This week, our Marketing Assistant, Kayden Foyles, began shadowing and working with summer staff from other departments to get an idea of how their work supports the Montreat experience. To help her communicate and share what she is experiencing, Kayden has been trained to collect information using a variety of creative writing techniques. Today, I would like to share a few of the strategies that she is utilizing in case you are interested in using them to document your own Montreat experience this summer. Keeping a Visual Journal The first tool that Kayden is using is a visual journal. Here, …
The Impact of Summer Staff
Welcoming summer staff each year signifies for many “the real beginning” to the summer season. That’s because it is hard – perhaps even impossible – to articulate the full impact of the summer staff tradition on Montreat summers – both on those who participate and on Montreat itself. Among the many portals into the Montreat community, few have endured longer or been more influential than the work and legacy of our summer staff. Last year in this space, I sounded a note of caution as we entered the season projecting lower levels of staffing than we’d previously experienced. In the …
Sharing Stories from a Place Set Apart
It’s a bright, clear day as I walk out of The Huckleberry holding a cup of ice cream one afternoon in late May. I hear the leaves rustling in nearby trees and see ripples on the surface of Lake Susan as a light breeze blows past. As I walk by, a pair of summer staff who have just arrived comment on how good the lake looks while, just ahead of me, three young children follow their mother around the lake. They run and laugh, overjoyed that school is out and summer is here at last. I’m sure that for many …
A Season of Restoration and Rejoicing
The time is at hand to welcome another vibrant summer in Montreat, to greet returning friends and new faces alike to sacred spaces here in the valley for a time of renewal, connection, and joy in our beloved mountains. This summer’s schedule is familiar with six Youth Conferences, Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ two Worship and Music Conferences, the Fourth of July Week, and nine weeks of recreation programs, all framed by ten worship services between May and August. Registrations indicate a similar number of participants of all ages are readying for the multitude of opportunities for worship and learning, exercise …
Thank You for a Wonderful Summer at Montreat Conference Center
As the summer draws to a close and I contemplate one more This Week in Montreat, here are some notes and musings that I thought would make for a good write-up if I could just make the summer last a little bit longer: For now, let me extend my deepest gratitude to those honorees for their lifetime of service to Montreat and, while I’m at it, my thanks as well to all the staff, volunteers, and participants in our summer of 2024. Your enthusiasm and engagement made the difference in every event, workshop, and gathering. As you say so long …
This Week in Montreat – July 28, 2024
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – July 21, 2024
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
Testing Board Decisions and Assumptions
Summer is passing so quickly that I was astonished to look up yesterday and realize that we are completing week seven of the conference center’s summer season. From childhood, I remember well how quickly summer flew by following the Fourth of July, and the phenomenon reoccurs even now. The pace of litigation regarding the proposed new lodge provides an alternative for those who prefer a slower tempo. To review the timeline, here are the most basic facts: If the above recap reads a little dry, I understand; nevertheless, it’s best to refrain from much public comment on the case while …
This Week in Montreat – July 14, 2024
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
Assembly Inn Update: On Occupancy Rates and Why They Matter (Even If You Never Stay There)
This past spring, our senior leadership team was reviewing some key metrics at the close of our fiscal year. One of those metrics that we track annually is the occupancy rate at Assembly Inn. Emily Causey, our vice president for hospitality, reported that Inn occupancy for the year ending April 30th had reached a new high of 54%, a figure almost twice the rate reported a decade ago. This is an especially important metric in “breaking the cycle” referred to in last week’s post. What struck the team, however, was Emily’s observation that the Inn was approaching capacity with little …
This Week in Montreat – July 7, 2024
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – June 30, 2024
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – June 23, 2024
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – June 16, 2024
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – June 9, 2024
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – June 2, 2024
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – July 30, 2023
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – July 23, 2023
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – July 16, 2023
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – July 9, 2023
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – July 2, 2023
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – June 18, 2023
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – June 11, 2023
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – June 4, 2023
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).
This Week in Montreat – July 31, 2022
This Week in Montreat is a weekly publication by Montreat Conference Center of events, activities, and notices in the Montreat Valley during the summer months (late May through early August).