“Adventure at Home” by Preston Morris

Posted by sam

I love camp’s mission: Impacting Lives for God’s glory through discipleship and adventure. It is incredible to think about that idea being lived out summer to summer, for almost one hundred years- the Lord has built up men through generations at Camp Ridgecrest. 2017 was no different. Serving the mighty Arapaho tribe stands as one of the most impactful experiences of my life. Yes, we boogied through spicy hoedowns, acted like dads, and celebrated Bob Ross. More importantly, campers asked their counselors about what being a man of God looks like. Young men stepped forward and gave their lives to Jesus in front of their camp family. We formed and solidified brotherly relationships that will last us more than a lifetime.

This summer, I heard so many campers express something along the lines of, “Man, I wish the real world was like camp.” They talked about how much easier it would be to thrive at home if they had a community of men, and more spaces for Jesus like those we so joyfully embrace at Ridgecrest. I want to challenge that thinking. I think that camp is the real world. Living in community, having spaces for Jesus, challenging each other and ourselves daily- that is what we have been called to in Christ. So instead of saying, “I wish the real world was like camp,” I think we should be saying, “Hey, let’s make my home world more like Camp Ridgecrest.” I deeply believe that discipleship and adventure can happen every day at home, but you have to fight for it! Many of us have experienced life change at camp, so let’s take that to our friends. Why not take a hike with some school friends and ask them what they think about Jesus? Why not start playing two square in your neighborhood and using your time in line to build brotherly relationships with your neighbors? Why not organize your own Battle for Middle Earth in your cul-de-sac, and have mom grab some popsicles to top off the night?

Right now I live in Texas, but I am traveling to college campuses all across the country to equip men to be strong followers of Jesus on their campus. In a lot of these interactions, I bring up camp – I explain how Ridgecrest models discipleship and adventure, and I encourage men to seek those things in their lives on campus. In a sense, I am bringing the camp world, the real world, to the culture of college campuses. I encourage you to act similarly. This is what men do. Instead of only taking from experiences, we grow up, and we give or lead into the experiences of others. So, brother, if you are missing quiet time at camp, wake up early and make that space for yourself. If you miss the devotions from your cabin, see if your church has small groups, and plug into that community. If you miss your counselors or your TL, find an older guy in your community who you know is following Jesus, and ask him to invest in your life. All of these great things we love about camp feed something deeper within us: adventure. John Eldridge says, “Adventure, with all its requisite danger and wildness, is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of man.” That longing you have for adventure, the longing that is fulfilled every time you come to Ridgecrest, North Carolina, seeks to be fed right where you are. Feed it.

L.O.L. – Lots of Love,
Chief Esteemed Grizzly


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Your 2012 Ridgecrest Tribal Leaders

Posted by anthologycreative

Each year there is much anticipation as to which staffers will be returning. But among those, one of the things campers and staffers get most excited about is finding out who their Tribal Leaders will be for this coming summer. Well, we are proud to present them to you!

My name is Vince Sapp or Chief Tossing Tiger. This is my third year here at Camp Ridgecrest for Boys and I am currently studying history at the University of Georgia. My Favorite thing about camp is that it is one of the only places that boys are free to be boys and where adventure is applauded. This summer I am most looking forward to the Apache experiencing the Blob for the first time.

 

 

 

 

Eli White aka Selfless Partridge here.  I am a senior this year at Virginia Tech where I study mechanical engineering, and have had the pleasure of being around Camp Ridgecrest for 2 summers.  My favorite thing about camp is getting to share life with so many awesome guys and learn more about Christ together.  And of course some kickin’ Shawnee chants!

 

 

 

 

 

Hey there! My name is Nathan Burkett. This will be my 3rd year at Camp Ridgecrest. I am currently studying communication at Mississippi State University. I am excited about getting back to camp for mudpit day with the Choctaw tribe. But my favorite thing about camp is getting to build real friendships with the campers to help show them what it means to be a true man of God.

 

 

 

What’s up? I’m Cade Sherman. This will be my 3rd year at Camp Ridgecrest, and I am studying civil engineering at Mississippi State University. My favorite thing about camp is showing kids that you can have the best time of your life while chasing after the Lord. I’m also pumped about midnight skating with my fellow Araps.

 

 

 

 

 

Hey there friends! It’s EP Keller. This will be my 6th summer at camp, and I am a graduate of Clemson University. My favorite thing about camp has been both seeing campers come back every summer having grown more into the man they are going to be and Nibblenook.


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