Mark Brock, pastor of Crossway Baptist Church in Bakersfield, is committed to teaching and preaching God’s Word by clearly explaining the meaning of the text and helping others grasp its significance for their everyday lives. Mark was saved at an early age and shortly before entering college felt God calling him to pastoral ministry. During his time at Maranatha Baptist University, he met his wife Charity and felt God leading them to the Western US. He served in youth and college ministries until they moved to Bakersfield in 2006 to start Crossway. He earned Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree in expository preaching from The Master’s Seminary. Mark and Charity have six children and are also involved in foster care.

We encourage you to unplug from your e-mail, texting, and social media! Put your phone on airplane mode for the majority of the retreat. Enjoy a new place at a different pace!

Arrival and Departure: Everyone coming to an Ironwood camp, retreat, or conference must register at the office. Please do so upon arrival. The office is open at arrival times and each work day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. First and last meals, as well as registration times, will be announced in the brochure for each camp.

Late Arrivals: Should your arrival be delayed for some reason, please call the camp office at 760.257.3503 to hold your reservations and to give us an estimate of your arrival time, especially if you will be late for the first meal.

What to Bring: Bed and bath linens are provided for campers age 18 and up. Campers should bring a flashlight, Bible, note pad, pen or pencil, toiletries, and spending money. Please call if you have questions. You might also want to bring suntan lotion, sunglasses, Chap Stick, hat, flip-flops to wear to and from the lake, and a camera.

Please do not bring pets, cigarettes, drugs, fireworks, or clothing with worldly advertising.

Special Diets: Because we cannot accommodate various special diets, please bring your own supplementary foods, if needed. A refrigerator, microwave, and toaster are available to store and prepare special diet foods. Food from a Homestead meal may be set aside for a future meal.

Clothing Tips: During spring, fall, and winter camps, the weather in the desert varies from quite warm to quite cold. Be prepared for either. For horseback riding, boots or shoes with heels are encouraged for a safer situation.

Ladies . . . Any fashion worn must come to the top of the knee. Appropriate clothing includes knee-length shorts, skirts, or dresses and loose-fitting pants or jeans. Colored, modest shorts must be worn over swimsuits. If the top of the swimsuit is not lined or has a low neckline in front or back, a colored T-shirt or tank top must be worn over it. A large towel or cover-up must be worn while going to and from the lake.

Gentlemen . . . Long pants are recommended for services and evening meals. Other fashions that come to the knee are appropriate for activity times.  Swimsuits must be modest, trunk-type suits. No excessively tight, thin, or short suits.

Firearms: If firearms are brought, they are to be used only at the shooting range and at scheduled times. They should be locked in your vehicle at all other times.

Lost & Found: Lost and found items not requested within 30 days will be disposed of. Requested items will be mailed at your expense.