Timber Bay Brainerd / Crosby Community Group

Timber Bay Brainerd / Crosby Community Group includes activities such as a weekend retreat to Timber Bay Camp & Retreat Center, Fall Kickback, Winter Blast, Summer Camp, WorkCrew Camps, and Summer Lake Activities. The program also offers outdoor adventure trips, including time in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and canoeing down the Mississippi River.

• Ages: 10–18 years old
• Schedule: Weekly after-school community group meetings for Brainerd Middle School (grades 5–7) on Mondays, Brainerd High School (including grade 8) on Thursdays, and Crosby Middle & High School on Tuesdays

Serving in the Brainerd Lakes community since 1984, Timber Bay Brainerd / Crosby Community Group is part of Timber Bay, which has used camping retreats and community group gatherings throughout the upper Midwest since 1970. Timber Bay is a collection of community groups focused on youth, with each community group holding a weekly gathering for middle school and high school students in its area. After teens return from camp, Timber Bay continues long-term mentoring relationships with them and their friends in their Brainerd Lakes hometown.

Timber Bay exists to bring the hope and love of Jesus Christ to youth and is motivated by faith in Christ to instill hope, build identity, and create belonging. Timber Bay is described as a seasoned Christian organization of professional youth workers who care about youth and accept them just as they are, with no strings attached. Timber Bay community staff and volunteers bring their students to Timber Bay Camp & Retreat Center year-round to build upon relationships that begin in their hometown, and outdoor experiences and adventure trips are used as peak experiences away from everyday life for self-discovery and growth. Each staff member lives off the support they raise so they can invest their time into the lives of young people.

Timber Bay Ministries is a part of the Youth Investment Foundation, which is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and undergoes an annual audit. The leadership team connected to Timber Bay Brainerd / Crosby Community Group includes Dave Bennett (Brainerd/Crosby Area Director), Anna Jordan (Brainerd Volunteer), Paul Johnson (Brainerd WorkCrew Coordinator), Wednesday Bennett (Brainerd Administrative Assistant), and Chuck Whitworth (Brainerd Volunteer), along with organizational leaders such as President/CEO Jon Ring and VP Operations Mark Ritchie, and the Timber Bay Board of Directors. Timber Bay Camp & Retreat Center is described as a “home away from home” for teens and is also available for rental by outside groups.

All students must have a completed Activity Form in order to participate in Timber Bay activities, and this form is returned to the Community Group Director.

Last updated July 25, 2026.