A sanctuary.
A safe place where Heaven and Earth come together.
Camp Pine Lake, a Church of the Brethren camp in the Northern Plains District, is a beautiful 16-acre haven adjacent to Pine Lake State Park near Eldora, Iowa.
Camp Pine Lake is a ministry of the Northern Plains District - Church of the Brethren. We seek to provide a safe, welcoming, and spiritual space for people of all backgrounds to experience God’s love in connection with nature and creative expression. We offer a breadth of programming that prioritizes serving our community and one another, as well as steward our natural resources and create pathways for lifelong relationships with camp and its people.
Meet Our Staff
Matt and Betsy Kuecker // Directors
Betsy grew up coming to CPL, and she and Matt were both involved in Church of the Brethren youth events during high school. The couple came on as managers in 2009, and Matt has taken care of the property ever since. After leaving in 2013, Betsy returned in 2020 as director. Every season at camp continues to change their lives!
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Betsy is a licensed minister within the Church of the Brethren and brings experience as an English teacher, event planner and international education coordinator. She is currently the part-time pastor at Ivester Church of the Brethren. Matt also works as a claims adjuster, and he is the Northern Plains District disaster coordinator.
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Both are members of Ivester Church of the Brethren, but still have a lot of love for their home church - Prairie City Church of the Brethren.
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Matt and Betsy love the outdoors, are expert paddlers and know the Iowa River like the back of their hands. Matt and Betsy have three children who love CPL as much as they do.
Mark and Susan Haren // Assistant Directors
Susan and Mark moved to camp in 2022, and the couple brings a combination of professional expertise and wisdom to the camp staff.
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Susan was an elementary classroom teacher for more than 30 years, and Mark currently works as a regional director for Bound, an online platform for high school sports.
Both are members of Ivester Church of the Brethren, and their children grew up attending Camp Pine Lake, with two of them becoming counselors, summer staff, deans and beyond.
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While Susan is deeply involved in the camp's off-season ministry, planning and training, the couple dedicates their summer to bring that extra energy to keep the camp wheel turning and support the whole staff.