Weekend at Alpine Camp (church retreat)

Just got back from Alpine Camp in the San Bernardino Mountains near Lake Arrowhead, CA. It was a long but restful weekend. About 60 folks from EPIC Church came up to learn from Pastor Erin and each others about "Investing in others".



Eventhough it was mid-March, there was a lot of snow up here at the 5,100 foot elevation. It felt very far away from the city life (it's only 74 miles from North Orange County).

In between Pastor's Erin's discussions on "Investing in Others", we were able to enjoy various amenities of a "winter camp" including many many foosballs matches, air hockey, and pool. The actually swimming pool was surrounded by layers of half melted snow.


Some of the Epic campers were able to spend our Saturday free time hiking around the camp. I heard that they even saw some bear tracks as well as those from a rabbit. No blood was seen so it's safety assume that Yogi didn't meet up with Thumper on that day.

DB spend part of his freetime showing Ms Samurai Princess how to use a 7-iron (in the snow). Actually, she did quite well. Monkyfries used the #1 driver to pop a couple golf balls into the snow covered volleyball fields.


The Alpine Staff was very friendly and helpful especially our host, Chris.



The meals were plentiful and fairly decent for camp food. Our fellow campers for the weekend were folks from Newsong Church and Rock Harbor.



Tim & Becky led worship for most of the weekend.



Pastor Kev asked the question in light of Epic Church being about 80% of Twenty-somethings what does investing look like or what would it mean? Would that be peers to peers investing or top down mentoring from the Thirty to Forty-something group?


Since Epic Church was the sole remaining group by Sunday's lunch, we got treated to a special meal of deep dish pizza and spaghetti & meatballs! Our very own seminary student from Maryland, Clarence got the privilege for blessing our meal.


The very last group activity that we did as a group was to search a snow bank where one of the young ladies from Evergreen SGV (who came down to help us with child care this weekend) had lost her digital camera. Unfortunately, we didn't find it but it did erupt into a big free for all snowball fight instigated by a certain somebody from Hawaii.

The drive home was really quick from Gamera-San & I; we got back to Bpk in about an hour and half. On Friday, we got stuck on the 91 Fwy for 2hrs all the way thru Riverside County!


-DB-