Last week we celebrated the grand opening and dedication of our latest new facility at Ridgecrest, Johnson Spring Convention Center. This new building represents the capstone of our campus revitalization program at Ridgecrest and we were very excited to mark the occasion with a formal time of prayer and dedication.
Over the past 8 years I have been blessed to be a part of the revitalization of the Ridgecrest campus. To me it's been nothing short of amazing to see how God has provided. Since 2001 we have torn down a total of 18 buildings and replaced them with two new hotel buildings (Mt Laurel East and West), an auditorium recreation center (ARC) and finally the convention center (Johnson Spring). In addition we've been able to remodel and make like new almost every other guest facility on campus.
While we still have a little more remodeling to do, I think it's safe to say that the facilities at Ridgecrest are not what many of you remember. I first came to Ridgecrest to attend youth camp in 1969. When I mentioned this during one of my LifeWay interviews, I was asked by Bruce Grubbs "did you write anything on the walls when you were there?". Fortunately, I was able to answer that I had not, but I did ask why he was asking. His response? "Because it would probably still be there." That one statement spoke volumes about the physical condition of the Ridgecrest campus in early 2001.
Fortunately, God gave us a vision and then used LifeWay to provide the resources necessary to inject new life into the wonderful ministry that is Ridgecrest Conference Center. If you haven't been to Ridgecrest lately, what are you waiting for? We'd love to see you on campus soon!
Byron, thanks for posting this. I have been preaching this for several years to anyone I could tell. You guys have done a fantastic job with Ridgecrest. (Now the power of social media -- feedback) Based on feedback I've gotten and my own experience I do think there are additional things LifeWay could do to attract younger families to Ridgecrest. (and make them repeat visitors) The first is relatively inexpensive but would be a hit -- build a large modern playground. Second, install a "kids'" pool, for many of the same reasons. Keep up the good work. We love visiting Ridgecrest!
Thanks for the feedback Steve. Those are a couple of good ideas. I could definitely seeing us creating a new kids play area in the not too distant future. I'll keep you posted so you can help us spread the word when we do!
Only 3 1/2 weeks to camp! Are the kids getting excited?