Each summer, hundreds of youth travel to the mountains of Western North Carolina for Montreat Youth Conference, an event which welcomes nearly 4,000 high school youth annually. While in attendance, they enjoy a week of worship, music, recreation, and spiritual connection. However, many are unaware of those working behind the scenes to make the conference happen. They are the heart of the operation: the conference planning team. This group of youth and adults don’t just help the conference run smoothly; they create the experience together from the ground up.
There are three planning teams responsible for organizing the conference each summer. Each team is made up of 10 members, including both youth and adults, who focus on two specific weeks of the conference. These teams form about two years before their conference actually happens and during that time, they hold Zoom meetings, attend a retreat, and forge deep bonds that last well beyond the summer.
Planning team members play a hands-on role in shaping every aspect of the conference, from planning recreation events to choosing the conference theme. Each team includes one youth and one adult dedicated to the four core areas of the conference: recreation, worship, small groups, and keynote. These members work closely with stage leadership and year-round staff to plan and present all events. Whether it is coming up with fun games, implementing a creative worship element, making sure every cue during keynote is executed, or planning meaningful small group activities, Planning Team members are always included in the decision-making process.
Sofia, a member of the team responsible for weeks five and six, shared that the planning retreat was her favorite part of the process.
“You really get to come together and see everyone’s visions come to life to create a theme that is meaningful and relevant” she explained.
Katherine, another member from that team, says that her favorite part was “knowing that I have been able to have an impact on the conference.”
Serving on a planning team is a lot of fun, but it can also be challenging. It involves thinking outside of the box and working with others to present your ideas. That mix of challenge and fun is what makes the planning team experience so special.
“You give a lot, but you are also receiving so much,” Sofia said. “It is a different experience from attending the conference as a youth but a very positive one. It allows you to grow in different ways than you could from attending.”
Even though it’s a long-term commitment, the experience is filled with energy, laughter, and unforgettable memories.
Meredith, a veteran who served on a 2023 planning team, recalls her time saying, “We made funny, crazy, awesome memories doing something crazy: putting on a whole youth conference together, we are bonded for life.”
Each planning team doesn’t just build a conference; they build a family.
“We still have a group chat, we have reunions. We are still a family,” said Meredith. “I could lean on them, and they could lean on me.”
The process is full of hard work. There are deadlines to meet, decisions to make, and long days of preparation. Team members describe feeling a joyful kind of exhaustion, because even when things are hard, they can trust and rely on their teammates and know that the work they are doing has a real impact. These groups are connected by their passion for the conference and their love of Montreat.
“It’s a leap of faith,” Meredith shared. “There are so many learning curves, but I learned so much from it. The biggest lesson I learned from the planning team was to trust the process. It applies to planning but also to faith. Sometimes you can’t see what God is planning, and you have to trust God’s process.”
Joining the planning team means stepping into something bigger than yourself. If Montreat has ever felt like a sacred space to you and if you have ever wanted to help shape that experience for someone else, then joining a planning team might just be your next step. Montreat is currently accepting applications for the 2027 Montreat Youth Conference and Middle School Conference planning teams. Take the leap of faith and apply today.
This article was written by Kayden Foyles and originally published in the September edition of Montreat Conference Center’s email newsletter Experiencing Connection which highlights opportunities for youth and young adults at Montreat. Sign up to receive Experiencing Connection directly in your inbox by clicking here.