September Newsletter

 

Hello from Ridge Haven! We just reached the end of our 2026 Summer Season. We've had over 6,500 guests on both campuses from just May - August of this year, and served them with over 90 summer staff members. The Lord answered so many prayers this summer, and we leave the summer with peace and joy for the work he accomplished here. Now we turn to what appears to be our busiest fall yet! Summer highlights include: Twelve weeks of summer camp in Brevard Eight weeks of overnight camp at our Cono Campus in Iowa Three weeks of Family Camp with more families than ever before! Interested in joining us at camp next summer? Our 2027 Summer Camp dates will be posted on our website in October and camp registration will open in early November. We would absolutely love to have you or your family join us! SUMMER STAFF TESTIMONY "Working at Ridge Haven provided me with a lot of growth spiritually and physically. Not only was I able to grow in my relationship with the Lord, I was able to physically serve others and learn how to serve in a community and put others before myself. Ridge Haven provided me with so many lessons on how I can grow as a person, and gave me so many new friendships as well. I have been able to learn how the Lord uses my gifts to glorify Him and how I have been able to grow in evangelism through the kids I was able to counsel! While it did take some effort, and some weeks weren't easy, Ridge Haven showed me how leaning on other brothers and sisters in Christ are so important for when we don't have the best days ever, and it showed me that a community centered around Jesus and His Gospel is truly wonderful and beautiful! Ridge Haven was such a good experience and I thank God every day for it!”  - Tori, Summer 2026 Brevard Counselor Do you know of a high school or college student who is interested in working on our staff next summer? We will be opening staff applications for CSIs, Operations Staff (including infirmary staff, camp nanny, and photographer positions), and Counselors in October. More information and a link to apply will be posted on our website then! CAMPUS UPDATES Our Chapel at Keyes Summit is now being used by groups, as well as 4 new Family Cabins and 5 new Pilgrim Cabins. The next building project in our Capital Campaign is a new Adult Lodge.  See More Photos Here! 2026 GAP YEAR & MINISTRY INTERNS We’re excited to introduce our new Gap Year and Ministry Intern staff in Brevard as we head into the fall! Both groups are part of our Explorer’s Project, with several interns returning after serving on our summer staff for a few years, while others have joined us for the first time this summer. Click here to learn more about our year-round Retreat Staff—those who live and serve on campus and are dedicated to welcoming and supporting every guest this fall season. This picture includes members of our Full Time Staff and Explorer's Project members (not everyone is pictured).  Do you know of a recent or upcoming High School or College Graduate who would be interested in doing ministry at Ridge Haven? We are now accepting applications for Gap Year and Ministry Intern positions that will start in May 2027. Check out our website for more information! WINTER CAMP December 28, 2026 - January 1, 2027 Registration is open for our annual Winter Camp! Whether you want to attend with your youth group and youth leaders or as an individual camper, Winter Camp is open to all 6th - 12th graders. This week is a blast, filled with classic Ridge Haven games, a polar plunge in Lake Morse, and our traditional New Year's Eve Barnes Dance! Register Now PRAYER FOCUS As we head into the Fall, we would appreciate your prayers for all who come on campus over the next few months. Pray for safety and an impactful time of reflection and Gospel learning while they are here. Please join us in praying for our interns, for them to find this ministry life-giving and for a community that can support them well. Please also pray that the Lord would provide both full-time and part-time event interns at Cono to help us lead weekend groups and coordinate our summer activities.

PARTNER WITH US Would you like to partner with us here at Ridge Haven? We always have opportunities for people to volunteer, donate, or support our ministry, and we would love to talk with you more about how to do that. Click the link below for more information about how to make an end of year donation, or email ridgehaven@ridgehaven.org for more ways that you can partner with us. Donate Click HERE to visit our website and learn more about what's going on at Ridge Haven.   FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Website Facebook Instagram

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Copyright © 2020, Ridge Haven Inc., All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 215 Ridge Haven Rd. Brevard, NC 28712

Our New Lake is Open

 

Earlier in June, we had over 720 people on campus in Brevard - a record setting week for us! Southland Students Camps out of Florida brought almost 600 students for a week of worship, fun, and time in the mountains away from the summer heat. Braveheart also hosted their annual camp for kids grieving the loss of a loved one. We are thrilled that our new lake was able to open just in time for these groups to use it - these campers have loved  playing on the new inflatables and enjoying a lake that is, for some campers, closer to their cabins. We are beyond grateful for the immense support and early gifts we have received towards the "Unfinished Calling" Capital Campaign allowing us to complete projects like this to serve our guests. What a blessing it is to have two separate lakes with multiple groups on campus! This is the fifth year that Southland Student Camps has traveled up from Florida to spend their summer youth conference at Ridge Haven. We love getting to host these high schoolers each summer, along with numerous other Presbytery-wide retreats. It is so encouraging to see our PCA youth gathering in such large numbers! We just finished hosting a Junior, Junior High, and Senior High camp alongside a Summer Retreat for Church groups during GA week last week. Currently, we are running our large Fourth of July Family Camp with 70 families who traveled from 13 different states.  CONO UPDATE We had a blast at Cono earlier this month hosting Iowa Presbytery for their annual summer camp. The pool continues to remain a hit with campers, and we enjoyed playing other Cono favorites like Battleball, Juggernaut, and The Greatest Game Ever Played. Last week was a Junior, Junior High, and Senior High week at Cono - campers of all ages had a great time playing Ridge Haven favorites and making new friends! UPCOMING GROUPS Next week, in Brevard, we will have a Junior, Junior High, and Senior High camp as well as Camp Abide on campus. Next week, in Cono, we will be hosting Bridgewood Church, Naperville PCA, Platte Valley Presbytery, and Siouxlands Presbytery.  VIEW UPCOMING CAMPS   PARTNER WITH US Would you like to partner with us financially here at Ridge Haven? As a non-profit ministry, all support we receive is directed towards campaign projects and camper scholarships. Click the link below for more information about how to make a donation, or email ridgehaven@ridgehaven.org for more ways that you can partner with us and help complete our $8 million "Unfinished Calling" Capital Campaign. DONATE PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED ON YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION! If you are not on our official contact list or need to update your information, click here to fill out a brief form.

Click HERE to visit our website and learn more about what's going on at Ridge Haven. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Website Facebook Instagram

June Newsletter

 

Hello from Ridge Haven!  Summer is here and with our camp season kicking off, we could not be more thankful for the time we shared with our staff during training week. It was such a gift to grow closer, build our community, and spend intentional time praying with and for one another. We are incredibly thankful for the 70+ summer staff members who have committed to serve this summer. These young men and women, ranging from high school to college age, are striving to live according to God's Word and faithfully follow the calling He has placed on their lives. We ask that you would cover them in prayer this summer as they boldly serve and share the love of Christ with all who come to Ridge Haven this summer.  MEET OUR SUMMER STAFF 2026 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN For nearly five decades, God has used Ridge Haven as a place where the next generation encounters Christ, deepens their faith, and is equipped to serve His Church. Yet the growing interest in this ministry now places before us a clear opportunity - and responsibility - to prepare for Ridge Haven's future so that we might more effectively invest in the next generation.  As Ridge Haven continues to grow, we are increasingly constrained by the limits of our current facilities. The Lord is bringing more churches, families, and individuals to this ministry than our present capacity can fully support.  The Unfinished Calling Capital Campaign represents an opportunity to respond faithfully to what the Lord is doing at Ridge Haven. These projects will not simply expand our facilities; they will expand our capacity for Gospel ministry.  The excerpt above is from our recent brochure detailing more of the Capital Campaign. If you have not received yours yet, be sure to let us know so that we can send you a copy! UPDATE FROM CONO Hello everyone! Thank you for your continued prayers and support. The Lord's faithfulness is abundantly evident once again as we recently finished the 2025-2026 school year. Now that we have a working greenhouse, the science lab is blossoming into life with the much-anticipated spring. Our end-of-the-year performance, Peter Pan Jr., was a great success! Everyone who was meant to fly safely flew. Without the help of all of the fantastic parents giving up their time and talents, our production would not have been possible. As we reflect on the literary adventures of this year that cover the walls and the ceiling of the school, it is hard to believe in such a short time we fought in the Trojan War, sailed to Ithaca with Odysseus, experienced the tragedy of the Roman Senate through the eyes of Brutus and Caesar, and ended our journey dreaming through a Mid Summer's Night. As we look towards the summer, we would appreciate your continued prayers for a safe and successful camp season, and that God would prepare the hearts and minds of both the teaching staff and the students he has called to participate in the school next year. To God be the Glory, Becca Gojda and Rose Rehberg SUMMER CAMP SCHEDULE Brevard Week 1 - Junior Camp 1, Jr. High Camp 1, Sr. High Camp 1 + One Outside Church Camp  Week 2 - Junior Camp 2, Jr. High Camp 2, Sr. High Camp 2, Service Project Camp 1 + Two Outside Church Camps  Week 3 - Southland Student Camp Bringing 580+ Students & Braveheart  Week 4 - Family Camp 1, Service Project Camp 2 + One Outside Church Camp  Week 5 - Junior Camp 3, Jr. High Camp 3 & Summer Retreat 1  Week 6 - Family Camp 2 Week 7 - Junior Camp 4, Jr. High Camp 4, Sr. High Camp 4 + One Outside Church Camp Week 8 - Service Project Camp 3, Summer Retreat 2 + One Outside Church Camp Week 9 - Junior Camp 5, Jr. High Camp 5 + Southeastern Conference Camps bringing over 500 students  Week 10 - Family Camp 3, Great Adventure Week, Junior Camp 6, Jr. High Camp 6, & Sr. High Camp 5 Week 11 - Junior Camp 7, Jr. High Camp 7, Sr. High Camp 6 + Two Outside Church Camps Cono Week 1 - Summer Camp Staff Orientation Week Week 2 - Iowa Presbytery Camp Week 3 - Reasons for Hope/EQUIP Camp Week 4 - Junior, Jr. High & Summer Retreat 1  Week 5 - OPEN Week 6 - Junior, Jr. High, Sr. High  Week 7 - Northern Illinois Presbytery Camp Week 8 - South City Community School Week 9 - Illiana Presbytery Camp 2026 SUMMER CAMP Registration is still open for some of our 2026 camp weeks! If you are interested in joining us and have not yet registered take a look at what we have to offer for the entire family! Many of our weeks are currently waitlisted, however we recently opened up additional space for Junior, Junior High and Senior High cabins for July 27 - August 3. Be sure to grab your camper's spot before they fill up! LEARN MORE PRAYER FOCUS - Pray for continued safety and health of our staff, campers, and all who come on campus this summer - Pray for our speakers each week, that the Lord would work through their words to bring the gospel to the hearts of our campers - Pray that each camper, guest, and staff member will leave Ridge Haven knowing Jesus better than when they came   PARTNER WITH US Would you like to partner with us financially here at Ridge Haven? We always have opportunities for people to volunteer, donate, or support our ministry, and we would love to talk with you more about how to do that. Click the link below for more information about how to make a donation, or email ridgehaven@ridgehaven.org for more ways that you can partner with us. DONATE PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED ON YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION! If you are not on our official contact list or need to update your information, click here to fill out a brief form.

Click HERE to visit our website and learn more about what's going on at Ridge Haven. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Website Facebook Instagram