What Youth Pastors say about Rock-N-Water
We asked youth pastors what they thought about Rock-N-Water and they spoke. Check out some excerpts below, or click on photos to watch their video.
Check us out for yourself! Youth Pastor's Whitewater Couples Retreat
May 2010 $50 per couple | |
"This is a great chance to get out and have your kids experience things that they’ve never experienced, get them to work together, stretch their comfort zones, and have a good time." Joey Chen |
"My group had a wonderful time at Rock-N-Water. They were challenged and able to get out and experience God in a way that they hadn’t done before. I would recommend it to any youth pastor that would like to challenge their kids and bring them into the beautiful setting that Rock-N-Water has here. " Megan Kays |
"You should definitely bring your kids to Rock-N-Water, it’s a totally different experience than a lot of the traditional camps. Traditional camps are great, but you don’t get to experience the nature and the bonding that you get here at Rock-N-Water. It’s an incredible time, and I encourage anybody to do it, and try it out. It’s a really bonding experience that we did this all together as a team." Scott Pittman |
"We were really blessed as a youth group… Rock-N-Water is always awesome, the fun, the activity, pushing the kids, getting to know each other as well as just really getting to know God. Quiet time is so important now a days, we are so busy. To be alone with God and just think about how awesome He is or who He is, is great. We love Rock-N-Water, and they really did a great job bringing us all together, and getting to know God more." Norm Schurdell |
 "I would encourage any youth pastor to come to Rock-N-Water because, God really uses you and your kids to come together… He molds you, He molds your kids, He teaches you His word and implements it on your heart." Josh Mendoza |
 "I got hit by a t-grip, but still I would do it again, for sure, always, many times. So do this, do this camp!" Lisa Lait |
 "We brought a group of pastors. We had a phenomenal time, it’s not just for youth groups, bring some adults you guys will have a blast. It’s the greatest food we’ve eaten in a long time. And we are blessed to be here. The guides are amazing!" Mike Reed |
 "If you like roller coasters, you’ll like this even more. It was scary, but it was safe." Steve Martin |
 "We did a week of backpacking out in the backcountry. Rock-N-Water absolutely went beyond our expectations. There wasn’t anything cheesy about what we did. It was amazingly hard core, but our guides and our leaders were always super concerned about our safety, and we just had some once in a life time experiences… I would highly recommend Rock-N-Water to anybody that is looking for something nice and hard core for your kids to do. A good bonding experience as well." Joel Wynn |
 "You absolutely must come to Rock-N-Water! It was by far one of the best camps I have ever been to. I’ve been doing youth ministry for ten years, and I believe that this is one of the best out there. It’s different than a lot of other summer camps where the kids split up and they are off… and that can be a good thing, but Rock-N-Water offers an experience where all the youth group is together. You spend time together, camping together, eating together, you’re out on your adventures together, you have to work together as a team. It really builds that group bond incredibly well." Josh Christian |
 "Rock-N-Water is absolutely awesome, the guides are incredible. Our kids get to see and experience God in very different ways than they do in other places." Bryan Whiteside |
 "This was our first experience at Rock-N-Water. We had an awesome time, it was incredible. I can’t tell you how awesome we’ve had it, the staff here, they have servants hearts, they take care of you like you wouldn’t believe. You almost feel guilty because they take care of you so well. Good team building brought my youth group together. We had great times with the campfires at night. It was a 12 on a scale of 10 of what a good experience we had here. It was great." Dave Oliver |
 "We live in a fairly urban environment, an environment where there are lots of cars, concrete, busyness, where there are lots of things that humans control. When we come out here we actually have a chance to experience the uncontrollable God, the God of the universe that created everything, including us. It’s just an incredible time for us… to come and listen and breath, and discover again, the God who loves them. " Erik Hanson |
 "To other youth leaders thinking of bringing their kids here I would say, come prepared to watch your kids grow and to see sides of them that you haven’t seen before. You’ll get to see mature sides, silly sides, stupid sides… Come ready to be open to how your kids will change and how they’ll change you." Lisa Valenti-Jordan |
 "We had an awesome time at Rock-N-Water, our youth had a blast, getting on the river, being in God’s creation and just experiencing the love of the staff here. We home to come back next year for longer." Tim Coon |
 "Rock-N-Water is an amazing place. This is my second year bringing out a group of high school students. They absolutely love it every year, the food is great, the rafting is great, the hikes are great, the staff is great. It’s just an amazing place to be. And I wouldn’t say that for any other reason other than it’s absolutely true. " Aaron VanVoorhis |
 "Everything about it is awesome. Every teenager would love to come here and do things that most adults wish they had enough guts to do. It provides an awesome opportunity to explore nature and draw closer to God. To do really cool stuff in one week, that some people just do scattered over their whole life time, you can do in one week. Highly recommend it for every youth group, everywhere." Charity Beltran |
 "I always [this is Ray’s 10th year] have a great time at Rock-N-Water, so I have no reservations at all. We come back all the time, we love it and think it’s perfect." Ray Owens |
 "We did a lot of stuff, but I felt like it was the most well rounded outdoor camping experience we could have had. We slept out under the stars, we got to go hiking and canyoneering, rock climbing, we jumped off rocks and went swimming, and did a lot of white water rafting, which was awesome. Really fun, cool, and challenging for our kids… a lot of overcoming mental blocks and fears, and talking yourself into doing something that you didn’t think you could do, but knew deep down that you really wanted too." Rebecca Carter |
 "If you have no experience camping or whitewater rafting it doesn’t matter. I didn’t and I had a blast. So come on out and have a great time." Jessica Simons |
 "This is probably the safest thing you could ever do in the world. We’ve had people get hurt, myself included, and the staff at Rock-N-Water… is so good, so well trained, if anything ever happens you know you are in good hands. And they are always going to take good care of you. And they are Godly leaders, you know that they are in good hands… they are going to be well taken care of." Luke Kirkendall |
 "This is my 8th summer at Rock-N-Water. I keep brining my kids back here because there is nothing like having a group grow by spending the week together, pushing outside their boundaries. The time we had here is amazing. It’s my favorite week of the summer. The guides here make your trip. It is by far the most faith building, trust building week your group could ever have." Angela Sherrill |
 "I’ve been coming to Rock-N-Water for 7 years now. I love the setting, I love the activities, I love hanging out with my kids, but the best thing about this ministry, is the staff and the way they interact with the kids and show them how to be Christians in a complex world. They [the staff] are awesome, they [the staff] are the greatest resource that Rock-N-Water has to offer. " Rick Sherrill |
 "This is our fourth or fifth trip to Rock-N-Water, we’ve had small groups and big groups, and Rock-N-Water has consistently taken care of us. The food is awesome. It’s just an amazing place to be and spend some time. The counselors are awesome, they really love the Lord, and really pass that on to your kids. Totally, totally worth bring your youth group here, it’s all about changed lives." Tim Coburn |
 "I had some apprehensions coming because I was worried I was pushing the girls too much into more adventure than they were ready for. I didn’t need to be apprehensive at all! They had a great time, the challenges were perfect for them. They were challenged in ways that they wouldn’t have done any other time… Great experience for everyone and I would recommend it to anyone… we wish we could be here longer." Tirra Stenstedt |
 "We had a great experience out here on the river, lots of fun, exciting. It’s a great opportunity. If you have a youth group junior high or high school, they’d love it." Matthew Todd |
 "I would definitely recommend Rock-N-Water in a heart beat, because the one thing I really liked about it when I was looking at it was the fact that it would be a time for kids to come and be in a place where they don’t hardly ever get to experience. They could be their selves, develop relationships with other people they are here with, and be challenged. They don’t get to be challenged a whole lot in their lives. They absolutely loved it… it was an amazing time." Mike Lieberknecht |
 "The experience here has been amazing... In every aspect, and from every angle, our students totally benefited from this program. I know our youth are going to go home... with experiences that will are going to totally impact them for the rest of their lives." Charles Stevens |
 "It has just been an amazing trip for myself as well as for all the youth that came with me. We had a small number and our guide just did an amazing job for us... We were stretched and challenged physically, but also it’s a great chance for us to spend time with God in His creation. Rock-N-Water’s just an awesome place." George Bruick |
 "The kids in our group bonded... Really blessed that we could come here." Justin Bell |
 "Phenomenally well trained, skilled, capable staff. And not only are all of the outdoor activities, the rock climbing, the rappelling, the canyon hiking, the river rafting, great experiences in and of themselves, but there is the distinct God-word focus in everything that goes on." Greg Stoever |
 "This was my very first year, and I was kind of nervous and excited. Not quite sure what to expect. But getting here, what I experienced, what my students experienced, what my staff experienced, was an amazing adventure. Not only spiritually, but also physically. So I would encourage you if you were thinking about coming, to take the leap and come and experience God in some exciting and different ways... because it’s amazing. If you want to get out of the normal camp experience, I would say come to Rock-N-Water because you’ll experience something amazing." Joe Schmaltz |
 "Kids got to experience a lot of things that they normally wouldn’t have, such as trusting each other..." James Ferdosa |
 "We have such an awesome time every time we come up, the kids go back with the greatest stories, the greatest memories. They all go back closer to each other than they ever were before, and they have a real feeling for what God has done for them... We love it." Beverly Newcom |
 "We love brining our youth group kids here to Rock-N-Water, because it is a way for them to experience God in ways that nobody can do in a city... The staff is tremendous... they are great encouragers. And our kids just love it here." Candie Wright |
 "Rock-N-Water... had been one of the best experiences that I’ve seen. Really incorporating the outdoors and God’s creation, with application from scripture, and making life real." Chris Swanson |
 "This was a really good opportunity for my kids to experience something outside of the city... Rock-N-Water leaders were wonderful, always being there and being trustworthy when things looked a little scary." Carrie Guy |
 "I can not say enough about the backpacker paluza. I saw our kids change in so many ways. Some to the young men that put on that rock hard facade, on the way home were screaming singing in the bus... I’ve lived in this area my entire life, and I saw things I have never seen before." Matt Morrie (lay worker) |
 "Staff is really invested in the lives of your youth. It really showed off with our group where our kids that were on the fringe of the youth group, are now ready to jump in full flow with God’s plan." Brian Hughes |
 "Everything from beginning to end was really really great. We could really feel God moving through the camp. The food was awesome, the rafting was stellar. I recommend it for anybody, bring your youth group up and have a great time." Elizabeth Hood |
 "I love Rock-N-Water. The place is amazing. To see my students really connect with God, through His creation has been a joy. The experience that you’ll have with your students is out of this world. Adventures beyond anything you can think of. So bring your kids to Rock-N-Water, it’s awesome." Mat Grover |
 "We went to the backcountry and it was awesome... What God will do in your heart and the hearts of your kids – Its Amazing. I’ve been doing youth ministry for 25 years and this is a highlight." Guy Drummond |
 "It’s been an awesome week of adventure for all of us, leaders and kids included. I really loved how the staff loved on all the kids, and bent over backwards to do whatever they needed to do to make the kids comfortable and enjoy their experience, as well as being able to push kids outside of their comfort zone. To be able to enjoy the experience of the wilderness and Rock-N-Water at the same time learning how to incorporate God into their daily lives as they encounter the wilderness and how that incorporates into their daily lives... It has been a great trip and we are looking forward to coming back again." Matt Russell |
 "Rock-N-Water is the best place I have ever been. I’ve been taking kids to camps for six or seven years now, and I can not imagine a better place than this... Rock-N-Water gets you out to experience everything rock climbing, and waterfalls, and awesome river rafting." Christian Carter |
 "This place is an awesome opportunity for fellowship and building community through events that God has placed before us in his beauty... I love their staff members, their staff members are awesome. Their heart for the lord is evident in how they serve us. And the food is excellent!" Adam Reyes |
 "I really encourage you to come to this camp. It is a great camp... The staff here is great! They are very Godly, very mature, they guide your kids to the Lord, to focus on Him on His Word. I really encourage you to come." Enrique Magana |
 "We live very close to Rock-N-Water but it was totally worth it, it felt completely different from where we live. The kids are out in nature, getting to know creation, getting to know God, they are completely removed from everything they are preoccupied with back at home, all of the cell phones, internet, television... they are out there [in nature] getting to know themselves, getting to know God. The group is so much more cohesive now... the group is stronger, it’s better, and they can’t wait to come back next year. It’s a 50 minute drive for us to get up here, but even so, none of these kids have ever been rock climbing, real rock climbing on real rocks and gone canyoneering or whitewater rafting, so it was still completely out of their element, very challenging. They all grew within themselves, expanded their comfort-zone, and learned to trust each other, trust God a whole lot more. It was really cool." Laura Birdsall |
 "I can’t think of a better way to get God’s word into the hearts of youth. Sitting in the lap of God’s creation... gave me the confidence to say the things I needed to say to the kids." Tim Delkey (lay worker) |
 "We had just as much fun as past students had told us we were going to have... It’s an absolutely wonderful camp, it brings the kids together, they bond, they grow in friendships... It’s a good balance between the physical and the fun things but also brining in God’s word into what they are doing." Lisa Bloom |
 "If I were asked, “if anybody should come to Rock-N-Water?” I would definitely say yes. It’s been a great experience for our group. Just begin out underneath the stars, and getting on the water, whitewater river rafting, watching my kids splash around on the water and have fun... It’s been a great experience." Greg Stiles |
 "Definitely recommend coming up bring your students up here. My students just had a great time. Something they never experienced before. I kept asking the question, “have you ever done anything like this before?” and the answer was always, “no, no, no...” It was just an amazing trip that they are going to remember for their lifetime... It’s been a great time for my students, a great time for me as their leader, and I highly recommend coming up and enjoying it." Jason Whaling |
 "There are a lot of limitations students place upon themselves, specifically when it comes to overcoming challenges or obstacles in life... having these students see that they can overcome these physical limitations really correlates well to the spiritual aspect of knowing God in a deeper way. I think that really comes across in the staff here and with the challenges we do." David Frederick |
 "It’s a really awesome place, we’ve had a really great time... I want to recommend this place, it’s really awesome, your kids will love it, it’s high energy!" Amer Khokhar |
 "We’ve had some girls that have never camped before and they had an incredible time, totally were cool with the rock climbing and absolutely loved the water. I encourage you to come up here... The food is amazing, we walk away stuffed after every meal. It’s great being up here, being in nature, and getting closer to God. " April Dichosa |
 "I teach high school English in the inner city, so I have a different take than youth pastors. But what’s amazing about getting these kids out of the inner city is that they just are kids. They just want to have fun... They learn so much about unconditional love... when they are out here they just want to encourage each other and they are encourage by their friends and they love to be lifted up ... it’s a very selfless type of encouragement, because they are doing it just because they want to see their friends make it to the top, they just want to see their friends go one more step rock climbing. It sounds really simple, but it really transforms their heart, because they see a glimpse of God’s fingerprints on the the rocks when they are pushed and challenged and go way outside of their comfort zone. God shows them that they can do it and they actually can conquer, even when everything looks like they can’t, which is very reflective of their lives. So it’s really neat how much they see God out here in a unique way." Heather Buchta |
"Come to Rock-N-Water... You guys should all come, it’s awesome!" Bryan Whiteside |
 "It’s a great experience. It really gets the kids thinking and out of their comfort zone... Lots of good relational time to be able to spend with our kids. The staff is great, this experience is great, I’d highly recommend it." Joel Rothe |
 "I was so impressed with the confidence of the leaders. In fact I don’t think I have ever had a trip where I was able to relax so much, because I knew that they were in charge, they were looking out for safety, they were preparing things, everything was ready for us, and we had a blast. It allowed me to truly hang with my kids, and our youth, and our leaders. Rather than having to think about, “well, what should I be preparing for next?” The adventures that we got to experience we could never do on our own. Really... Places that we could never have gone to if it was just me trying to do my own trip. I was so encouraged. The food was amazing. I seriously can not believe how well they fed us being out in the back country, I don’t think I’ve fed people that well on my trips we do at church or where ever else we have kitchens... Highly recommend it." Travis Osborne |
 "The kids love it... the guides here at Rock-N-Water are fantastic, super friendly, experienced in what they do. The food is excellent, I don’t get sick of the food." Josh Johnson |
 "I love Rock-N-Water... I’ve been four times, and every time has been a new experience. Wonderful guides, food, hikes, rafting..." Donnabell Martin |
 "We absolutely love Rock-N-Water... The guides and the counselors are focused on God, and are so friendly, and they work with the students so well. The atmosphere is amazing it’s a true chance to really get away from everybody and meet God where He is in His nature. We’ve tried to get away at camps before, and we really don’t get away, but here we truly get away... The food is awesome, the kids sleep at night, they are excited about the next day and what’s going to happen. It’s always a new adventure... The atmosphere is so amazing and it brings us closer to God.... We feel it’s safe, it’s fun, and the kids look forward to it. " Kris Rolfson |
 "We love Rock-N-Water. This is our first year here and it was the best time of our life. Our kids after day one were begging us to come back for next year... [Dan:] It really builds a good unity in the youth group. It’s an amazing camp. We had a great time." JoBeth Greene |
 "Rock-N-Water came highly recommended, and I would highly recommend it to you... God has spoken to our kids in amazing ways through His creation. The guides are awesome... the food is great, being able to sleep under the stars is incredible. I would encourage you to try it out and see what you think." Jon McCann |
 "We brought up a few of our high school graduates to give them an experience on their own, away from families. But something that is challenging, to prepare them for college life, or their life ahead where they will have to make decisions... We had Christians and Non-Christians that came with us, so it was great for them to hear the testimony of others... Our guide was awesome, he stayed with us and brought God’s truth home whether we were here in camp or out on the rocks or out on the water. I would really recommend this to anybody, where it’s a family group, or a church group, or a boy scout group, it’s just an awesome experience." Rick Larimore |
 "It’s hard to get city kids to challenge themselves. To try what they have never done. The multiple programs at Rock-N-Water do that naturally. And the guides are great examples of Christian leaders. They point to Christ in their devotions, the way they pursue friendships with the kids, the way they lead the adventures, and the way they bend over backwards to make sure our kids have the most incredible experience possible. They showed my kids that God can do amazing things through young people." Jason Steffen |
 " Rock-N-Water is the one trip they really want to do each year... The staff bends over backwards for us, which is one of the ways we see God’s love here. ...Coming from the city where nature is a man made pond and they are constantly consumed with electronics, this is one of the few opportunities we have to fully experience God’s creation and the vastness of God’s work here on earth." Frank Harmon |
| "Wow! What a great experience – spiritually, physically and emotionally." Lisa Lait |
 "I liked having a lot of organized time together, being able to work as a team. It’s been really good. I like how our kids are cohesive and not free time sporadic. " Shaun Clay |
 "An experience like this, it builds a family bond within the youth ministry... the groups that come... our group, we become closer, more close nit and we have like this family bond that we grow. What’s really cool is that the staff and the guides here, they’re not just the staff and guides, they’re actually part of your family for that week, and it’s sad to see them go, but you build some great relationships, and every year you come back you get to see them and it’s just something beautiful. What mentorship happens here, it’s outstanding!" John Bocanegra |
 "I’m sick of summer camps! It’ s all entertainment and my kids hooking up with other kids. I want to challenge my kids and that’s what Rock-N-Water does for me. Most of my kids avoid doing anything hard. They sit in front of their computer, they listen to their I-Pods, they text message their friends. They are very sedentary. A lot of them have not been out in nature, not seen God s creation. It’s been great to see them stretch themselves, grow in their faith, and understand themselves better. ...Last year we brought 50 kids to Rock-N-Water, by November 49 of them were still involved in my ministry. And I give a lot of the credit to the fellowship that was developed at Rock-N-Water that summer." Joel Parkins |
 "Wonderful place to be. A wholesome environment The kids challenge themselves in ways they wouldn’t normally." Donna Foster |
 "Rock-N-Water successfully uses the outdoors and challenge to create an environment where the walls come down so the gospel and other personalized lessons can get through. ...The staff works so effectively with our kids. The depth of their training shows in their safety, integrity, sincerity, and the way they love the kids. It becomes incredibly obvious that they are here to serve." Pastor Mack Herrington |
 " Rock-N-Water... allows our students to leave a very comfortable world, to really experience God’s creation, and to push themselves and see what God might do." Dave Keehn |
 "I love taking kids out and introducing them to God’s creation by letting them experience it. Rock-N-Water is a great ministry to partner with in doing that. There are great people here." Bob Balzhiser |
 " It’s a ton of fun! ...its really surprising to see how the physical challenges lead directly into spiritual challenges. I see so much growth with my kids every year here. Its an eye opening experience for them to be in God’ s creation, focusing on Him, and at the same time being stretched in so many other ways, and having an amazing time so different than their life at home." Mandy Helton |
 "It’s beautiful here and the teenager’s we bring always have the best times of their lives. We get to enjoy God’s creation with every breath we take. The adventures are excellent and the guides are great." Chris Schmaltz |
 "This was so much fun! My kids were challenged yet never pushed too far. Safety is so important to the staff, which really helped me be comfortable with the adventures... ... Every person I met here was awesome. They were focused on the kids, not focused on each other. Their focus was always on the kids, their safety, getting to know them, having fun with them, and looking for opportunities to talk about the Lord..." Dan Gillman |
 "There are a lot of camps and retreats out there, but there is nothing like Rock-N-Water. It is unique, filling an important need within my ministry... Because of the time we spend here together, in situations where we have to rely on each other, the youth become united... The staff are top quality, its extremely safe while pushing kids limits... we had a great time." Bob Lee |
 " Rock-N-Water has staff that is enthusiastic about serving the Lord and leading our kids closer to Him. ...Here we do everything together which brings an awesome spirit of unity... good food, good family, and good fun! " Shane Dilisi |
 "The thing I like best about Rock-N-Water is how my group becomes a team here. We become very united. ...This operation does a high quality job. The adventures and food are great. The guides are on top of it, so safety is not an issue. They are stellar." Jason Williams |
 "If you really want your youth group to grow as a community, get them to do some challenging stuff. Rock-N-Water provides that. Our kids love it!" Jermaine Keller |
 "You are experiencing things together. You can’t got to Disneyland to do that, you can’t go to Big Bear for the weekend to do that. This is it." Andy - Volunteer |
 "My husband and I have been in youth ministry for 21 years, and I would have to say that this is probably one of the most precious camps that I’ve ever been to. I love how the staff interacts with all the kids and the leaders. The food was absolutely spectacular. It’s awesome, you can really feel the presence of the Lord here." Ann Marie |
 "It’s a great tool, working as a team with one another. Building each other up through helping each other. A lot of the things we did here were really based around team work, and helping others in general." Chris - Volunteer |
 "We get the whole package, we get to enjoy God’s amazing creation, we get to get challenged physically, challenged spiritually. It really builds our communities within our team of young people. It’s a living object lesson for our lives as the body of Christ. And it’s so much fun. The guides are great, all of them." Marla Schmaltz |
 "Bringing our kids out here, to spend time in the wilderness, literaly roughing it on the backpacking trip. I’ve seen the kids have more fun together than I’ve seen them have in a long time. And also seeing them dig into the Word in the quiet times, connecting with the guides here. Seeing the guides heart, not just for the kids, but also for the Lord, and that being reflected as them being really good examples." Mike |
 "Rock-N-Water does a great job of bring people out of their element and getting them into some real adventure. Legitimate, true adventure. It is every kids dream. It’s perfect." Mingo |
 "I have been to so many camps, inside and out, and I’ve got to tell you, Rock-N-Water is amazing. The food is amazing, the surrounding are is gorgeous, it’s wonderful to see the stars, to look up and see what God created. It’s adventurous, it’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s the place where you really need to be." Yanni G |
 "This is so awesome. Thank you God!" Stu Mudd |
Even more quotes from Youth Leaders on a second page...
Contact ROCK-N-WATER
Home | Whitewater Rafting | Rock Climbing | Backpacking | Team Challenge | Winter Retreats
Living History 49er Fun Camp | Adventures Trips | Adventure Camps | Guide School | Family Adventures
About us | Book a Trip | Map | Links | Logos | Work at Camp | Resources
Kids In Creation (in memory of Jason & Lindsay)
Copyright 1989-2010 Rock-N-Water. Web design by Why Not Design.
Illustration sketches by ArtiFact, Ink www.printsofpeace.com
