FAQs

Pine Ridge has helped children make unforgettable memories and life changing impacts since 1946! Through the years, we have a great track record of providing a safe and affordable summer camp for children and youth.

Summer camp has many benefits in all areas of life development. For instance, child experts agree that playing outside is very healthy and beneficial. Camp provides these types of real hands-on experiences and challenges. Our activities are not virtual, but they are live and real!

Summer camp also provides some great social development opportunities. Camp by design is structured for temporary communities to be developed. In other words, camp is a great place to meet new friends and grow other friendships deeper.

Camp will also be a place to try and learn new things. Besides our fun activities, campers might learn to build a fire, or study an ecosystem, or feed a goat. Eating healthy (yes, we still have food kids love) is also encouraged.

Finally, campers will be challenged to consider the truths from God’s Word. Along with this comes character growth and life changing decisions. We have heard parents tell us over the years that after a week at camp, their child might obey better or get along with siblings better.

All in all, summer camp at Pine Ridge is awesome. Kids that attend will create some memories that last forever, make some new friends, and be spiritually nurtured.

All camp check-ins are from 9-10:30 am on the first day of the camp session. You are welcome to come any time between those hours.

Most camp sessions will conclude on the last day in the following manner (please check confirmation letter for any exceptions to this schedule).

Check out tables are open from 9:15 am until 10:30 am. For security of the campers being picked up, photo identification is required to match the pick-up information that Pine Ridge gathers. Please bring your photo I.D.At 9:45 am there will be an optional parents meeting. This meeting will cover highlights of the week and information on other Pine Ridge news. Coffee and sweet rolls will be provided for parents attending the meeting.

At 10:00 am the camper awards and videos will be presented at the chapel. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend the closing chapel.

Final dismissal of campers is at 10:30 am.

Pine Ridge requires a $75 deposit at the time of registration. Registering early is important to make sure you have a spot in the camp sessions and activities of your choice.

Pine Ridge will issue a refund up to the registration fee required for deposit. If a camp session is cancelled before 7 days of the camp session, the registration fee held by Pine Ridge may be used for future registrations within a family. If a camp session is canceled within 7 days of the camp session, the registration fee is NON-refundable and not transferable to another camper or for future registrations.

Pine Ridge has a snack shop, camp store, and craft room. On registration day, Pine Ridge places all spending money into a card system. This system keeps money from being lost or stolen. All excess funds are refunded at check out. Typically, $20-$30 will suffice for the camp session depending on what purchases are made.

Typically, campers will go to snack shop twice a day. The snack shop sells a few healthy snacks as well as pop, ice cream, candy, and chips. We also sell Camp T-shirts, sweat shirts, water bottles, Bibles, and flashlights at our camp store. The Camp craft room has many low cost options to choose from. Most of these options are less than $5 in cost.

There will also be a Missions Offering taken that allows campers an opportunity to give to our selected mission project or missionary.

Pine Ridge has been blessed with generous donors who understand the value of children attending a Christian camp. A limited number of camperships are available each season, and they are awarded based on financial need and available funds. Families may apply for financial aid, but we also strongly encourage families to first consider participating in our Food Sale Fundraisers. These food sales are excellent means for your child to earn his or her way to camp. Also, if your child is involved in a children or youth program at church, many churches offer financial assistance.

Most certainly. Pine Ridge has a Health Officer with training for medication distribution, CPR, and First Aid. Pine Ridge also has a physician on-call to consult with for any needs. Medications need to come to Pine Ridge in their original containers. Our Health Officer will collect the medications and instructions on check-in day and then administrate the medicines as needed.

Yes! Our Food Service Manager has all of the training to work with children that have special diets. When you register for camp, you can share the food allergies with us through the health form. You also will have an opportunity to meet directly with our Food Service Manager on the day of camp check-in. Pine Ridge will be able to provide alternate options for typical special diets. However, it can be helpful and even necessary for parents to provide food options for their child with extreme needs.

Every staff person is carefully selected based on spiritual maturity, responsibility, and outstanding character qualities. The hiring process includes a detailed application, reference checking, personal interview, criminal background check, and a check of the the statewide Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry.

At the beginning of the summer season, Pine Ridge has a mandatory nine day staff training. Training includes managing behaviors of children, emergency response procedures, activity safety procedures, leading groups, child protection standards, and more. In addition, our training involves our team looking to God’s Word to build a solid spiritual foundation centered on Jesus Christ. Daily and weekly staff meetings throughout the summer provide consistent overview of our staff and their performance.

Children are able to register for camp based on the school grade they are going into or leaving. So, if a child is leaving 6th grade and going into 7th, they can enroll in either Oasis Camp or Jr. High Camp. A child leaving 4th grade and going into 5th grade is eligible to go to Prime Time or Steppin’ Up Camp.

We believe that you as a parent/guardian know your child best. If your child is mature enough to take the next step, then they are certainly welcome to do so. However, in most cases, we do advise that parents to sign children up based on the grade their student is leaving.

To Consider: Jr. High camp is of combined with Sr. High Camp most weeks. Therefore, your 6th grader going into 7th grade would be in camp with some children that have just graduated high school. This can be a very large and intimidating gap for most students that we believe is bridged quickly after 7th grade.

• T-Shirts
• Shorts
• Sweatshirt (1-2)
• Jeans (1) (1 per day if doing horsemanship)
• Rain Jacket/Small umbrella
• Modest Swimsuit- one piece or tankini (may need 2 if doing watersports camp)
• Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap
• Towels and wash cloth (1 for beach and 1 for shower)
• Athletic shoes (1) (Closed toed shoes needed for battle games, horsemanship, and high adventure activities)
• Sandals/Flip-flops (1)
• Bible, Pen/pencil, notebook
• Sleeping Bag or Sheets & Blankets
• Pillow
• Prescription Medications in ORIGINAL CONTAINERS
• Spending Money in Account

Optional Items

• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Flashlight
• Swim Goggles or Ear Plugs
• Camera
• Dirty Clothes Bag

Things to Leave At Home

• Any weapons
• Electronic Devices (we encourage this to happen so campers can focus on building relationships with campers, staff members, and Christ)

*Place camper name on the labels of everything!

**Any clothes left at Camp and unclaimed by the completion of our summer programs will be given to a worthy charity. Pine Ridge is not responsible for lost or stolen articles.

• T-Shirts
• Shorts
• Sweatshirt (1-2)
• Jeans (1) (1 per day if doing horsemanship)
• Rain Jacket/Small umbrella
• Modest Swimsuit- one piece or tankini (may need 2 if doing watersports camp)
• Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap
• Towels and wash cloth (1 for beach and 1 for shower)
• Athletic shoes (1) (Closed toed shoes needed for battle games, horsemanship, and high adventure activities)
• Sandals/Flip-flops (1)
• Bible, Pen/pencil, notebook
• Sleeping Bag or Sheets & Blankets
• Pillow
• Prescription Medications in ORIGINAL CONTAINERS
• Spending money (the funds are deposited at check-in to a card system with remaining funds returned at End of Week check-out)

Optional Items

• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Flashlight
• Swim Goggles or Ear Plugs
• Camera (needed to participate in Photography camp)
• Dirty Clothes Bag
  
  THINGS TO LEAVE AT HOME:

Any weapons
Electronic Devices (we encourage this to happen so campers can focus on building relationships with campers, staff members, and Christ)
*Place camper name on the labels of everything!

Any clothes left at Camp and unclaimed by the completion of our summer programs will be given to a worthy charity. Pine Ridge is not responsible for lost or stolen articles.