Ridgecrest Summer Camps

Because He Forgives

Posted by Karah

Pause

Remove the distractions from around you; turn off the TV, music, and your cell phone. Ask God to prepare you to hear and understand what He has to say in His Word.

Skim over Matthew 18:21-35 and look back on the devotion, “Unconditionally Forgiven” from March 27th to remind yourself about what you learned when you studied the parable of the unforgiving servant. In your journal, jot down the main point of that devotion in your own words.

Dig a little deeper with these questions:

-What does this parable reveal about how God forgives us?

-What does this parable teach you about forgiving others? Explain.

-Now, turn to Ephesians 4:31-32. Answer the questions that follow.

“All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” —Ephesians 4:31-32

What do these verses have in common with the parable of the unforgiving servant? Explain.

Underline Ephesians 4:32. As a Christian, you have experienced God’s forgiveness for a debt you could never pay. According to these verses, how should that affect the way you interact with others, particularly those who have wronged you?

Why is it so important that forgiveness characterize the lives of believers? How does practicing extravagant forgiveness testify to the truth of the gospel? Explain.

Respond

Because you have been forgiven so much, you must forgive others.

Think about the people in your life. Are there people you refuse to forgive because you don’t think they deserve it? If so, write their names in your journal. Take steps to forgive that person today. Let him or her know you want to forgive because God forgave you of a far greater debt.

You may need to ask someone to forgive you. If God has used these verses to bring a person to mind, don’t delay in seeking his or her forgiveness. List your action plan in the margin. You can’t control the person’s response, but you can be obedient to God in seeking forgiveness.

Behind the Story

Paul’s words in Ephesians 4 were written to Christians. Knowing the struggle of living the Christian life, he charged them to put away the things that had characterized their lives before knowing Christ. He challenged Christians to treat one another with kindness and compassion because God had treated them that way. In doing so, the church would be built up and unified. This would help the world to see that Jesus does make a difference.

The Point

Because you have experienced God’s forgiveness, you must forgive others.

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply

A Star Wars Sock War

Posted by phil

It finally happened. A Camp Ridgecrest favorite activity…. Sock War! Watch this Star War’s version of Sock War as good and evil battle it out and the winning team is determined by a light saber battle on the dock. Check out this short clip….

Posted in News | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, Ridgecrest Camps, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, sock war, Star Wars | Leave a reply

Carnival Comes to Ridgecrest

Posted by phil

No need to go anywhere! We’re bringing the Carnival to Camp. Twice a summer, we hire an entire Carnival crew to come set up at Camp Ridgecrest. The girls grab a shuttle over from Camp Crestridge for the largest Activity of the summer. The campers enjoy truck loads of inflatable rides, snow cones, cotton candy, carnival food, games, music, live entertainment, dunk booths, magic shows, costumes, and more! It’s an unforgettable evening for everyone. Check out this short video below….

Posted in News | Tagged Camp Activitites, Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, carnival, Christian Camp, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Summer Jobs | Leave a reply

Bedlam Ball

Posted by phil

The game is appropriately named Bedlam Ball, as we have close to 200 over-sized inflatable balls in play at once! With close to 15 teams, all represented by Countries from around the world, this Olympic themed event was full of energy! The rain didn’t slow us down one bit… Check out this short video of Bedlam Ball at Camp Ridgecrest for Boys!

Posted in News | Tagged Bedlam Ball, Camp Activities, Camp Games, Camp Ridgecrest, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Christian Camps, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Organized Crime

Posted by phil

A camp favorite, Organized Crime, was a huge hit over the weekend. A simple game, but driven by our staff’s creative minds and their ability to entertain the kids, makes this activity such a success. Be sure to ask your camper’s what their favorite part was on your ride home from camp on Friday! Watch this short video to get a taste of the excitement….

Posted in News | Tagged Boys Camp, Camp Activities, Camp Ridgecrest, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Christian Summer Camp, Christian Summer Camps, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, summer camp | Leave a reply

Gladiator Night 2016

Posted by phil

Gladiator Night is an unforgettable experience for our campers and unlike anything they have done before. It’s a time for boys to be messy, act like Gladiators and attempt “feats of strength” along side their cabin mates. It’s always a blast! Check out this quick video….

Posted in Boys, News | Tagged Boys Camp, Camp Ridgecrest, Camp-Wide Activities, Christian Camp, Christian Summer Camp, Gladiator Night, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Summer CampBoys Camp | Leave a reply

Promised One

Posted by Karah

Pause

Quietly sit before God, preparing your heart to meet with Him.

Read Micah 5:2 in your Bible.

“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.”

—Micah 5:2

Ask yourself:

What two things does this verse reveal about the promised Messiah?

Micah 5:2 declares that the Messiah will come from Bethlehem, while simultaneously pointing to His eternal nature. While the Jews knew what the prophets had said about the coming Messiah, they had been waiting for His arrival for centuries. Knowing this, read Luke 2:1-7 in your Bible.

“While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.”

—Luke 2:1-7

Think through the following questions:

How do these verses reveal that Jesus was the promised Messiah mentioned in Micah 5:2?

Why is it important that the divine Son of God was laid in a manger? What does that communicate about God’s character? About Jesus?

Respond

Taken together, Micah 5:2 and Luke 2:1-7 record God’s fulfillment of prophecy and attest to Jesus’ deity and the eternal nature of God’s plan of redemption through Jesus.

Mull over these thoughts: God planned salvation before the foundation of the earth. Long before I existed, God was making a way for me to know Him and spend eternity with Him. Record your response in your journal.

Revel in the humility and humanity of Jesus’ birth. The Holy One of heaven was laid in a lowly manager. Thank God for a Savior willing to set aside the riches He rightfully deserved so that you might be saved.

For further study of Jesus’ eternal nature, read John 1:1-14.

Behind the Story

Notice the mention of Judah in Micah 5:2. In Genesis 49:10, when Jacob blessed his sons, he had pointed to a ruler who would come from among Judah’s descendents. This was partially fulfilled in David’s line, who became monarchs of Israel. But since Jacob also promised a ruler whose reign would never end, his blessing also points to the Messiah who would be born of David’s line. That is why Luke was careful to mention David’s place in the genealogy of Christ.

The Point

The promised Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy.

Camp Ridgecrest Construction Update, January 2016

Posted by phil

The New Year has come and that means just one (IMPORTANT) thing: summer is coming! We’ve been busy hiring staff, recruiting more campers, planning some awesome new games, and making sure Ron doesn’t get too rusty on his 2-Square skills. But while we’ve been busy with all that, there have been some BIG changes happening at camp. Scroll down to read (AND SEE) more!

The new Program Deck and Lake Lodge are coming along! – as of 1/15/16

Want to see where the new Apache and Shawnee cabins and Egypts are going to be? We thought you might. But did you know that the cabins will all be connected to the Egypt by a porch? That’s right! You don’t even have to leave your porch to go to the bathroom at night. Did you also know there’s going to be a brand new Apache/Shawnee fort area? You can also see where the NEW TBI is going to be this year. The Sioux will have an awesome new home and be close to their Apache brothers! Check it out!

Layout of Apache, Shawnee, Sioux for 2016, – as of 1/15/16

Check out the Lake Lodge these days, pretty crazy looking huh? It’s going to have a sweet new stage upstairs that’ll be used for Sock War skits and other fun games! The public restrooms will be nice so you don’t have to run back to your hill to use the bathroom, and will help eliminate lines on Opening and Closing Day! The clothing store is coming right along and will have some really cool new items you’ve never seen before.

Lake Lodge Update – as of 1/15/16

Did you know there’s going to be a new gym where the tennis courts were? We do apologize if tennis skill was your favorite, but we’re betting you’re going to like what’s going there in its place! Not only will the new gym give us an awesome indoor space for games and OA’s on rainy days, but it will also be the new home to basketball skill, NEW hockey skill, an indoor climbing wall, and MORE! You’re going to have to use your imagination to see it in the photo below, but it’s going to be incredible!

New multi-purpose gym coming in 2016! – as of 1/15/16

Hey STAFF! Did you know we’re going to have a MUCH bigger parking lot for you this summer? That’s right, a parking lot big enough to hold all of your cars in one place! Soon we’ll be clearing some trees and land near the back gate. In this photo, you can also see how Sequoia Lodge is coming along. Sequoia Lodge will be home to the Director’s family and will also house ALL female staff together in one place, for the first time ever!

A much needed Staff Parking Lot sits behind Sequoia Lodge, – as of 1/15/16

Posted in Boys, News | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, construction, January 2016, Lake Lodge, Map, Renovations, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Update | Leave a reply

Camp Ridgecrest Construction Update, December 2015

Posted by phil

Maybe you’ve heard Camp is doing some renovations this year. You’ve heard we’re adding some cabins. You’ve heard about the new tribes. And maybe you’ve seen the map from the newsletter that shows the layout of some stuff. But what is REALLY going on a camp right now? Rather than try to explain everything, we thought we’d show you some photos of the progress!

Did you know the NEW Lake Lodge will have a brand new Clothing Store in it? That’s right! In addition to that, the Lake Lodge will have some nice, new bathrooms available to everyone! So if you’re playing 4-square, you no longer have to go back to your Egypt to use the bathroom. And parents, you won’t have to wait in line to use the bathroom on Opening Day! Here’s a layout of the new Lake Lodge:

Lake Lodge renovation, as of December 4, 2015. Click to enlarge.

Your first reaction to that photo may be “WHOA! That’s getting really close to messing up the 2-square court! Well, don’t worry, in addition to the Lake Lodge, there will be some awesome improvements and additions around the Lake Lodge as well. We’ll be adding more 2-square and 4-square courts, as well as a NEW basketball court area and an awesome deck at the corner of the lake that extends out over the water. Also, we’ll be adding a brand new Archery range, up above the Middle Green. So whether you enjoy fishing, playing basketball, or just hanging out with your friends by the lake, this area is something to get excited about! Check out this photo to see exactly where things will be:

Camp Commons Area Plans, as of December 4, 2015. Click to enlarge.

Be sure to check back in the coming weeks and months to see and hear more about what is going on around here. We can’t wait for you to be here to enjoy all of this with us!

Posted in Boys, News | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest, Christian Summer Camp, construction, Lake Lodge, Renovations, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Update | Leave a reply

Retro Friday: Ridgecrest and Crestridge

Posted by Karah

Over the last fifteen to twenty years, Camp Ridgecrest and Camp Crestridge have partnered in more and more activities as an entire camp. Current campers and recent alumni have become accustomed to soirees like carnival, midnight skating, and messy games. Typically there is a meeting between the boys and girls on more than one occasion. But did you know that in the early years of Ridgecrest and Crestridge the camps did not get together hardly at all? It was a much bigger “to-do” for the camps to interact. These pictures were found in a file from 1957 and 1958, and show one such occasion where the girls came over to the boys camp. From these pictures you can see that the girls rode over in the back of a truck to enjoy watermelon on the middle green with the boys. Compared to today, what are some differences and similarities you note in these pictures? What’s your favorite activity that the boys and girls do together? Comment below!