Cedar Ridge Ministries Statement Of Faith

“In gratitude to Almighty God for the gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and believing further that there is a definite need amongst the body, the church as a whole, to work together in unity so as to engage in the effective implementation of the principles as set forth in the Holy Word of God:  we therefore, declaring our unqualified belief in the entire written Word of God and humbly invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, do covenant together for the adoption of the following as the Statement of Faith for Cedar Ridge Ministries.

1)  We believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, to be the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative written Word of God.

2)  We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3)  We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, in His Virgin Birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

4)  We believe that for salvation of the lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

5)  We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling power and fullness the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life in this present fallen world.

6)  We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

7)  We believe in the Spiritual unity of all believers in Christ.”

Recognizing the diversity and uniqueness of each individual’s cultural, economic, social and church affiliated backgrounds, it is the policy of Cedar Ridge to encourage the outward expression of only those essentials of faith as set forth in the Statement of Faith above.  The promotion of secondary issues not essential to salvation by faith in Jesus Christ through God’s grace, although encouraged on an individual basis for the strengthening of an individual’s faith, is discouraged on a corporate basis.

Cedar Ridge Children’s Home has nearly 50 years experience in working with at-risk youth. We provide quality residential care for abused, abandoned, neglected, adjudicated and emotionally challenged boys between the ages of 6 and 17.5 at the time of admission.

From our first boys in 1965 to the young residents of today, Cedar Ridge has grown to include a therapeutic group home and a large group home consisting of four on-grounds cottages, one off-grounds cottage and an on-grounds special education school. We achieve great success with these boys through counseling, therapy, therapeutic recreation and adventure programming. These programs along with local church attendance and various other on-campus and community activities present the youth with many opportunities to succeed.

We provide stability through a safe, loving home environment. Our staff strives to instill positive influences to replace the negative influences these boys have encountered. By helping each young man realize the potential he has to achieve a meaningful, productive life, he is able to return and contribute to his own community as a positive and constructive member of society.

Cedar Ridge School provides for the academic, emotional and spiritual needs of all enrolled students.  Specifically, the school program serves students found eligible for Special Education services in a private, separate day facility, offering a highly structured, small group setting with access to crisis and counseling supports.  In addition to serving students with special needs, Cedar Ridge School is also able to provide a meaningful education for students receiving a general education curriculum.  These students also receive support in a private separate day facility that offers access to crisis and counseling supports as needed.

All students attending the Cedar Ridge School, whether receiving general education or special education services, are taught using the Maryland state curriculum.  Each county in the state of Maryland has different requirements for graduation, and Cedar Ridge School endeavors to provide the appropriate courses for each student, depending upon his county of origin. Typically, students referred to our Special Education program have not been able to be maintained successfully in a public school environment, even with intensive emotional/behavioral supports.  Those enrolled in our General Education program primarily include students in the residential program at Cedar Ridge who have not experienced success in a public school environment and would benefit from a more structured, small group setting.  The school serves male students, both residents and local day students from surrounding counties and is approved by the Maryland Department of Education to serve students eligible for Special Education with a primary disability of emotional disturbance or other health impairments such as ADHD as well as students who have no Special Education needs and are receiving a General Education curriculum.  The School also offers a transitional classroom for students living on campus who may need a temporary educational program while awaiting enrollment in a local public school setting.

Our school program offers support to students in a highly structured behavioral and therapeutic environment. We maintain small student to teacher ratios so that each student can receive the support he needs. In addition, we provide individual and group counseling to help students with special needs develop social and coping skills in order to better navigate the challenges of social situations. Students may also benefit from exposure to animals through therapeutic horseback riding and volunteering at the Humane Society.  Students participating in our General Education program who are residents receive counseling services as part of the residential program.