About Ross Point
Providing a haven for engaging, encouraging, and equipping
Ross Point Camp & Conference Center is a special place which is continually being developed to give God’s People an opportunity to experience being empowered for strength, growth, and service.
As a camp our mission is to provide a glimpse of God’s universe through hearing the gospel, experiencing Christian community, and to reinforce the ministries for the church through spiritual development, education, social groups, and recreation.
As a conference center our purpose is to provide varied groups an affordable facility with high quality food service, overnight lodging, well-maintained and comfortable meeting rooms, and recreational opportunities.
Ross Point Camp & Conference Center is a ministry of American Baptist Churches of the Northwest, serving American Baptist churches as well as other non-profit organizations.
Scholarships Available
While it is important that Ross Point operates in a sound financial manner, it is equally important that people come to camp. If you are in need of financial assistance to be able to come to camp, please call your church or Ross Point for assistance.
Staff Ratio
Ross Point camps have a trained staff plus a counselor to camper ratio of 1:5. This ensures your child the attention and care they need for a lifetime of great camp memories. Our camps are careful to provide grade/age appropriate activities, games, lessons, and speakers.
Activities
Ross Point programs provide activities that are enjoyable and challenging. Activities include: ~ Softball ~ Swimming ~ High Ropes Course ~ Bouldering Wall ~ Climbing Tower ~ Outdoor Games ~ Beach Volleyball ~ Canoeing ~ Campfire ~ Miniature Golf ~ Singing ~ Crafts ~ Devotions ~ Horseshoes ~ Karaoke ~ Basketball ~ Kayaks ~ Aqua-Jump with Slide, Blob & Log Rolling
Impact
Camping has long been considered one of Christianity’s most effective mediums for impacting lives and growing the Church. For decades, clergy and lay leaders in all denominations have realized that the spiritually focused, challenge-oriented temporary community inherent in Christian camping is unsurpassed for igniting faith, instilling character, and implanting ideals in participants, regardless of age or background. Christian camping is also considered by many to be the best means for inspiring an individual to a life of service. Today, in the United States and around the world, day camps, resident camps, travel camps, conference centers, retreat centers, outdoor centers, and similar entities are constantly being used ~ with great effectiveness ~ for Christian outreach, guidance, and mentorship. Annually, millions of people, young and old, take part in traditional and unusual programs all through the year; hundreds of thousands make significant spiritual decisions during or following the experience. The future of Christian camping is strong and the opportunities for involvement on every level are numerous.
Mission
The mission of Ross Point Camp & Conference Center is to glorify God by offering a haven for engaging, encouraging and equipping through Christ-centered hospitality.
Vision
To provide the best possible Christian camp and conference opportunities where individuals are transformed and renewed by the love of Jesus Christ.
Camp Sessions
Ross Point provides:
- opportunity for initial Christian commitment
- Christian growth in an outdoor setting apart from the daily routine
- people to be with the Creator in God’s creation
- Sessions from one to seven days and are available for first graders through adults
Outcomes
It is our purpose to provide a ministry that will challenge individuals to:
- establish and develop a personal relationship with Christ our Lord
- experience unconditional acceptance
- learn more about God by living with and being cared for by mature, caring, trained staff who lead campers through Bible study, devotions, singing, prayer, fun fellowship and faith sharing
- love God, self and others by living in community quite apart from the pressures, demands, and stereotypes of everyday living with old and new friends, both staff and campers, sharing and caring regardless of differences
- learn how to live in Christian community as Christ intended, by practicing decision making, communication, and relating to others through living in small groups
- discover and develop personal gifts, talents, and abilities through individual and group activities, challenges, games and exploration
- practice good stewardship of Creation by discovering and exploring God’s wonderful and mysterious Creation by minimizing waste, recycling, preserving nature and nurturing all of Creation
A Brief History
Our Staff
John Batchelder
Executive Director
John was raised in Utah and attended the ABC, Clearfield Community Church. He spent six years traveling with a Christian drama company throughout the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He began camp ministry in 1983 at Camp Utaba in Utah. He served as Interim Director at Brainerd Center, Pennsylvania, then as Director of Geneva Hills Center in Lancaster Ohio. He completed a Certified Camp Director program through the American Camping Association. In 1996, he and family spent the summer at Rainbow Glacier Camp in Haines, Alaska directing the program. He came to Ross Point in January of 2001 as Executive Director. John loves the outdoors, climbing, camping, skiing and is a private pilot and a member of the National Ski Patrol. He is married to his wife Fay and they have three children; Zachary, Rachel and Joel, and eleven grandchildren.
Harriet Reece
Food Services
Melissa Hopkins
Guest Services
Rodney Dickinson
Maintenance
Bethany Harpster
Camp Administrator
Austin Harpster
Resource Development Administrator
Ross Point Board of Directors
Tina Laughary – tclaughary@yahoo.com
Kara Ramirez – karadramirez@gmail.com
Betty Sawyer – betty@rosspoint.org
David Lodwig – dave@rosspoint.org