Home : About Sandy Cove : What's Happening at Sandy Cove Ministries? A New Look, a Sharpened Vision



What's Happening at Sandy Cove?

• New Look
• Sharpened mission
• Focused strategy
• Desperate dependence on the only One Who can make it happen…

In the ancient Near East there was a Hebrew leader named Nehemiah. His mission was daunting. Many doubted him and his team. Some opposed him. But in the end, Nehemiah led with these words - 'arise and build.' And with God's help they did the impossible. (For a full read of his story, check out the Old Testament book in his name on Bible Gateway here.)

Every leader builds on the past.

I am no exception.

The 62-year history of Sandy Cove Ministries is rich with godly innovators who sacrificed their lives, demonstrated faith, cast vision, felt heartache and experienced triumph, all the while holding an unwavering commitment to God, His Word, His people and His ways.

Therefore on behalf of the Sandy Cove staff and Board of Trustees we present to you a new look and a sharpened mission.

The New Look

The new Sandy Cove logo is designed to express warmth, belonging, playfulness and growth. We hope you can sense a welcoming spirit in our new look.

A Sharpened Mission

Our refined mission is:

To help you connect with God and each other in order to be transformed into the image of Christ through His Word, His creation and community.

Although we operate lodges and camps - we are more than a hospitality business. We are about being used by God to transform lives into the image of Jesus.

It's why we do what we do.

Jesus said if we do these two things we will live… love God and love people. (Luke 10:27-28) We have found that rich, full and abundant lives emerge from connecting with God and each other. Connections at the heart level take time and space - two things plentiful at Sandy Cove. We don't think Sandy Cove is a magic pill for all of life's woes. What we have found though is that when folks disconnect from the pressures in life that are causing us all to get overloaded and connect with God and each other in a place like Sandy Cove - folks rediscover joy, peace and encouragement to go on.

HIS WORD:

We are dreaming of creative ideas for presenting God's Word in relevant, sticky and memorable ways. Sticky, you ask? Yes, as in "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." (James 1:22-24) We are hoping that folks will pause long enough to hear God - and that it sticks in such a way that we become more Christ-like in how we think, speak and act.

HIS CREATION:

God has blessed our ministry with two amazing locations that show off His creation…one in West Virginia and one on the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. There is something powerful about Creation. When it washes over us we can feel God's presence and power. Scripture tells us what some have discovered at Sandy Cove, that "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." (Psalm 19:1) Take a leisurely stroll along the Bay at sunset, lay on the grassy fields of Camp Sandy Cove in the dark of night with stars dotting the sky and the glory of God explodes.

COMMUNITY:

Community, like good food, needs to be experienced! Just hearing a definition of it doesn't do it justice. You arrive at Sandy Cove and, before you know it, community is formed. That's one of the beautiful parts of getting away from the routine of life for a few days and nights. When we share an experience or make a decision in community it can create a memory that is full of life and accountability. Maybe that is why God says, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…" (Hebrews 10:24-25)

While this is our mission, our strategy and goal (that we are asking God's wisdom and strength to accomplish) is to increase our overnight ministry with programs by 100% and in groups by 50% by 2013. All this while we seek to hire and train missionally minded, practicing Christians, conforming to the image of Christ, making certain that every guest feels welcomed, appreciated, valued and encouraged to be like Jesus and seeking donations for scholarships, fix-it funds and expansion.

On behalf of 15 active Board members and 136 dedicated staff - please join us to taste and see our mission coming alive at Sandy Cove.