Train Up A Child

 

The motto was: Train up a child THE 1968 MESSAGE IS BELOW. But first, the Cono soccer team in 1969. Back row: Steve Large, Barry Edwards, Eric Stanton, Andy Large, Bruce Olsen, Steve Fikkert, Mark Sammons, Jeff Nappier, Nat Belz, Tim Malone, Mark Redmond, Coach Max Belz; front row: Jim Ferguson, Dave Skinner, Peter Denning, Mark Ewing, Mark Manning, Dan Cantrall, Bruce Olsen, Casey Reinkoester, Andrew Belz, and Tom Greenslade. Almost all of these young men turned out to have a strong testimony for Jesus! From the previous year's Cono Yearbook, 1968   The headlights of a car split the darkness. They zoom down a straight, flat, Iowa road – it is the middle of the night.   They climb a small upgrade. Ahead is a sign. It says . . . “Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go” . . . Cono Christian School.   Inside the motley cluster of buildings children sleep. In the morning they will rise and eat breakfast. Other children will enter the building later and together they will all attend school. But it will be different from other schools – the same in some ways, but very different in others.   These children will receive a Christian education.   Just what is this Christian education? Is it praying before classes? Is it reciting scripture and the Westminster Catechism at breakfast? Is it studying the Bible?   All these things contribute to a Christian education, but what is a Christian education?   It is learning to live and think in a Christian way. It is finding out the why – why the scripture – why the Catechism – why the Christian way of life. It is looking inside yourself – seeing yourself as you are – discovering your motives, distinguishing between your wants and your needs. It is looking outside yourself, seeing others as they are, learning to care for their wants and needs. It is seeing God’s creation in the light of the gospel – seeing everything in the light of the gospel. It is teaching little children and young adults all they need now and all they will ever need to know.   It is training up a child in the way he should go.   Lives are still being changed at Cono – camps, conferences, youth group, home school co-op, and Cono Christian School. Give now HERE    Designate for Ridge Haven Cono. Thanks to each one who has given!   Mailing address for checks written out to: RH Cono, 215 Ridge Haven Road, Brevard, NC 28712   THANK YOU!

Donate op 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

Our Contact Information Ridge Haven Cono (www.ridgehaven.org) 215 Ridge Haven Road Brevard, NC 28712 828-702-9510

March Newsletter

 

Hello from Ridge Haven! As we look back on 2025, we're deeply grateful for the Lord's faithful provision throughout the year. It was a year filled with meaningful ministry, welcoming 219 churches and ministries to campus. We closed out the year with one of our favorite traditions, Winter Camp. With Spring Retreats just around the corner, we're excited and expectant to see how God will continue to use Ridge Haven to encourage and bless every guest and camper who will join us in 2026.  WINTER HIGHLIGHTS Winter Camp - Brevard Winter Camp is truly a highlight of our year! In days between Christmas and New Year's, former staff members return to serve and make the week possible, creating an experience packed with classic camp games, our festive New Year's Eve Barnes Dance, and the always memorable Polar Bear Plunge. Additionally, this year we had the special honor of having our very own Resident / Retreat Coordinator, Sam Hodge as our speaker! Winter Camp - Cono At out Cono campus in Walker, IA, Winter Camp brought a flurry of fun! Campers built snowmen and enjoyed some of Ridge Haven's classic favorites, including Juggernaut, all while strengthening friendships and drawing closer to Christ along the way.  Winter Retreats At the start of each year, we host two Winter Retreat weekends created specifically for youth groups. These retreats are built to give leaders the ability to intentionally invest in their students by mentoring and building relationships, without the usual planning pressures. Our staff takes care of the programming, meals, and recreation, allowing groups to focus on growing together in Christ. This year we had the privilege of hosting over 600 people between the two Winter Retreat weekends.  COMING UP THIS SUMMER 2026 Summer Camp Registration is now open for our 2026 camp season! We are thrilled to already have over 600 campers registered between four separate weeks for this upcoming summer! Please join us in praying for our campers now even as they register that the Lord would prepare their hearts to draw closer to him. If you are interested in joining us at camp, we would absolutely love to have you or your family join us! Due to increased demand, we have just added new Junior, Junior High, and Senior High camps the week of July 27 - August 3. Be sure to grab your camper's spot before they fill up as well! Be sure to sign up before April 14th to get an early bird discount! LEARN MORE 2026 SUMMER STAFF A big part of what makes Ridge Haven camps so memorable for summer campers and guests alike is the godly and dedicated summer staff members serving them. Do you know a high school or college student interested in joining this special team? We are now hiring CSI, Operations Staff, and Counselors for next summer, as well as year round intern positions that begin in May! Follow the link below to learn more about the positions we have available, or email ridgehaven@ridgehaven.org with any questions.  LEARN MORE Family Camp Speaker Highlight We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Jimmy Agan will be joining us to speak again this summer. He will be speaking at our July 27th Family Camp week. Dr. Agan has served as the Senior Pastor of Intown Community Church in Atlanta since 2015. Prior to that, he served as a Senior Pastor of Clemson Presbyterian Church in South Carolina and Associate Pastor of Greenwood Presbyterian Church in Greenwood, SC. Jimmy has also taught at Erskine and Covenant Seminaries. At Covenant, he served as a Professor of New Testament from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2025, including a season as the Director of the Homiletics program. He is an alumnus from Clemson University, Covenant Seminary, and Aberdeen University. He currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Metro Atlanta Collective, a church planting and renewal network and is new to the Advisory Board of Covenant Seminary. He and his wife, Tricia, have 4 adult children and 1 son-in-law. Some of his favorite things are running, Cardinals baseball, Luke's Gospel, and dancing till the music stops. Sign up now to secure your families spot for a week of fun together and the opportunity to hear Dr. Agan speak.  SIGN UP HERE Prayer Focus ~ Pray for our staff as we work to repair the extensive damage to campus following the winter storm in January. There were trees down on several buildings that we are hoping to repair before the summer. ~ Pray for God's provision and safety for all guests and campers who attend Ridge Haven this year, especially this summer. ~ Pray for the hearts of the summer staff we have already hired for the summer, and for the rest of our staffing needs to be met. ~ Pray for the on going building projects on our campus that we hope to complete before the summer, including some new cabins, an additional lake, and a chapel. ~ Pray that the gospel would be proclaimed to all who attend Ridge Haven, and that all would leave knowing Jesus better than when they arrived.

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 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

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