Christian Encounter Ranch (CER) has been dedicated to the purpose of reclaiming damaged young people for more than forty years. Since its inception in 1970, CER has provided a safe haven for troubled youth where they can begin the process of the restoration of their physical, emotional, academic, and spiritual lives. Located in the Sierra Nevada foothills north of Sacramento, Christian Encounter has an 86-acre ranch with facilities for twelve to eighteen residents, and is currently accepting females between the ages of 16 and 25, and males between the ages of 16 and 21. The rural setting offers residents a stark contrast between the peace available here and the chaos of their current living conditions.
Alongside the residential program (“Tending Lives…”), we offer an internship for college students and graduates seeking experience in the youth guidance and ministry fields (“Training Leaders”). Students from many colleges have used an internship at CER to round out their academic training before continuing their education or launching into their professions. Pepperdine University, William Jessup University, Johnson University, Patrick Henry College, Wheaton College, Biola University, and others have granted credit for students interning at CER. By providing this training, we multiply ourselves beyond the borders of our 86-acres and touch the lives of many more young people.