BCMB Camps

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Camp Bob - Gardom Lake Bible Camp - Camp Likely - Pines Bible Camp - Stillwood Camp

We exist as a ministry partner with the BCMB Conference of Churches to facilitate the mission of the church for evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development.

10/07/2026

bcmbcamps.com
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09/29/2026

Sometimes the best parts of a summer report aren't the numbers.

Over the past few weeks, summer reports have been coming in from across BCMB Camps. Five very different camps—Camp Bob, Gardom Lake, Camp Likely, Pines and Stillwood—all sharing one mission.

There are camper numbers, staffing numbers, budgets and all the other things that belong in a year-end report.

But tucked inside those reports are stories.

Little glimpses of what God was doing in the lives of campers and staff this summer.

Like the camper who had never attended a Christian camp before. By the end of the week, she was excited to go home and tell her mom about Jesus—and she went home with her very first Bible.

Or the mother who emailed after Day Camp to tell us that her child had started reading the Bible after coming home from camp.

There's the returning camper who had been quiet and reserved the summer before. This year, he stepped off the bus with a huge smile. One of his leaders described it as watching someone “coming back to family.”

One staff member watched a camper who had been difficult to engage all week suddenly come alive during chapel:

“She did not participate in anything until chapel, where she was singing and dancing—it was really sweet.”

And another young leader finished the summer having discovered something about where God might be leading next:

“This summer has given me such a passion for camp ministry and youth ministry.”

They've now begun studying ministry at Columbia Bible College.

None of these stories will show up neatly in a spreadsheet.

But they're part of what happened at camp this summer.

A first Bible.�A child reading Scripture at home.�A place to belong.�A camper finding joy in worship.�A young leader discovering a calling.

Sometimes the smallest stories tell us the most.

Five Camps. One Mission.

🏕️� ☕� 🌲� ❤️

09/22/2026

Four Generations — Still Showing Up

Last week we shared the story of four generations of one family serving at Stillwood.

450 kilometres away, at Pines Bible Camp in Grand Forks, another four-generation story has been unfolding.

It began with George and Erna Martens.

In the 1950s and '60s, George and Erna had a heart for reaching the children of Grand Forks for Jesus. What began with informal camp-outs at Christina Lake eventually grew into something more permanent, and George and Erna went on to found Pines Bible Camp.

Their son Abe carried that same love for children's ministry into the next generation. He taught Sunday School and, as a young father, would spend nights at Pines when the camp was short of cabin leaders. His wife Elaine has continued that connection too—and at 80 years old, she's still helping in the Pines kitchen.

But this isn't simply a story about the history of Pines.

The Martens family is still showing up.

Today, Abe and Elaine's son Lance serves on the Pines Board, while his wife Julie volunteers in the Pines kitchen. And this past summer, Lance and Julie came out to almost every evening campfire—to hear the message, watch the kids having fun and simply be part of what was happening at camp.

And all four of their children continue to be part of the story.

Luke, Johnny and Josh work full-time at OK Tire in Grand Forks—the business their grandfather Abe started and that Lance continued. Yet all three continue to make time for Pines, regularly coming out in the evenings to serve and help wherever they're needed.

Luke is married to Sarah, Pines' Program Director, and regularly lends a hand when something needs fixing.

Their sister Hannah has a full-time career as a hairdresser, but Pines continues to be part of her life too. She served the full spring and summer seasons on the program leadership team in both 2023 and 2025, and this past summer returned to cabin lead for a week. Like her brothers, she continues to come out and help whenever she can.

Four children. Four full-time careers. And they're still making room for camp.

Different generations. Different roles. The same willingness to serve.

Four generations later, the Martens family isn't simply part of the history of Pines Bible Camp.

They're still showing up.

🏕️� ☕� ❤️� 🌱

09/10/2026

The Next Generation

For Mark and Kristy Thiessen, one of the joys of Summer 2026 was watching a story that began generations ago continue through their own sons.

Caden, Braylon and Kolsen didn’t just grow up attending Stillwood.

They grew up serving.

When they were young, Mark and Kristy were still spending their summers serving at camp, so the boys had jobs too. They delivered cookies to the office staff, helped out at Tuck, attended chapel and learned early that everyone has something to contribute.

This summer, those early lessons continued to bear fruit.

Caden continued growing as a leader—helping lead chapel, learning practical skills like backing up a boat trailer, and jumping in wherever he was needed.

Braylon and Kolsen served through Stillwood’s Youth Discipleship Program, doing dishes, helping behind the scenes and discovering that some of the most important ways to serve aren’t necessarily the ones people notice.

Leadership at camp rarely begins with a title. It begins by serving.

And for Mark and Kristy, there must be something pretty special about watching it happen.

Mark’s grandparents were part of the early days of Columbia Bible Camp. His mom went from camper to cabin leader. Mark and Kristy spent 20 summers serving together.

And now Caden, Braylon and Kolsen are finding their own places to serve.

Four generations. One camp. A legacy of serving—and a story that is still unfolding.

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09/09/2026

You Never Know

One conversation. One encouraging word. One week at camp.

You never know how God will use it.

Mark Thiessen still remembers the first time he led a camper to Christ. He was just 18 or 19 years old, sitting with a camper at the outdoor chapel—and by his own admission, he didn’t really know what he was doing.

He remembers crying. In fact, he thinks he may have cried more than the camper did.

A few years later, Mark was serving at the climbing wall alongside a younger staff member when she told him something he wasn’t expecting:

“You’re the reason I came back.”

Mark didn’t remember her.

Years earlier, she had been a 13-year-old camper at that same climbing wall. Mark figures he was probably just being a bit of a goofball, encouraging her to keep going.

But she remembered.

Now she was back—not as a camper, but as a staff member serving alongside the person whose encouragement had stayed with her.

That’s one of the remarkable things about camp ministry.

Across our five BCMB camps, thousands of small moments happen every summer. A cabin leader prays with a camper. A volunteer offers encouragement. A staff member notices someone who feels alone.

Most of those moments will never make the highlight reel.

But God uses them.

Sometimes we never see the fruit.

And sometimes, years later, God graciously lets us catch a glimpse.

❤️  🌲  ☕

09/08/2026

Four Generations. One Camp.

Some camp stories begin long before the people telling them.

For the Thiessen family, the story reaches back to the early days of Columbia Bible Camp—today’s Stillwood Camp.

Mark Thiessen’s grandparents were part of those early years. His grandfather helped build some of the first cabins and, decades later, continued supporting the camp as new cabins were built.

Mark’s mom was a camper and later served as a cabin leader.

Then came Mark and Kristy. Both attended Columbia Bible Camp as campers before eventually serving there themselves. They met while serving at camp and together spent the next 20 summers investing in campers, encouraging staff and raising their own family around camp ministry.

Today, Mark continues serving as a member of the Stillwood Board.

So, after nearly 30 summers, what keeps bringing him back?

Mark puts it simply:

“There is no other place where parents give you their kids for a whole week. A whole week where we get to pour the love of Jesus into them.”

Over the years, Mark has watched campers’ lives change. He’s watched staff arrive ready to serve others—and discover that God was working in their lives too.

And this past summer, he got to watch another generation of his own family continue the story.

Four generations. One camp. A legacy of serving.

❤️  🌲  ⛺

09/02/2026

Summer 2026 — What a Summer!

Across our five BCMB camps, another summer of camp ministry has come to a close.

There were campfires and chapel times, lake days and laughter, new friendships and first Bibles. There were young people asking questions about Jesus, making decisions to follow Him, and young staff discovering what it means to serve and lead.

There were challenges too. Hot weather, smoke and wildfires, staffing pressures—and at Stillwood, a broken water line that forced the cancellation of a week of camp.

Through all of it, God was at work.

And so many people helped make this summer possible.

To our summer staff and volunteers who gave so much of themselves—thank you.

To our camp directors and year-round teams who carried the responsibility of another summer—thank you.

To our camp boards, who serve faithfully behind the scenes and rarely get much recognition—thank you.

And to everyone who prayed, gave, sent campers, encouraged our staff or supported one of our camps—you were part of Summer 2026 too. Thank you!

For some of our camps, September brings a chance to catch their breath. For others, fall guest groups mean things are just as busy—or even busier—as a new season of ministry begins.

Summer camp has ended.

The ministry hasn’t.

Five camps. One mission. And we’re grateful for everyone who is part of it.

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08/26/2026

After a challenging week the Stillwood staff deserved a night to just have some fun.

So we loaded up the bus and headed to Giggle Ridge at Cultus Lake Adventure Park.

Apparently Mug came too. And made himself right at home. ☕😂

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08/19/2026

Camp was quieter than it should have been Tuesday night.

With camper programming cancelled because of Stillwood’s recent water challenges, camp looked very different than it normally would in the middle of August. Staff and YDP participants remained onsite, but there were empty cabins, empty activity areas and far fewer voices around camp.

But around the campfire, something important was still happening.

Our Executive Director had the privilege of joining Stillwood’s staff and YDP participants for an evening of worship and sharing. He listened as young people talked about faith, struggles, questions, belonging, and the people who have walked alongside them.

Camp was part of some of those stories. But camp wasn’t the centre of them.

Jesus was.

And that’s a pretty wonderful reminder of why we do what we do.

We’re also thankful to share some encouraging news. Stillwood’s main water line is currently holding. The team continues to work through the water situation and, if all continues as planned, regular camper programming is expected to resume next week with 4Square Camps.

Stillwood remains under a Boil Water Advisory, which the team is preparing to manage when regular operations resume.

The interruption has come at a significant cost. Approximately $70,000 in camper fees has been refunded, in addition to repair costs that are not yet known.

To everyone who has prayed, encouraged, given and stood alongside Stillwood during these difficult weeks: thank you. Your support has mattered.

And to the campers and families whose week at Stillwood had to be cancelled—we’re so sorry. We know how disappointing that has been.

Please continue to pray for Stillwood, its staff and leadership, the ongoing water situation, and for a successful return to regular camper programming next week.

Camp may be quieter than it should be right now. But God is still at work. 🔥❤️

🏕️  ☕❤️

08/17/2026

☕ Apparently, 10 pictures weren’t enough for Mug.

Here’s his Camp Bob visit in 18 seconds. 🏕️😄

🏕️  ☕❤️  🏕️  😄

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Miami Beach, FL
33109, 33139, 33140, 33141.

Website

http://www.bcmbcamps.com/

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