Sarah Blasing
Director
W: 952.697.7108 | C: 612.759.8493
sblasing@standrewlu.org
Hello, my name is Sarah Blasing and I’ve been in this role since 2021. It is a wonderful fit for me, as I have been participating in and working with youth camp and leadership programs since 2004. I grew up in the Twin Cities, and I moved to Illinois for 7 years to attend Wheaton College for my B.A. in Psychology and my M.A. in Christian Formation and Ministry. While there I worked at Honey Rock, which is Wheaton’s camp in the summers. I am currently enrolled in Fuller’s Doctor of Ministry program with a focus on youth development in outdoor settings. In my previous job I personally launched and fundraised for a brand new Episcopal statewide camping program over 8 years because I am passionate about character formation and community building.
Outside of work I love running, painting, ice skating on our backyard rink, and going on family adventures to the BWCA. Caleb is my oldest (7th), next is Luke (5th), and my youngest is Abigail (2nd). We are a blended family together with my partner, who is a Lutheran youth minister, and his three elementary aged kids.
St. Andrew Staff
Click here to view the staff page for St. Andrew Lutheran Church. The pastors and senior staff support camp in a variety of ways.
Meghan Kelley
Coordinator
W: 952.697.7117 | C: 952.797.2509
mkelley@standrewlu.org
Hello, my name is Meghan Kelley! I have attended or worked at Spirit in the Pines for the past 14 years. I grew up on the east coast and moved to Minnesota in 6th grade, which is when a friend invited me to camp. While in college I worked on camp staff for three summers from 2015-2017.
For the past three years I have been on staff at St. Andrew Lutheran Church helping coordinate the camp and confirmation programs.
Outside of work I love camping, hanging out with family and friends, and taking care of my pets.
Darlene Filsmyer
Lead Cook
Darlene has worked at Spirit in the Pines for the past 9 summers! We love her and she cooks fabulous food for us all summer long. Darlene makes sure our kitchen is in tip top shape, along with our licensure from the State of Minnesota Health Department.
Outside of work Darlene loves to do various arts and crafts, puzzles, and take care of her kitten named Spirit.
Camp Staff
Program & Aquatics
W: 952.697.7108
campingministry@standrewlu.org
Every summer Spirit in the Pines hires 12-18 college students to live and work onsite. We being taking applications every December. Our staff community is incredible, and we often have a mix of first, second, and third year staff members. Each summer have two weeks of staff training prior to our first camp session, and all of our staff are lifeguard and first aid certified.
Camp Counselors
Cabin Counselors
Every summer Spirit in the Pines trains over 130 cabin counselors. Our lead cabin counselors are rising or exiting seniors, and rising juniors are eligiable to be counselors-in-training (CITs).
All counselors, both new and returning, go through an extensive training program during the school year to prepare for the upcoming summer. We meet monthly to cover a variety of topics, and we also have a weekend counselor retreat at camp.
Given the close knit communities that our campers come from, it is always a delight to see campers and counselors continue getting to know one another over several summers.