What is a
thriving church?

booming   +   burgeoning   +   developing   +   flourishing   +   growing   +   healthy   +   prosperous   +   robust
Most churches want to be described by these words.

But we live in a time when the church might seem relegated to the bench: a diminished community institution surviving in a facility built for the burgeoning of yesteryear. Individuals and churches are facing complicated questions of mission, vitality, diversity, community and more. And because these issues vary from church to church and community to community, there's no template for addressing them meaningfully. One thing is clear: congregations need tools for unlocking their power to make a difference in their communities. In a polarized, weary, war-worried culture, a sharp focus borne out of deep community listening can shift a congregation into thriving.

Montreat's Thriving Congregations
Cohorts are about this work!

Montreat Conference Center recently received a second grant from the  Lilly Endowment, Inc. to continue our Thriving Congregations work that began in 2021. Over the next four years, we’ll gather two different cohorts of 10-12 churches each to explore how  community and congregational thriving can be linked.
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What?

Together, teams learn the skills of what community organizing means to a church in their community and beyond. Our partner The Black Mountain School of Theology and Community offers our organizing training. The in-person curriculum is interactive and designed to let church teams support one another as they each dive deeply into the particularities of their own communities.The Black Mountain School’s expertise includes theological ethnography, community organizing, contextual understanding, and innovative church work grounded in theological action research. With these skills, and Montreat's ability to help churches connect and learn together, this learning and coaching builds on itself.

Churches engaging in this process leave with a deeper understanding of the systems at work in their community, a vision for where the church can impact those systems for good, and a roadmap for thriving as they become even more integral to and rooted in the place where they are.

Who? 

Each church brings its own team of four to six people, including their pastor. Each team designates a team leader who is not the pastor.

When and Where? 

Church teams commit to being part of the cohort for about 18 months, meeting in Montreat for a total of three three-day gatherings, the first dates for which are listed below.  While room and board is covered by the grant once groups arrive, each church group is responsible for their own travel. Between visits to Montreat, faculty from The Black Mountain School coach the local church teams and conduct site visits.

Cohort 4 Dates
October 12-14, 2026: First Meeting
February 10-12, 2027: Second Meeting
October 11-13, 2027: Third Meeting

Cohort 5 will launch in the Fall of 2028, so if now isn’t the right time for your church, you’ll have another chance!

How? 

Fill out the form below to let us know you're interested (or would just like to know more), and we'll follow up with you soon.

Thriving Congregations Interest Form