A Hopeful Word from Ridge Haven Cono

We waste our quarantine if we think that

“beating” quarantine means staying alive

rather than cherishing Christ.

 

Satan’s and God’s designs in our quarantine are not the same. Satan designs to destroy our love for Christ. God designs to deepen our love for Christ. Quarantine does not win if we die. It wins if we fail to cherish Christ. God’s design is to wean us off the breast of the world and feast us on the sufficiency of Christ. It is meant to help us say and feel, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8) and to know that therefore, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

 

— adaptation of chap. 6 of “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” by Dr. John Piper (Crossway), using the word quarantine for cancer

Today at Ridge Haven Cono

Dear Friends, 
 
While the normal everyday ministry looks different right now, we are excited to have discovered the ministry potential of utilizing social media to provide focused encouragement to our Ridge Haven community.
 
We've been connecting with campers virtually by hosting live online camp sessions for families at home. These sessions include games, worship, and a message from “Uncle” Pastor Archie Moore. (If you have a moment, check out our YouTube channel!) We are grateful for the opportunities to bring hope and joy as so many are experiencing fear and loneliness.

An exciting virtual offering for our campers is the introduction of video “jam sessions” for kids interested in playing music together. These sessions will be led by our staff member Wesley, who's been a camp leader at Cono, started playing guitar as a summer worker and now leads worship at his college campus ministry. From his own experience he sees the value of introducing campers early to how music can minister to others.

We are grateful for the signs pointing to our campus ministry resuming soon—we know that gathering in Christian community will mean all the more after this season of isolation. In fact, please pray with us that our churches will once again become the center of family life—rather than school and sports. To support this opportunity for priority shifts within our church families, we are making Ridge Haven available to the needs of church youth groups in any way we can. Hopefully this time of crisis will bring us back to what is really important, our kids and their spiritual growth.
 
In the meantime, we are pleased that we have been able to maintain our full-time staff. We've been hard at work on all the many maintenance projects that kept being pushed the back-burner. 

As you can imagine, this has also been a challenging time financially in the wake of losing the entire spring retreat season. It has been a focused effort to make it work – we have taken pay cuts, put a spending freeze on non-essential items, and cut costs wherever possible. If you are able to give a gift to support us during this time, we would be incredibly grateful.
 
To continue partnering with Ridge Haven Cono:

Give online at www.ridgehaven.org/donations
Call us at (828) 862-3916
Mail a gift to 215 Ridge Haven Rd. Brevard, NC 28712

We also ask that you join us in prayer for our summer camping season. As expected, some adult groups have chosen to postpone their events. We are now eager to see how this opens up the ability for us to host even more youth groups. As mentioned above, we think that this season is providing an opportunity for the church to regain her place in the center of Christian life.

Lastly, please read the amazing letter (above) we received  from a camper recently – it gave us such a boost.

In the unknown, we are finding rest in what is known! We are in our good heavenly Father’s hands and each passing day is part of His perfect plan. May He use this to restore His church.

Gratefully, 

Wallace Anderson   
Email: wallace@ridgehaven.org | Cell: 828-577-7295  
www.ridgehaven.org | www.facebook.com/ridgehaven

Donate online HERE to keep Cono serving young people.

Designate for Ridge Haven Cono

Mailing address for checks written out to:

RH Cono, 215 Ridge Haven Road, Brevard, NC 28712

Ridge Haven Ministries Prayer Partners

"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

                                  1 Corinthians 15:56-58

Ridge Haven ministries prayer partners:

On this Resurrection weekend, we find ourselves almost overwhelmed by a plague that no one expected. We are shaken, yet too we know our Lord is on the throne, that He purchased life for us by His death and resurrection - eternal life for His Own. 'We know our Savior lives, so we can face tomorrow.' And the next day after that.

You are one of the prayer warriors for our Ridge Haven ministries. We have all committed to lift this ministry to the graces of our Heavenly Father. We certainly need to go before the Father with our prayers:

1. Wisdom for Director Wallace Anderson and RH staff as they try to make plans for Summer, for wise plans for the best case, the worst case, and partial fulfillment of the camp season. Including both for Brevard and Cono. Pray for a quick resolution for this danger.

2. Protection from this virus for our faithful staff and their families. Precautions are being made, but, as we all are aware, this virus can strike anywhere.

3. For generous financial partners, that the financial needs of our staff and our ministry will be met. It is possible that the only income will come from donations for the near future.

4. Obviously, we pray for our churches, ministries, families, neighbors, nation, world. That the Lord would bring His sacred Revival to our nation and around the world, and for the defeat of Satan and his forces of darkness.

His Word is true, He is faithful.

In Christ, our victor,

ANDY

for the Board

-- 

J. Andrew White

423.943.3903 (c)

A Prayer for Today - Spring 2020

Gracious God, Champion of the Universe, we so often fluff ourselves up. Aren’t we the only creatures who compose masterpieces of music and art? Don’t we govern ourselves, enrich ourselves, promote ourselves? Can’t we dunk basketballs, bat baseballs, spike volleyballs? Aren’t some of us masters of comic irony? Other creatures don’t practice rocket science. We do. And yet. Here we are, frightened by a thing so small it can’t be seen under most microscopes. It’s not even an animal or a plant. It’s a virus, a mere parasite, dependent on our own living cells to replicate. And yet it has shuttered our schools, cancelled our flights, and emptied our churches. It has consumed the attention of our leading scientists, wrenched our politics out of shape, dominated our conversations, and scared the daylights out of us. We don’t want to get sick. And we don’t want to die. We are afraid, O God. Afraid of a microorganism. Afraid of each other. Great and quiet source of peace, quiet our fears. We are wary, uncertain, strung tight. Quiet our fears. We have no idea what the future will bring, but we do know You will be in our future to hold us there. We cannot quiet ourselves, O God. We cannot comfort ourselves, cannot heal ourselves, cannot help ourselves. All we can do is wash our hands and keep our distance. Our rocket science is no good to us for this threat. O God, great and quiet source of peace, quiet us, Your anxious ones, and let us cling for comfort to Your suffering Son, Jesus Christ. Gather us under His wings. Remind us that He suffers with us, but He’s also the Great Physician. In Him, let us not be afraid. Please, let us not be afraid. A prayer from Cornelius Plantinga Jr.

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Update on Ridge Haven Cono Wallace Anderson, executive director, says: We have been facing challenging decisions, and constructing a plan for what is in store for us at Ridge Haven and Ridge Haven Cono in the midst of many uncertainties. I cannot tell you how grateful we would be to have your support even now. While the past few weeks have been unexpected, we are hoping to return to normal operations soon ... and trusting the Lord if it isn't too soon. The year 2020 started strong. Check out recent highlight videos from Winter Retreat and Winter Camp.

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Donate online HERE. Designate for Ridge Haven Cono. Mailing address for checks written out to: RH Cono, 215 Ridge Haven Road, Brevard, NC 28712 Our Contact Information Ridge Haven Cono (www.ridgehaven.org) 215 Ridge Haven Road Brevard, NC 28712 828-702-9510