Ridge Haven September 2024 Newsletter

 

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Hello from Ridge Haven! We just reached the end of our 2024 Summer Season. We've had almost 7,000 guests on both campuses from May - August of this year, and served them with over 80 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. Summer highlights include: 11 weeks of summer camp in Brevard Eight weeks of overnight camp at our Cono Campus in Iowa Three weeks of Family Camp! Interested in joining us at camp next summer? Our 2025 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 "One specific way I saw the Lord working through my campers was one night during cabin devotions. We were talking about the fruit of the spirit when one girl decided to open up and share about her relationship with her mother. It wasn't a good relationship and she shared about some really hard things that she had gone through. While she was sharing it was hard for me to even come up with how to respond because I was so upset that she had gone through the things that she had at that young age. I'm sitting there as someone who is older and struggling for a response because I had never gone through something like that. But then she followed that up by telling me and the rest of the cabin how much she still loves God regardless and knows that God has a plan for her that will all work together for her good. It was just so amazing to see this girl have a stronger faith than me and she had gone through so much more than me. That night really opened my eyes to see how God is working in every single camper there no matter what they were going through and through them God is working so that even I can learn so much about Him through their stories."  - Abby, Summer 2024 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 and photographer positions), and Counselors in October. More information and a link to apply will be posted on our website then! CAMPUS UPDATES This summer, construction was completed on our new coffee shop and office space. Family Camp got to be the first guests at The Ridge coffee shop that also serves ice cream and has merchandise for sale! We are so excited to have our office up in a more central place on campus, as well as getting to have a space to serve adult guests year round that is close to Badger Barn Gym and Jolly Dining Hall. While it was great having our new sand volleyball court at our Cono location, we were disappointed that we haven’t finished construction of our new pool… hopefully soon! We are also converting some of the Gardner Gym into a coffee and soda shop for adult and college groups. 2024 GAP YEAR INTERNS We are thrilled about our new Gap Year staff in Brevard heading into the Fall! Several are past summer staff members while others came to Ridge Haven for the first time this summer. Click here to read more about all of the members of our Retreat Staff who live and work here year round and will be serving all guests here on campus as we head into the Fall. 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 Two-Year intern positions that will start in May 2025. Check out our website for more information! KEENAGERS ADULT CONFERENCE OCTOBER 21 - 25, 2024 Eugene and Francis Gojda with last year’s speaker Joe and Barb Novenson Our annual Keenagers Conference is an exciting and spiritually refreshing time for adults amid the extraordinary fall foliage of the Western North Carolina mountains. It will be an experience you won't soon forget! Call 828-862-3916 or click here for more information.  Last year Pastor Joe spoke on our unfinished calling to minister to the younger generation. “In my 75 years, three series have been foundational in my life. The first was Paul Kooistra’s 'Living in Grace', Tim Keller's 'In Christ Jesus: How the Spirit Transforms Us' and Joe’s series from last year 'Aging and The Unfinished Calling.'"  - Wallace Anderson We will have complimentary copies of Paul’s devotion from his series “Living in Grace” at Keenagers this year and we now have transcribed Joe series from last year that we will be happy to provide a copy for you. Click here to receive your complementary copy.  You can see how happy we are to announce that Paul Kooistra will be speaking at this year’s Keenager conference. Please, please consider joining us!   Born and raised in Minnesota, Dr. Paul D. Kooistra holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, a M.Div. from Columbia Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Alabama. He served as assistant pastor of Pinelands Presbyterian Church in Miami, Florida, 1967-1969; and associate pastor of Seminole Presbyterian Church in Tampa, Florida, 1969-1973, where he assumed the role of principal of Seminole Presbyterian Day School during the 1972-73 academic year. In 1973 Dr. Kooistra assumed the position of Assistant Professor of Christian Education at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi.  In 1975 he became Associate Professor of Christian Education and Homiletics at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Clinton, Mississippi, until 1983 when he was named Professor of Practical Theology.  In 1985 he accepted the presidency of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, where he also taught Practical Theology.  He served the seminary until 1994 when he assumed the position of Coordinator of Mission to the World in Atlanta, Georgia, for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) until 2014.  In 2008 Dr. Kooistra was elected as Moderator of the PCA’s 36th General Assembly.  He served as president of Erskine College and Seminary from 2014 through 2016.  Dr. Kooistra has published the following devotionals:  31 Days of Grace, Following God:  His Will for Your Life, Supper's Ready, Pursuit of Joy, and Faith Promise.  After losing his first wife, Jan, to cancer in 2008, the Lord brought Sandi into Dr. Kooistra’s life in 2009.  They were married August 29, 2009, and they reside in Suwanee, Georgia.  They have five adult children:  Paul, Jr., and his wife, Carla; Shary and her husband, Jeff Dare; Sydney and her husband, Albert Lopez; Bryan Tucker and his wife, Christina; and Greg Tucker.  They have seven grandchildren, Margaret “Maggie” Elizabeth Dare, Alysia Marie Lopez, Samuel Alexander Dare, Carson Annamarie Kooistra, Grant David Lopez, Molly Jo Kooistra, and Ava Jean-Marie Kooistra.   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.  ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Travis Hutchinson   What years were you on staff at Ridge Haven?  Summer of 2013 (counselor), summer of 2014 (camp director), summer of 2019 (camp director). Where do you live and what are you doing currently? I live in Providence, RI and am the RUF Campus Minister at Brown University. I also serve on the board of trustees at Ridge Haven! What is your favorite Ridge Haven memory? One of my favorite memories from RH was staff worship every Sunday night before camp starts. It’s a beautiful way to fix our minds and hearts on God before the busy camp week starts. What is one thing the Lord taught you during your time on staff here? Hard work is worth it. If you’ve worked at RH in the past 10-15 years, you know the meaning of hard, grueling work. But that means you probably also know that the Lord has blessed that work tremendously. Seeing a camper come to know Jesus, seeing a fellow staff member grow over the course of a summer, or cleaning dishes so that guests can enjoy meals together are just a few of the ways in which the Lord blesses our work and uses it to advance his kingdom, despite our tiredness or feelings of inadequacy. That satisfaction is unmatched.

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.

Cono Music Link & Two Deaths in Cono Family

 

You still can listen to – and will enjoy! – Cono Choir music

Soundcloud.com is an online repository of music, and sure enough it contains scores of Cono Choir and special music group recordings. You can listen and search by year here. Below, the 1966 Cono Choir, directed by Max Belz and accompanied by Jean Belz.

Remembering Roy Schneider

Robert “Roy” Schneider, 71, of Waller, Texas went home to be with the Lord on June 14, 2024 after a long battle with Multiple Myeloma. He attended Cono in the early 1970s. You can read his obituary here.

Remembering Robin Palmer Loveless

Robin Palmer Loveless, 58 years old of Millsboro, Delaware passed away Jan. 26, 2024 at the University of Maryland Hospital. She was the wife of David Loveless who she married on Aug. 17, 2013. Robin was born Dec. 8, 1965 in Carroll County, Maryland. In addition to her husband David, Robin is survived by her father Calvin Palmer, Sr.; her son Matthew Underwood and wife Tiffany of Parkton, Maryland; three grandchildren, Landon, Sasha, and Matthew; her brother, Calvin Palmer, Jr. and wife Linda of Pennsylvania; two nieces, Amy and Lisa. Robin is preceded in death by her mother, Miriam (“Pee Wee”) Palmer of Shrewsbury, Penn. Robin enjoyed sewing, shopping, cooking with her husband, lying in the sun in her pool or on the beach, spending time with friends and family, and eating out. Robin will be deeply missed by her husband.

Lives are still being changed at Cono – camps, conferences 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!

What a FUN Reunion!

 

Remembering and pushing forward

Reunion is the recalling of the intersection of our lives, and this one poignantly remembering paths through Cono. A time of memories, meaning and rising to the challenges of the future. Steve and Mary Kaufmann led devotions by pointing to Psalm 148, and how all things praise the Lord. We 60 Conoites met at the Dan and Liz Gardner farm. See who you recognize here.

Rachael Calhoun Minich, Mark Underwood, Gwen Gardner Tappin

And a rhyme to go with it

Gardners and Belzes Made a special place To glorify God And seek His face Compelled to gather From near and far To study the Bible And learn the three Rs Thankful for sunshine Soil, rain and soap  Catechism and Sunday pot roast Music and sunsets In a big wide sky Berries and lilacs Praising God on high Newborn to ninety Hard times and happy Sweet fellowship We became family As the years go by Our lives have changed We’ve done many things But memories remain Compelled to gather From far and near We long to return To sing ‘The Messiah’ Smiles, hugs, music, tears Re-living younger years A re-union rehearsal  Of Heaven come near Singing ‘None Other Lamb’ Our life-long anthem To glorify God And enjoy Him forever -sharon ’67

Lives are still being changed. 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!

Hello from Ridge Haven!

 

Hello from Ridge Haven! We are so excited for our summer season once again as we begin our second week of camp today! This will be our largest summer staff ever, which will be great to handle our very full summer! We look forward to all that the Lord will do in the hearts and lives of all who set foot on campus at Brevard or Cono this summer. Below is our list of camp weeks: BREVARD Week 1 – May 27-June 1: Junior, Junior High, Senior High Week 2 – June 3-8: Junior, Junior High, Service Project Camp Week 3 – June 10-15: Junior, Junior High, Senior High and Summer Retreat Week 4 – June 17-22: Family Camp, Service Project Camp Week 5 – June 24-29: Junior, Junior High, Senior High and Summer Retreat Week 6 – July 1-6: Family Camp Week 7 – July 8-13: Junior, Junior High, Senior High Week 8 – July 15-20: Junior, Great Adventure Week Week 9 – July 22-27: Service Project Camp Week 10 – July 29-Aug 3: Family Camp, Junior, Junior High Week 11 – August 5-10: Junior, Junior High, Senior High In addition, we host groups each week of the summer that bring in another couple thousand guests! CONO June 3-8: American Heritage Girls Camp June 10-15: Iowa Presbytery Camp June 17-22: Naperville High School, PCA June 24-29: Junior, Junior High, Senior High July 8-13: Naperville Middle School, PCA July 15-20: Northern Illinois Presbytery Camp July 22-27: SCCS and Covenant PCA, St. Louis July 29-Aug 3: Illiana Presbytery Camp Would you join us in praying for each camper and guest that attends Ridge Haven this summer? Pray that they would leave knowing the Lord better than when they came. We also need prayer for our Summer Staff and the work they will be doing here this summer. What a blessing that there are high school and college students who would give up their Summer to serve at Ridge Haven! SPRING RETREAT GROUPS This Spring we hosted groups including Middle and High School retreats, Men and Women's retreats, CDM's annual Children's Leadership conference, family reunions, and more. Spring is a beautiful time at Ridge Haven as the weather warms up and the leaves start to appear again! NEW CONSTRUCTION UPDATES Construction is currently underway for a pool at our Cono Campus! We are so excited to finally have this option for our campers and guests during the hot summers on the plains of Iowa. 2024 SUMMER CAMP Registration is still open for our 2024 camp season, and we still have space available in many of our weeks! Please join us in praying for our campers, 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 again! LEARN MORE MEET OUR 2024 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. We are so encouraged at the group of people that the Lord provided for our staff this summer! Please pray that the Lord would equip our entire staff with everything we need to love and serve the campers and guests all summer. MEET THE STAFF PRAYER FOCUS As our summer camp weeks continue, we would appreciate your prayers for safe, gospel-focused ministry to take place this Summer. Please join with us in praying for the work that our staff will do during their time here - that it would be life giving to them and all of the campers they come into contact with. Pray for the speakers who will be delivering the Word of God to our campers each week, and pray for each camper's life to be changed by the Lord during their time at camp. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Todd and Jessie Fleming   What years were you on staff at Ridge Haven?  We joined the Ridge Haven staff in the summer of 2012 (a few weeks after graduating college and getting married) as full time interns. We lived on campus and had various roles until 2017 when we moved across the state. I remained on staff while Todd was in school until our twins arrived in 2020. Where do you live and what are you doing currently? We live in Norfolk, VA. Todd is an ophthalmology resident here in Eastern VA. I get to spend my days exploring, learning and growing alongside our 4 kids.  What is your favorite Ridge Haven memory? Too many great memories to declare a favorite! But some that come to mind are: The hype of the first night of camp for both staff and campers at the night game; camp-wide worship atop Keyes Summit; summer staff skate-rink parties; Keenagers talent show; the countless hikes around the low ropes course with people of all ages and stages; sharing our testimonies at staff training; being assigned bed-making duty during housekeeping; watching the leaves turn color in fall; the legendary Life's a Happy Song dance. What is one thing the Lord taught you during your time on staff here? Our years serving on staff at Ridge Haven were marked by serious growth! In so many ways, my own limitations, failures, and immaturity felt to be on full display. But by the amazing grace of God, these short-comings didn't lead to shame and despondency--rather, my dependency on and trust in my heavenly Father was increased. That humility was a gift! The good news of the gospel became richer and deeper. My worship of a Holy God who is full of mercy and steadfast love became more genuine. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)   In short, God used our time on staff at RH as a testimony to His goodness and glory--and ministered to the health of our souls in the process. Thanks be to God!

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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