Pine Lake Christian Camp

What Pine Lake Christian Camp does

Pine Lake Camps is a private, nonprofit Christian camp and retreat ministry founded in 1956 (officially opened 1957) on a 49-acre site adjacent to Pine Lake State Park in Eldora, Iowa. The organization has been owned and operated by Free Grace United since 2022, having previously been established and run by the Iowa Baptist Conference; ownership remains within the Converge North Central family of ministries. It serves two primary segments: children and students in grades 1–12 through weeklong overnight summer camp programs (Elementary, Junior High, Senior High, Girls, Boys, plus shorter Primary half-week sessions priced at $450 and $200 respectively), and adults and families through year-round retreat programming including marriage, men's, women's, soul care, recovery, fishing, and student development retreats. All operations are delivered through a single physical campus with 34 buildings (in-ground pool, high ropes course, 200-seat chapel, pastor's solitude cabin), supported by 5 permanent employees and a large seasonal and volunteer workforce drawn heavily from the Free Grace United church network across Iowa and Minnesota.

The core technology stack is built around the third-party Ultracamp registration and donor management platform, which handles camper enrollment, payments, message-center communication between parents and campers, photo gallery access, and camp store transactions. The business model combines multiple revenue streams: per-camper registration fees ($200–$450), camp store sales, donations and camper sponsorships ($398 per sponsored camper, plus Amazon wishlist contributions), and year-round facility rentals and retreat fees. Go-to-market is event-driven and direct-to-consumer, anchored in church-network referrals from Free Grace United's Minnesota and Iowa locations, supplemented by organic social media on Instagram and Facebook, YouTube recap videos, email through Ultracamp, and word-of-mouth from alumni families. Summer camp season is the primary demand-generation window, with transportation from Minnesota priced at $70 to extend reach. Pine Lake Camps has held continuous membership in the Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) since 1960, and its summer staff are certified through the Ministry Safe child-safety program, signaling compliance and trust credentials for parents and church partners.

Name

Pine Lake Christian Camp

Legal name

Pine Lake Camps

Website

https://pinelakecamps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pine Lake Camps is a nonprofit Christian camp and retreat ministry on a 49-acre site in Eldora, Iowa, owned by Free Grace United. It runs weeklong summer camps for grades 1–12 ($200–$450) and year-round adult retreats, recruiting primarily through the Free Grace United church network across Iowa and Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Camp and Retreat Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)

Keywords

• Christian summer camp
• Faith-based retreats
• Youth ministry programs
• Outdoor Christian education
• Family retreat services

Headquarters

HQ city

Eldora

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Camper Registration Fees: Weeklong summer camp programs for grades 1-12 and adult retreats generate primary revenue through per-camper registration fees; $450 for standard weeklong camp, $200 for Primary half-week camps
2. Camp Store Sales: On-site camp store for campers to purchase snacks, drinks, merchandise, and memorabilia during their stay
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Camper sponsorship program ($398/week), general donations, memorial gifts, and special project fundraising; Amazon wishlist contributions for camp needs
4. Facility Rentals: Year-round retreat venue rentals for adult groups including marriage retreats, men's/women's retreats, and other church/organization events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pine Lake Camps operates a residential Christian summer camp for children in grades 1–12 (with weeklong and half-week Primary options) and year-round adult retreats including marriage, men's, women's, soul care, student, fishing, and recovery retreats. Programming is delivered on a 49-acre facility adjacent to Pine Lake State Park in Eldora, Iowa, and combines outdoor recreation (high ropes, swimming, archery, riflery, zipline, boating, fishing) with Christ-centered teaching, worship, and Bible study.

Product overview

Pine Lake Camps operates as a Christian camp and retreat ministry offering two primary programs: Summer Camp (a weeklong overnight program for kids in grades 1-12 with variations including Elementary, Primary, Junior High, Senior High, Girls, Boys, and Primary camps) and Retreats (year-round programming for adults including Marriage, Men's, Women's, Soul Care, SDI, Fishing, Student, Walking With God, Work Weekend, and Recovery retreats). The camp spans 49 acres adjacent to Pine Lake State Park in Eldora, Iowa and is owned and operated by Free Grace United Church. Summer camp costs $450/camper for weeklong sessions and $200 for Primary half-week camps. The camp also operates a summer staff employment program and volunteer opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Camp
• Elementary Week
• Primary Camp
• Senior High Week
• Junior High Week
• Girls Camp
• Boys Camp
• Boys Camp Primary
• Girls Primary Camp
• Retreats
• Men's Retreat (Unconquered Men)
• Women's Retreat
• Marriage Camp
• Soul Care Retreat
• Student Development Institute (SDI)
• Fishing Retreat
• Student Retreat
• Walking With God Retreat
• Recovery Retreat
• Facility Rentals
• Sponsor a Camper Program
• Camp Store

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ children served per summer average over 60+ years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Free Grace UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Free Grace United is the parent organization that owns and operates Pine Lake Camps; maintains ownership within the Converge North Central family; launched a church in the PLC chapel on Easter 2022; provides recruitment channel through church locations in Minnesota, Iowa, and worldwide
• Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA)coreOthers · 1 January 1960Long-standing membership organization for Christian camps and conferences; PLC has been a member since 1960
• Ministry SafecoreOthersChild safety training and certification provider for summer staff; all summer staff trained and certified through Ministry Safe program
• UltracampcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party camp management software platform providing online registration, payment processing, donor management, message center, and photo gallery functionality for camper accounts
• Teresa MissionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrphanage in Kenya; families can choose to donate remaining camp store funds to Teresa Missions at week's end
• Amazon WishlistminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon wishlist for camp needs where donors can purchase items directly and ship to camp; used for general donations of supplies throughout the year

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camp Pine Cove: Faith-based Christian summer camp network in Texas with overnight camp programs for kids and students, plus year-round retreats. Highly comparable in mission, programming structure, and target audience to Pine Lake Camps.
• Pine Ridge Bible Camp: Christian summer camp in Michigan offering weeklong residential programs for children and youth, plus retreat hosting. Directly comparable in faith-based overnight camp model and facility-based programming.
• Sandy Cove Ministries: Mid-Atlantic Christian conference and camp center with family summer camps and year-round retreats. Comparable in faith-based overnight camp experience and retreat-rental business model.
• Forest Lake Camp: Christian summer camp serving families in the Midwest with overnight programming for kids and youth. Comparable in residential Christian camp experience, summer staffing model, and family retreat offerings.
• Cedar Springs Bible Camp: Faith-based summer camp and retreat ministry offering residential camp and year-round retreats. Comparable in mission and structure to Pine Lake's programming model.
• Camp of the Woods: Long-established Christian summer camp and conference center in New York offering overnight camps, family retreats, and adult conferences. Comparable in faith-based mission, multi-stream programming, and 100+ year operating history.
• Camp Berea: New Hampshire faith-based summer camp and retreat center with overnight camps for kids/teens and adult retreat hosting. Directly comparable in faith-based residential camp model and CCCA-aligned programming.
• Camp Shamineau: Minnesota-based Christian summer camp and retreat center offering residential programs for kids, teens, and adult retreats. Strong geographic and operational overlap with Pine Lake, including multi-generational programming.
• GarLynn Bible Camp: Michigan Christian summer camp and retreat center offering weeklong residential camps for children and youth. Directly comparable in faith-based overnight camp experience and family programming.

Regional players

• Camp Cedar Cliff: Iowa-based Christian camp serving families and churches with summer camp and retreat programming. Direct regional overlap with Pine Lake Camps' Eldora, Iowa catchment area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pinelakecamps
• Facebookfacebook.com/pinelakecamps
• Instagraminstagram.com/pinelakecamps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pine-lake-christian-camp

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pine Lake Christian Camp