Every summer, the sounds of laughter, cheering, and camp songs fill Montreat as hundreds of kids spend their days exploring with their counselors, playing games with their friends, and engaging in a Christian community. For many families, Montreat Clubs isn’t just a place to spend the day while parents attend conferences. It’s a tradition. Kids come back year after year to reunite with counselors and friends, and before long, Montreat starts to feel like a second home. Montreat Clubs & Child Care is designed for children from two years old through recently graduated high school seniors. Whether families are visiting …

Every Sunday morning throughout the summer, hundreds of people gather in Anderson Auditorium for worship at Montreat Conference Center. Guests experience inspiring music, meaningful liturgy, and a thoughtfully planned service, but what many do not see is the preparation and creativity that happens behind the scenes each week. Each service features a guest preacher whose unique message is supported by music and liturgical art. Together, these elements create a worship experience that engages people through sight, sound, and reflection. Planning for worship begins well before Sunday morning. Once the scripture and sermon themes are selected, members of the worship planning …

Long before the first guests file into the Katherine McKay Belk Dining Room for Sunday lunch, a dedicated team has already spent months preparing for the season ahead. While visitors see a welcoming dining space filled with familiar favorites and homemade desserts, behind the scenes is a staff whose thoughtful planning, teamwork, and commitment to hospitality make every meal possible.  Planning for the summer begins in the spring. Each April, the dining room leadership team gathers to map out menus for the entire season. Every Sunday lunch is carefully designed to offer variety while avoiding repetition. They review past menus, monitor food prices, consider ingredient availability, …

The morning air is cool, but you just know that it’s going to be hot and muggy in the next few hours. Birdsong and the sounds of other little critters are echoing through Montreat Valley. You hear the echoes of music being sung in the auditorium. While most visitors are still eating breakfast or making their way to programs, the Montreat Wilderness Rangers are already sharpening their tools and planning their day out in the woods. Spend the day with the Rangers, and it quickly becomes clear that their work is more than hiking and maintaining trails. Every task they …

When I spent a week shadowing Montreat’s Facilities Crew, better known as the Aud Crew, I quickly realized just how much work happens behind the scenes to keep the conference center running smoothly. Guests often notice the beautiful mountain views, welcoming facilities, and well-prepared meeting spaces, but many never pay attention to the people responsible for making those experiences possible.  From the moment I arrived each day, the crew would already be hard at work. No two days looked the same. Throughout the week, I helped with trash runs at lodges and facilities, delivered supplies across campus, answered guest questions, and checked restrooms to make sure they were stocked …

Have you ever been in a room when a microphone suddenly stopped working, a presentation slide wouldn’t load, or the sound cut out unexpectedly? If you have, then you’ve seen firsthand how quickly technical challenges can impact an event. When everything is working as it should, those behind-the-scenes details often go completely unnoticed. Microphones should be clear, slides should appear on cue, and lighting should be perfect for every moment. What most people don’t realize is that none of these things happen automatically. During my time shadowing the Production Crew (also known as the AV crew) I gained a new appreciation for the people working behind the scenes to make …

Before shadowing the Conference Support team, I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what it takes to run a successful conference. Like most attendees, I noticed the keynote speakers, worship services, recreation activities, and smiling staff members who make each week memorable. What I didn’t see was the network of people working behind the scenes to make those moments possible. After spending time with Deanna, Hudson, Ryleigh, and Meredith, I quickly discovered why Conference Support is often called “the glue that keeps conferences together.” Their work touches nearly every part of the conference experience, yet much of what …