General News

I love being an intern at Black Diamond Camp for many reasons! I love the community I get to work in and be surrounded by. I love getting to serve others every day and know that my actions are making an impact on the lives of the people who come to camp. I also love working with others while running different activities, it’s great to see people come out of their comfort zones to try things that might be daunting ...

When I gaze upon the beauty of a PNW sunset from my outlook at the stables. God’s faithfulness and provision are ever-present. His evidence abounds. The evergreen trees and lush green pastures withstand record breaking heat of summer, buffeting high winds of fall and bitter cold in winter. They remain the backdrop for the life-giving ministry between horses and people and give testimony to the work the Lord has laid before us at the stables. Beautiful fruit is being shaped ...

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/2co.1.3-4.NLT What comes to mind when you think of living in comfort? Sunshine, warmth, good health, family, friends, and adequate resources are a ...

“And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9  The Riding Lesson program at Warm Beach Horsemanship continues to thrive as many realize these lessons don’t only improve riding skills, but they also develop valuable life skills.  Riding lessons provide an amazing opportunity for ministry! Warm Beach Horsemanship staff build relationships through regular weekly interaction with students. Through this, students experience the love of Christ, coupled ...

The relationship between horse and rider is similar to our relationship with God. Through interacting with horses all my life, including incredibly meaningful weeks attending Horse Camp as a child, I’ve witnessed God’s fingerprints displayed through horses profoundly. When I was asked to pastor a week of Horse Camp, I had trouble putting pen to paper. Before the first chapel, I dropped to a knee and asked the Holy Spirit to guide my words. He answered my prayer with short ...

As we transition from 2021 to 2022 there is a profound truth that has become our focus for 2022:  God’s Enduring Love. We just finished the 24th season of The Lights of Christmas, the 2nd year of a drive-thru format. We shared and experienced God’s enduring love. The story of Jesus coming to save us, God coming to be with us, was clearly evident through, and word. We are grateful for all those who chose to take this in. As we look ...

Hello! My name is Alexander and I am proud to be a part of the Black Diamond Camp Internship program! I found myself at Camp back in 2019 as a summer staffer, it was then I got to meet all the wonderful staff and experience the beautiful campus. I served two more summers after my first, and now I find myself in the internship program! Camp has really become a large part of my life, something the former me would ...

As a boy, I loved thumbing through the Sears and JC Penny’s catalogues marking Christmas gift ideas for my mom to pass on to Santa. The nativity set in my grandparents’ home evoked a deep sense of mystery in the curious scene. The song, Little Drummer Boy, fueled my imagination as I thought about what it would have been like to actually see the baby Jesus. Christmas is a celebration of life in all its fullness and possibility. Christmas is ...

Welcome Scott Brandenberger! Many of you may already know him from his time as Camp counselor at Warm Beach in 2005. In the intervening years, Scott has lived in Korea where he met and married his wife, Grace. They have three wonderful kids (Alan, Elsa, Levi)  to add to our Camp family. Scott has also owned his own woodworking business, been a teacher and brings many years of customer service to our team. He will be working on the Registration ...

God chose Warm Beach Camp to be the home of The Lights of Christmas! He chose the people to start this amazing experience to share the true message of Christmas. He fills the staff with His love and joy so that it pours out of us to the community to soften hearts and bring change. The world is a dark place, and the last couple of years have been difficult! But no matter what, when you drive through The Lights ...

Project Sanctuary believes when one person serves the whole family serves. We take a human-centered, solution-based approach to helping military families heal and move forward in life. Through innovative long-term programming focused on connectedness, we restore hope and empower families to recover and thrive. Warm Beach Camp helps us create an environment conducive to healing. With beautiful surroundings and loving staff, the families on our retreats can relax and let down all the walls they have built up. The scenery ...

Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.  Luke 6:36 NLT  https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.6.36.NLT  “You are just like your father” or “You are just like your mother” are phrases describing similarities for the better or worse with those who have raised us.    When Jesus says “ just as your Father in Heaven is, so we should be” it is a big statement to receive.  As a Father of 9 children, I know that my contribution to their lives is mixed, because I have done some really good things while also ...

Our community is a huge part of who we are as The Lights of Christmas. Our staff and volunteers help put the event together, local businesses help with promotion, donors support the big picture, and the people attend the event with their friends and family. Over the last year, we worked to create bigger and brighter displays and I am excited for what we are accomplishing together. Volunteers were here all summer working on new displays like Icicle Falls, The ...

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Colossians 3:16 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/col.3.16.NLT “You are full of it” is a phrase usually reserved for a ridiculous attitude and opinion in life towards something. It is a statement of sarcasm, humor, and cynicism all wrapped into one. Do you remember ...

We have an opportunity to do something quite extraordinary in these times: Move forward together as we navigate this extended time of pandemic. While various forms of isolation and division have become a new way of living, as a follower of Jesus, we are called to a beautiful way of community that gives us the opportunity to find meaningful and creative ways to move forward together. We don’t do this in rebellion or anger. We move forward together with compassion, ...

Welcome to Taylor Hanks, our new Accounts Receivable Bookkeeper & HR Administrative Assistant. We are so excited to have her as part of the Staff Family. Taylor recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources and is working toward her Master’s degree in Accounting. Born in Wyoming, she moved to Washington as a teen and has been here ever since. She has 2 brothers and a sister and is currently living in Anacortes. Taylor has a lot of diverse ...

This summer, Black Diamond Camp hosted 739 Day Campers. Not only did these kids participate in activities like ziplining, swimming, climbing walls, and archery tag, they also experienced God’s Creation and life-changing messages from God’s Word.   Each day, kids arrived with their own joys and excitement and their own set of worries and fears. One of those campers was Conner. Conner was at Camp most of the summer and usually had a go-with-the-flow attitude, but something was just off one ...

Please welcome Emily Lambert, our new Development Systems Coordinator  Emily began working at Warm Beach Camp as Summer Staff in 2002. From there, Emily filled many roles: Youth Camp Counselor, Youth Camp Dean, Summer Staff Accommodations, Dining Room Manager, Outdoor Education Director, and many roles in The Lights of Christmas. In 2015 Emily and her family moved to Wenatchee to serve in church ministry.   After six years, Emily, her husband Matt, and four children (Elijah 12, Jonah 10, Asher 8, ...

Over the past several weeks of Camp ministry, many Campers have made decisions for Christ through Warm Beach Camp Ministries. In just one week of Horsemanship Camp, nine out of 12 Campers made commitments to Christ. At Black Diamond, more than 20 kids made first-time decisions at Day Camp and Group Camps in one week.    Somehow the pandemic has created an environment at Camp, unlike any other year. For lots of kids, it’s the best week they’ve had in two years. Andrew ...

Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center, home of The Lights of Christmas, is excited to announce Kayla Castiglione as the new Director of The Lights of Christmas. The leadership team believes in Kayla and her vision for the future of the event. Kayla grew up volunteering at The Lights of Christmas with her mom and recalls the many memories of building lifelong relationships through the event. She later interned and became the Project Coordinator for the event shortly after her ...