October Update

“And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4:17-21

What an experience it would have been to be in that synagogue on that sabbath day when Jesus spoke these words. What Good News! Jesus, the Son of God, has come to proclaim Good News, grant liberty to those in captivity, recover sight for those who cannot see, bring freedom to the oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Are you in need of some Good News? We all are. At Riverside, we continue to stay focused on the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is faith alone in Christ that brings life, hope, and freedom from the power of sin and death. It’s often when we remove ourselves from the everyday cycles of other news that the Lord speaks to us in very clear ways, reminding us of who we are and whose we are.  

This fall has been full of welcoming people of all ages to Riverside as they come and experience the extravagant love of Jesus in community at camp. Between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, we will have hosted 21 different ministry retreats and ten pastors/ministry leaders for solitude retreats. We praise God for the opportunities He continues to give us to use His camp for His purposes!  

A few other highlights and updates from around camp:
Mortvedt Hall is open!  While there are still a few finishing touches, this space has been greatly used this fall for our ministry retreats.  Complete with a full coffee shop/smoothie shop, it also includes an excellent meeting area with a fireplace and comfortable seating, a separate small group meeting room, and a beautiful back patio with a fire pit right on the banks of the South Skunk River.  
New trees around camp. Since 2019, we’ve taken down well over 100 dead trees here at Riverside. As we look toward the future of the property, it is time for us to start the process of planting new trees. Last year, we planted 37 trees on the new property we purchased a few years back, and this year, we planted another 30 new trees. Special thanks to Country Landscapes for their help in planting/designing the plan and to our grounds and facilities team/volunteers for tending to the trees.
Giving Tuesday! Giving Tuesday will be here before we know it, on Tuesday, December 3. Look for more information on this special day and a variety of different ways to participate from right where you are. We are so grateful for the Lord’s provision each year through hundreds of individual/family donors and our congregations that help us continue the important ministry God has called us to.  
Master Plan/Site Plan Updates. We will be excited to start rolling out more information about the Riverside Master Plan for future ministry and site development in 2025. Look for more information to come about regional fellowship gatherings at homes/churches. If you’d like to set up a time to hear more individually, please reach out to me anytime.  

I’m so grateful for the great team the Lord has called here to serve on our year-round staff. They are incredible people who love Jesus, love one another, and serve with joyful hearts. (Here’s our most recent goofy staff picture that was just taken this past week). From all of our staff here at Riverside: we’re grateful for you, praying for you, and look forward to seeing you again soon!

God bless you,
Chris