of the message was “awakening” to God in your life. Highlights of the trip were sharing good meals around a campfire, visiting a trout hatchery, spending days on the river, from the headwaters to Lake Superior, slowing down from the pace of everyday life, and even catching some trout.
[fsg_gallery id=”75″]2014 Men’s Retreat at CPBC
The 2014 Men’s Retreat, though quite cold, was a blast. Dave Nesberg, of Portage Lake Bible Camp, delivered the chapel messages with the theme “Being Yoked.” In addition to Dave’s message, great musical worship, times of prayer, and discussion brought us closer to God. Sharing delicious home-cooked meals, card games, broomball tournament, skeet shooting, saunaing, polar bear dipping, snowshoeing, and simply spending time together brought us into fellowship with each other.
[fsg_gallery id=”51″]
CPBC Men’s Winter Expedition 2014
January 10-12, 2014, eight men ventured to the Porcupine Mountains, backpacking with cross country skis to a small rustic cabin in the woods. In the two days at the cabin, they enjoyed skiing and snowshoeing, playing card games, having good conversations, sharing meals cooked over the woodstove, and devotional times with the theme of “Discovering True North: Self-awareness, discovery, and creating the new normal” led by Kevin Johnson. The exceptional snow and good group of men made for a great trip.
[fsg_gallery id=”45″]
Fall Volunteer Weekend
We welcomed a lot of people to come and help us with a variety project here at Covenant Point!
Some of those projects included: helping put a new roof on Cedar Lodge, new curtains in Pine and the Nature Building, cutting firewood, putting together retreat mailers and repainting the basement of Cedar Lodge.
We are so thankful for all the help we received this volunteer weekend and continue to receive year to year!
[fsg_gallery id=”15″]2013 Men’s Retreat
This year’s Men’s Retreat was, once again, a beautiful time for men from all over the U.P, Wisconsin and Illinois to come and fellowship, worship, and grow in their faith. Pastor Eric Sparrman shared messages (download his talks below) on “Questions that Jesus asked us” encouraging the men to think about their faith from the perspective of Jesus’s questions to his close followers in the New Testament.
Eric Sparrman Talk #1 “What do you want?”
Eric Sparrman Talk #3 “Who do you say I am?”
The men (plus Caleb Strom!) from Ravenswood Covenant won the Broomball tournament in overtime vs. Iron Mountain Covenant. The skeet shoot was a fun time as always (including an automatic skeet thrower!), frostbite golf was in full “swing”, the polar bear dip was chilly and refreshing, but most importantly over 120 men drew closer to Jesus in small group conversation, reflection, and were encouraged in their faith. Enjoy the pictures and sermon’s. See you next year!
First Ever Men’s Winter Ski Expedition
This past weekend seven men ventured to the porcupine mountains for a three day/two night expedition into the backcountry to stay at a rustic log cabin in the woods. Below are reflections of men who went on the trip and pictures of the beautiful nature we encountered throughout the weekend.
“The men’s winter expedition was a great experience! It was a good blend of exercise, fellowship, spiritual reflection and sharing, and A LOT of fun. We even got a chance to listen to the Packer game (boohoo). It was awesome to be able to enjoy God’s creation and spend time “roughing it” in a nice cabin in the mountains with a great small group of guys. We were able to get to know each other much better and grow in the Lord too. Dustin, Colby, and Paul led and fed us well and overall did a super job! I hope I can do it again next year. ” – Ed Lindwall
“I had a great time with a bunch of honest to god good guys. Regardless of everyone’s personality and background we all meshed together for a stress free male get together. I’ll be first in line to sign up next winter.” – Lloyd Jacobson
Staff/Alumni Porcupine Mountains Ski Trip
A beautiful weekend skiing in the Porcupine Mountains off Lake Superior was the perfect way for former and current staff to connect in an intimate setting. Dustin, Covenant Point’s outdoor ministry director, led the trip with our intern Johanna and brought along former staffers Trevor Mayo and Claire Nelson. Throughout the weekend they visited vistas, ate good food cooked on the woodburning stove, had great chapel times of sharing and worshipping, and caught up on life.
Dustin and Colby head out this Friday for the first Men’s Winter Expedition. There is still one open space, so sign up if you are interested!
Christmas Camp 2012/13
This years Christmas Camp was awesome, as usual, filled with broomball tournaments, abominable snowmen, lots of reading around the fireplace, and good conversation.
Our associate director, Bill Fish, was our speaker for this week and he spoke on the topic of “emmanuel, God with us” focusing on the many ways in which God, through Christ, came and remains in this world. Some of these ways include through His word, the Bible, community (friends, family and the body of Christ), and communion with one another. A highlight of Christmas Camp is always the familiar and new faces that we get to meet and be with throughout the peaceful, yet exciting week.
Special congratulations go to “Serenity Now!” the Wieloch led broomball champions who secured their fame as second-time broomball champions.
Summer Family camp registration has begun, we strive at camp to create restful, rejuvenating weeks for families and friends to come and experience all the beauty that exists in God’s creation. If you joined us this Christmas Camp, we would love to see you in the summer, and if you come to family camp in the summer we would love to see you next year at Christmas Camp!
CPBC Staff & Alumni Winter Expedition Snowshoe Trip
Monday, January 6 (9:00 am) – Wednesday, January 8 (4:00 pm), 2014
Experience fellowship and God’s creation with the Covenant Point staff & alumni snowshoe backpacking trip in the Porcupine Mountains. Meals, transportation, and a rustic cabin will be provided. Snowshoe and backpack rental are included. After being outfitted with necessary gear, we will travel by van to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The remote cabin is a somewhat rigorous four mile ski/snowshoe from the trail head. The first morning we wake in the wilderness will be spent exploring, enjoying God’s creation, having quiet time, fun, and fellowship over meals and conversation in the great outdoors or a rustic cabin setting. The next day the group will snowshoe/ski back to the van, and travel back to Covenant Point by 4:00 PM.
Photos from last year’s trip:
[fsg_gallery id=”98″]
Porcupine Mountains Winter Camping
This past week a group of our full time staff headed out into the Porcupine Mountains for a winter camping trip. We ventured out with two objectives 1) to enjoy an adventure in this beautiful place we live, and 2) to scout the area for future winter camping retreats that we hope to develop in the next year. We skied in about four miles and stayed overnight in a simple one-room log cabin owned by the park. From there we were able to take off on a fun off-trail snow-shoe hike by map and compass. We were treated by Dustin’s excellent cooking skills and shared many laughs and a few games by candlelight. We ended our trip with an exciting, mostly down-hill, ski back to our van. Even though it was just one night, being further out in the wilderness to rest and enjoy God’s creation was a wonderful and refreshing gift. So, stay tuned for details on forthcoming winter camping trips next winter. For now, enjoy the pictures!
