News & Updates

See & read about what is going on in the Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center community

Ministry is the Connection Between Instructor and Student

About a year ago, a wonderful 85-year-old grandmother entered my life. She approached us with the interest of taking riding lessons after many years of being out of the saddle. Inez grew up with horses and even raised a horse from a foal to his last day on earth. Her daughter was involved in a local Pony Club and Inez had ridden until her kids moved on to adulthood. She deeply missed riding and the bond that comes with riding a horse. Moreover, she was unsure as to whether she could physically ride due to her age.

It was love at first sight when Inez walked into the arena to meet Peppy—a dark bay quarter horse mare in the Warm Beach Horsemanship herd. Inez rode her perfectly as if she had never stopped riding. I was blown away by how well she was riding—especially at 85! Inez soon joined my Adaptive Riding class on Mondays and soon I realized I gained more than another riding student.

What I love about working in ministry is the connection between Instructor and student, cultivated in a deep way. Inez sought out riding and coupled it with a connection with me by pouring into me with mentorship. Her participation in our program benefits her physically (increased movement), emotionally (relationally), and spiritually (ministering).

I look up to her, not only because I want to be riding at her age, but also because she does not let her faith be shaken. She encourages others to continue their growth and continues to see others as valuable and worth investing in. I feel uplifted by her compassion to love the next generation well. She  yearns to let those she is surrounded by know they are not alone in this unpredictable world. She affirms they are beautiful just the way God created them, they are heard, they have someone in their corner cheering them on! Inez does this for me; and I aspire to follow her example.

-Natalie Steilling, Therapeutic Riding Instructor/Program Assistant
Warm Beach Horsemanship

An Environment for Life Change

By actively demonstrating kindness, support, and encouragement to one another, the Horsemanship Staff has created an environment where all who participate down at the Barn have life-changing experiences. Sara, a weekly Horsemanship volunteer, found the Christ-centered environment of the Barn to be just what she needed. Below is her testimonial: “I moved to Warm Beach in December 2023, and by February, Horsemanship had already become the greatest blessing of my year and the highlight of my weeks. I came to ...

A Legacy of Faith: Michael Kanyid’s 40-Year Journey at Warm Beach Camp

There’s something special about the bonds that form at camp—a place where lives are shaped, hearts are opened, and faith takes root. For Michael Kanyid, his story at Warm Beach Camp is a powerful reminder of how moments can ripple through generations, changing not just one life, but many. It all started in 1983 when Michael was 17 years old. Michael grew up in a non-Christian home, and the idea of attending church or camp wasn’t something that was initially ...

The Words we Use

“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” Ephesians 4:29 NLT Early on in my role as Executive Director of Warm Beach Camp Ministries (nearly 30 years ago now), I would use foul language as a form of humor. At the time, I thought it quite clever to surprise people in a conversation with a “crass word zinger.” Often, it would ...