Before he landed a job working at Ridge Haven, Isaac Hathaway was adrift and in need of change. He was a recent convert to Christianity, trying to pursue new obedience instead of “falling into old habits,” he said. 

Two years later, Hathaway spent the summer 2024 as the summer camp counselor director, overseeing the male counselors and keeping camp running smoothly, safely, and on time; he is also pursuing a degree at Covenant College to prepare for ministry.

“The community and just the faith environment of Ridge Haven … provided a lot of challenges that forced growth, but also provided accountability and a safe space where I could learn what it looked like to serve Christ,” he said. “To see how to become a part of the body, not just taking blood and oxygen but also giving back.”

Stories like Hathaway’s provide much of the reasoning behind Ridge Haven’s summer internship and gap year programs, recently reorganized into one program called the Explorer’s Project. Ridge Haven leadership wants to develop the church’s next generation of leaders and help those leaders develop a vision for life in Christ-centered community.

“We want to aid the church in raising up the next generation of lay leaders,” said Cameron Anderson, executive director at Ridge Haven. “We hope that they bring the gospel with them [when they leave], and that’s the main thing I focus on.” 

Ridge Haven offers three options for young people interested in serving at camp. 

For high school students there’s the Summer Camp Internship, a summer-long program where students raise their own support to participate and are not paid by Ridge Haven. The program asks students to contribute in a variety of ways around camp and exposes them to different types of servant ministry, whether they find themselves washing dishes, cleaning rooms, or sharing the gospel with campers. And it’s not just for people who want to pursue full time ministry.

“Maybe they’re not sure what they’re going to be called into,” Anderson said. “[SCI helps them] explore those gifts, utilize them in a space here, and learn how they can use them in the local church or whatever ministry they are drawn to.” 

Anderson said the SCI program is as much a ministry to the teens as it is a chance for teens to serve in ministry. Students require more supervision and training than adults, but Ridge Haven also benefits from their energy and hard work.

“They just love to feel a part of ministry, to feel a part of something truly worthwhile, and they’re on a team doing it together. …. It allows us to accomplish that work and allows us to grow.” 

For high school graduates, the program progresses in both time commitment and responsibility. There are gap year internships – which run from the start of one summer to the end of the next – and two-year internships. Both internships are compensated, and Anderson said he hopes to attract both students who joined the SCI program during high school as well as those new to Ridge Haven.

The longer internships allow participants to see how the Lord has used them in the Ridge Haven ministry and also how they have grown from one summer to the next, Anderson said.

The primary difference between the two programs is the time difference; the gap year program runs for one year plus a summer, versus the two-year internship. 

The Explorer’s Project isn’t just for those called to full time ministry. Students considering trade school can also develop practical skills during Ridge Haven’s internships along with ministry leadership experience. Some work in food service; some in the main office; others as event staff during the year. Anderson hopes that interns will gain the skills they need to become leaders in their churches, communities, and all areas of their lives. 

Anderson said that being part of the Ridge Haven community is particularly valuable to the interns. As Hathaway discovered, the peer relationships have a significant influence on interns.

“When I first got to Ridge Haven, the thing that stood out to me the most was the community and the support system,” he said.

Hathaway said his time at Ridge Haven has been challenging, but life-changing. 

“Some of the hardest things in the world provide the best results,” he said. “The way I’ve seen the Lord work both in me and through me has changed my understanding of who my heavenly Father is and the way he functions in a community in spite of a broken world.” 

Now that his summer at Ridge Haven has ended, Hathaway is eager to continue serving as he transitions to Covenant College. He looks forward to joining a church and volunteering with the student ministry. 

That, according to Anderson, is the point. 

“My heart is just to see Ridge Haven used to help launch leaders into the local church,” he said. “They’ll see how important God’s work is in his church and how important it is to serve together. [We want to] help people to really latch onto that vision and just spread it like crazy. … I believe that we’re doing that 10-fold through this Explorer’s Project.”

Heather Roth is a byFaith contributing writer living in Grove City, Pennsylvania.