Category: Prayer Team

Jon Drebert, Executive Director, shares a prayer update every Thursday. Within this short video, Jon invites people to join with many others in prayer. The Prayer Team gives thanks and makes requests to God. In short, they intercede on behalf of our world and the ministry at Covenant Bay Bible Camp. They are the backbone of the ministry at Covenant Bay Bible Camp. The Prayer team is growing, and we encourage you to join.

News Prayer Team

Encouraged in Heart and United in Love

Post author By Bradon Pihowich
Post date January 13, 2022
Categories In News, Prayer Team
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Encouraged in Heart and United in Love

January 13th, 2022

Dear Prayer Team!

What an exciting time of year it is! Although the snow seems thick and more permanent than we would like to admit, we know that spring and summer will eventually come!

The reprieve from the cold few short days of warmth has offered brightened my spirits and once again sparked the excitement for our summer camp season of 2022!

This uplifting reminds me of the spirit of Paul as he writes to the individuals in Colossae. A man with such heaviness surrounding him but a heart full of hope and encouragement. I read these words earlier this week and have settled on them for a time.

Colossians 2:2

“2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.”

I am encouraged by these words as we continue to foster relationships, think critically, grow spiritually, and in all efforts try and glorify God through this ministry! That we, as a community, more extensive than simply the buildings or location of this camp, come united in love so that we may know God and be able to share that! How exciting a thought!

May we join together in prayer for the coming seasons, the current challenges, and the wisdom of God we do not yet see!

Specific prayer requests:

As we begin to take applications for our spring and summer programming that God is bringing together the people He needs for this team.

That we are obedient in our promptings from the Lord to share His love.

Health for our Directors – Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health has all been impacted deeply through a multitude of scenarios. Prayers for strength, courage, and right relationship.

Pray with urgency and Expectation!

Post author By Bradon Pihowich
Post date January 13, 2022
Categories In News, Prayer Team
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News Prayer Team

A New Year. Same God

A New Year. The Same God

Prayer Update: January 6th, 2022

Hello Prayer Team!

Welcome to the new year!

I often find myself full of excitement as each New Year comes around! I am filled with the hope of new opportunities and warmer weather.

I don’t regularly subscribe to the new years’ resolutions; however, I always find the slow, cold days of January suitable for self-reflection. There are bound to be thoughts and murmurs of hopeful change with any considerable time spent in self-reflection.

My encouragement for this week is short yet so often forgotten.

Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

The same God who guided the Israelites, who gave Moses a voice, who sent His only son for our salvation, is the God we are in relation with today. Not some watered-down version, not a dusty story from the past, but the King of Kings is the God we serve!

When I consider this thought and apply it to the relatively mundane resolutions I can be drawn toward, I am simply reminded of one specific purpose: glorify Christ and bring people to Him.

This is a reminder I need often. I pray God continues to remind me through His grace and presence!

Please pray with us for these specific things: The physical, mental and emotional health of all the staff.

Jon Drebert and his family as they continue to grieve together in the passing of Bruce Reimer.

Praise God for the year-end fundraiser being successful!

Staff applications and camper registrations are in the works of launching online through a new platform.

Pray together with urgency and expectation.

News Prayer Team

A Request For Shalom

Prayer Update December, 23rd, 2021

Merry Christmas Prayer Team!

This season is full of emotion on any given year and even more so with the disappointments and hardships of the last two years sitting prevalent on the mind.

Shalom; a term often referred to in reference to peace. However, recently I have been caught on the idea of the word meaning wholeness and harmony.

Amid all the current events, I pray to experience that type of shalom in my life. I like to imagine the impact on ministry if we could approach it through a centered and harmonious relationship with God.

Would you please join me as we pray for our community here at Covenant Bay Bible Camp?

We pray together for Jon Drebert and his family as they head to Winnipeg to spend time with his brother-in-law and sister.

We pray for a sense of Shalom over our country and local communities. May God’s wholeness and harmony overwhelm us this season.

May we pray for unity, connectedness, and vibrancy as we head into the Christmas days! God has given his only son to us! May we rejoice in Him!

Thank you for your wonderful and faithful prayer. Pray with urgency and expectation.

News Prayer Team

Preparing Our Home

Hello Prayer Team!

There is undoubtedly something about the Christmas season that fosters the desire to prepare a space for the event.

We hang the lights, place the decorations just so, bake some things to share, and prepare our homes for visitors, friends, and family.

As I am in the middle of a renovation, preparing the home has a whole new meaning. Questions have been asked following the pattern of what would we like our house to do? How can we invite people into it? Is this home an extension of our calling? and how may we use it to glorify God?

I’ll admit, all BIG questions to be asking. But this idea of preparedness has not left me. The value seems similar, whether it is preparing for the season, guests, or a long-term home.

This made me think of an even bigger question, how have I been preparing myself to receive Jesus in this particular season and my general life?

Have I given the same care to my spiritual life as my outward one? or have I tended to my body’s needs as something to steward well?

Some weighty questions for a Thursday in December, but I hope it encourages you to think of these things with me!

1 Peter 1:13 says it well,

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.

Pray with me in these specific things this week:

Jon Drebert and his family continue to navigate extended family health struggles. We pray for peace, encouragement, and God’s presence.

Pray for Camp as we look forward to 2022. May the Lord bring us staff with character and passion for Him.

May we all be prepared to celebrate the coming of Jesus well in this season! May we glorify Him in all that we do.

Pray together with urgency and expectation.

News Prayer Team

Hope

Post author By Bradon Pihowich
Post date December 2, 2021
Categories In News, Prayer Team
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Seeking Hope

Payer Update, December 2nd, 2021

Hi Prayer Team!

Have you been seeking hope? Have you felt or recognized this character in others?

Indeed, we have been in an extended time of needing and seeking hope. I have was hit with this theme twice in the last week. Once at a camping conference and secondly through some conversation.

I struggled with the idea that we are to be hope to the world and light in the darkness as Christians. Yet, often, at least in the last year or two, I have not felt like any specific example of hope. I felt more like an example of getting by, immature grit, and perhaps most notable, an individual working from his strength rather than the power of God.

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.”

I am constantly reminded that ministry is not done because of my ability to push through or come up with ideas. I am humbled that God has invited me into ministry and uses me as I am.

I pray we all may abound in hope this week.

Specific prayer requests: Pray as our board meets this evening. As we continually seek the guidance and wisdom of the lord to bring glory to Him.

Pray our interns, of which we have two, continue to learn and grow in their knowledge of camp ministry and relationship with God.

Pray for many of our summer staff currently in finals season at several post-secondary institutions.

Pray for hope given to us through the Holy Spirit!

Post author By Bradon Pihowich
Post date December 2, 2021
Categories In News, Prayer Team
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News Prayer Team

Be Still And Know

Hi Prayer Team!

This week, our team at Covenant Bay Bible Camp has been away from Monday to Wednesday attending the CCI (Christian Camping International) conference.

Ohh how good it was to see other camp professionals and be together after nearly two years since our last gathering.

We spoke much about rest, or shalom, the inner peace, steadiness only found in God.

Psalms 46: 10

“Be still, and know that I am God!

I will be honored by every nation.

I will be honored throughout the world.”

The Idea of being still is somehow all too familiar yet inherently absent as we have navigated the pandemic.

We have sat, been locked down, missed events, but have we been still?

Have we been able to experience shalom? or the peace of God?

This week I ask you to join me in prayer for these things: Shalom for our team. Rest, peace, joy. As we continue to step out into ministry and make plans for summers and seasons to come, may we be living in the presence of God and the peace that only comes in Him.

I echo this prayer for teachers, nurses, and many other fields largely impacted by covid. May thy find peace and rest.

Thank you, Prayer Team, for your faithfulness in prayer. We cannot do this without God.

May we pray with Urgency and Expectation

News Prayer Team

Our Backyard

Payer Update November 18th, 2021

Hello Prayer Team,

This week I would like to focus on local prayer. Not that prayer for global entities and events is not worth praying. I am convicted of the idea of “Our Backyard.”

What are the children, families, individuals, and small businesses in my community and backyard that I can hold up in prayer?

John 17: 22 – 23

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”

As I strive for unity within my relationship with God, I am convinced I must also unite with those around me.

Some specifics from the Covenant Bay community this week:

Our year-round staff is heading to Camp Chestermere for a Biannual leadership conference. May we be inspired in ministry and connect with other industry leaders.

We mourn with our brothers and sisters in BC, who the floods have impacted.

As we seek ways to support our local community through God’s ministry, we pray God will guide our steps.

Please share prayer requests that have been on your heart and mind this week.

Pray together with urgency and expectation. God Bless!

News Prayer Team

A Better Tomorrow

Payer Update November 11th, 2021

Hello Prayer Team,

Today we pause and remember the men and women who have served our country through the generations. We understand those who serve their country strive for a better, more unified tomorrow.

Through Hebrews, a book written to believers as an encouragement to continue in life with God, the author implores individuals to continue on the steady, unified path and not turn back to previously known ways.

Hebrews 6: 10 NLT

10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

Today I ask we pray for continued unity. A prayer lifted up many times these last year and a half but is yet to be accomplished.

I sit on the words “and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do.”

I pray we continue to care for one another and serve for a better, more unified tomorrow. We pray for those who have fought and sacrificed for Canada.

Pray for unity in Covenant Bay Bible Camp Staff as we continue to seek God in plans for 2022 and become excited at the invitations God has extended to us!

We continue to hear about members in our communities with heavy hearts and everyday struggles; may we continue to care for them as part of our family.

In all these things, we know God is present. May we experience Him in new and exciting ways this week.

Pray with urgency and expectation.

Prayer Team

Called To Community

Covenant Bay Prayer Update November 4th, 2021

Hello Prayer Team!

This is Bradon Pihowich, the Program Director at Covenant Bay Bible Camp, writing this update. As we know, Jon Drebert has begun a sabbatical, and in his absence, I will be writing weekly prayer updates to continue to seek God together.

1 Corinthians 3:16

“Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”

My encouragement this week comes from this passage. I am often burdened by productivity and efficiency, not inherently destructive things; however, as life gets busy and I get more tired, my approach to obtaining these things shifts. I reflect inward and shut out essential aspects of the world around me.

This passage reminds me to focus not on my works but instead on how I can best submit myself to the direction and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

We are called to live in community.

Let us join together in prayer this week.

Jon Drebert is headed to Winnipeg to be with Bruce and Amanda Reimer for ten days. We pray their time together is peaceful, encouraging, and filled with God’s presence.

There is a rental group on site this weekend. Pray their experience is joyous and fun!

Pray for our staff, Bradon and Keith, who are currently at camp holding down the fort and dreaming up programs and new activities for next summer!

In all these things, we invite the Holy Spirit to direct our steps. Pray together with urgency and expectation.