On Wildlife and Hospitality 06/16/2023
Richard DuBose, president of Montreat Conference Center, writes a weekly message to Montreat. An excerpt of this weeks message is below. To read his full message, click the "Read More" button below the excerpt.
Over my first thirty-or-so summers in Montreat, I never saw a bear. This summer alone I’ve seen several, including the little dipper that parked itself in a tree outside our office window the other day. Generally, the number of bear sightings is up around town. Bear-related anxiety seems to be on the rise, too…as is, paradoxically, the desire to spot a bear. Last Sunday’s preacher, tongue in cheek, professed that the family had yet to encounter a bear despite almost 24 hours in the valley. Clearly, bears are a hot topic. What’s actually happening here? In setting out to answer
. . .
This Sunday in Montreat
We are delighted to continue our Summer Worship Series in which leading preachers from across the country join with visual artists, musicians, and volunteers in a service of worship open to the surrounding community. All are welcome and all are invited.
All summer worship services take place in Anderson Auditorium at 10:30 am.
Preaching Sunday, June 18, 2023
Weekly Rundown |
|
| Sunday, June 18 | |
| 10:30 am | Summer Worship Service with Rev. Peter J.M. Henry, Anderson Auditorium |
| 11:45 am | Sunday Buffet, Galax Dining Room |
| 7:00 pm |
Hymn Sing, |
|
7:30 |
Worship & Music Opening Worship, |
| Tuesday, June 20 | |
| 9:00 am |
Public Hike (full day), |
| 7:00 pm |
Arts, Music, and Theology Lecture |
| 7:30 pm | Worship & Music Talent Show, Anderson Auditorium |
| Wednesday, June 21 | |
| 7:30 pm | Worship & Music Hymn Festival, Anderson Auditorium |
| Thursday, June 22 | |
| 9:00 am |
Public Hike (half day), |
| 9:00 am | Skills Demo: Hiking and Camping 101, Nature Center |
| 7:30 pm | Worship & Music Chamber Concert, Anderson Auditorium |
| Friday, June 23 |
|
| 7:30 pm | Friday Night at the Barn, The Barn |
| 7:30 pm | Worship & Music Closing Concert, Anderson Auditorium |
| Saturday, June 24 |
|
| 7:00 am | Second Loaf (more info below) |
| Sunday, June 25 |
|
| 10:30 am | Summer Worship Service with Rev. Anna George Traynham, Anderson Auditorium |
| 11:45 am | Sunday Buffet, Galax Dining Room |
| 7:00 pm | Hymn Sing, Lake at Left Bank (rain plan- Assembly Inn Lobby) |
Montreat Conference Center is hiring! Check out our full listing of employment opportunities at montreat.org/employment.
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Montreat has an app! Use it to keep up to date with conferences and events, maps, and more. To download the app, download “Yapp” in the Google Play or Apple Store. Enter the Yapp ID “MONTREAT”. Enjoy!
This Summer in Montreat
This Summer in Montreat (TSIM) is a publication of Montreat Conference Center gathering all of the hours, contact details, and opportunities for guest in the summer months.
Montreat Pool Updates
Starting Monday, June 19, the Pool will be open Monday - Saturday to public, standard hours
(1:00-6:00 pm), closed on Sunday.
Wilderness Hiking Program
The Ranger staff will offer public hikes each Tuesday and Thursday during the summer conference season with two special full day Saturday hikes. Skill demonstrations will be held on Thursdays. All hikes and skills demonstrations are free and open to the public. You must be 13 or older to attend a hike without an adult guardian. Hikes will leave at 9:00 am, unless otherwise, noted from the Montreat Nature Center, located at 301 Lookout Road. All hikes this summer are subject to change based on weather. Return times are approximate.
Hydroelectric Tour
- Date: Tuesday, June 20
- Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
- Place: The Nature Center
Skills Demo: Hiking & Camping 101
- Date: Thursday, June 22
- Time: 9:00 am
- Place: The Nature Center
Lookout Loop
- Date: Thursday, June 22
- Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Place: The Nature Center
Crafts and Pottery
The Currie Craft Center and Sally Jones Pottery are a collaborative ministry of Montreat Conference Center. Craft and pottery classes are open to people 12 years and older. Class offerings vary from week to week. In addition to classes, we offer independent throwing and hand building.
Sign up for classes begins online each Friday morning at 9:00 am. The class registration link will be at the top of the Crafts & Pottery page. If you need further assistance, please email montreatpottery@gmail.com or call Ann Laird Jones at 662.347.3614.
|
Pottery Hours (Upstairs) |
|
|---|---|
| Monday–Tuesday | 9:00 am–12:00 pm 2:00–5:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 9:00 am–12:00 pm |
| Thursday | 2:30–5:30 pm Pottery Glazing |
| Friday | Normally closed |
| Saturday | 8:00–11:00 am Pottery Pickup |
|
Craft Hours (Downstairs) |
|
| Monday–Thursday | 2:00–5:00 pm |
Presbyterian Heritage Center
318 Georgia Terrace. 828.669.6556. Free admission.
This center offers multiple museum displays, special events, art galleries, and a reference library. Free WiFi and air-conditioning. Summer exhibits include: Missions in a Changing World; Minting a Tradition: Communion Tokens; Trains, Timber & Tourists: The Story of the Mt. Mitchell Railroad; Early Montreat; Chronicle, Culture & Context: Archaeology & the Old Testament; Who Are Presbyterians?; Montreat Scottish Society and much more!
| Heritage Center Hours | |
|---|---|
| Tuesday–Friday | 10:00 am–4:00 pm |
| Saturday | 12:00–4:00 pm |
| Sunday–Monday | closed |
| Free Admittance | |
Craft'n Around
We are having family craft nights this summer!
These events are designed for families of all ages. Youth 12 years of age and above can attend by themselves. Grandparents or parents must accompany children under 12 years of age. Come and explore your creativity while meeting new people and having fun! Cost is $6 per person (cash or check only).
| Dates |
|---|
|
Tuesday, June 27, 6:30–8:30 pm |
| Location |
|
404 Assembly Drive, downstairs in the Currie Craft Center |
Arts, Music, and Theology
Arts, Music, and Theology is a mission and ministry of Montreat Conference Center. Its purpose is to provide the community with educational nourishment via various lectures and lecturers during our summer season. Themes of the lectures span disciplines.
“Melodious Accord: Singing the Hymns of Alice Parker”
Beth Neville Lancaster Evans and Janet Legro
- Date: Tuesday, June 20, 2023
- Time: 7:00 pm
- Place: Convocation Hall
Friday Night at the Barn
Summer dances will take place on Friday nights through August 5.
- Date: Friday, June 23
- Time: 7:30-10:00 pm
- Place: The Barn
Big circle mountain dancing is a special Montreat tradition! It's a fun filled night of dances called by the Bannerman family and music from the Stoney Creek Boys. All are welcome, and admission is free.
Pickleball
Pickleball is offered June 5–August 4, Monday and Friday mornings from 10:15 am–12:30 pm. The cost is $3 per session. Pickleball will conclude for the summer after the first week in August.
The Huckleberry Café
The newly renovated Huckleberry is now open! Thanks to generous donors, and efforts of staff and partners, the top floor of the Moore Center has been completely renovated to offer a state-of-the-art dining facility for Montreat visitors. In addition to a fully renovated interior, The Huckleberry menu has also been reworked and will include Dynamite Coffee, ice cream, burgers, the Tennessee Twister, and more!
| Huckleberry Summer Hours | June 5–August 5 | |
|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | 8:00 am–9:00 pm |
| Saturday | 8:00 am–3:00 pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Second Loaf
Second Loaf continues its long history of collecting food donations for the food insecure in our community beginning Saturday, June 10 (except for July 8), and ending Saturday, August 5, in the parking lot area in front of Black Mountain Presbyterian Church. Second Loaf can only take unopened shelf-ready foods. Frozen, fresh, and prepared foods cannot be accepted. We are grateful for the generous response of groups who drop off their "second loaves" on their way home!
| Second Loaf Hours | |
|---|---|
| Saturdays | 7:00–11:00 am |
Interested in renting your home to Youth Groups in 2024?
Each year we have youth groups looking for suitable housing for their Montreat Youth Conference experience and we are beginning to update our Private Housing List. Are you interested in renting your house to youth groups in 2024? If so, please fill out the form below, even if you are on our current list. This will allow us to have the most up-to-date information for our list.
If you have questions, please email us at privatehousing@montreat.org.
One Person's Trash
Clubs Crafts has a wish list! Please place items outside the porch of the Currie Craft Center by the double doors or contact Lynn Turnage at 828.707.6354 and/or Susan Haws at 615.584.1009.
- Paper plates - any size
- Ziplock baggies - all sizes
- Wood burners - of any kind
- Old candles or paraffin wax
- Sandbox sand
- Electric extension cords strips
- Electric pencil sharpeners
- Masking tape - any width
- Sandpaper - all grits
- Hemlock pinecones
- Acorn caps
- Hickory nut halves
- Marbles
- Paper towels
- Mod Podge
The Montreat Store
The Montreat Store is an awesome mix of boutique, gift shop, and general store. From snacks to t-shirts to toiletries to books to pottery, the Montreat Store has it all!
| The Montreat Store Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | 10:00 am–6:00 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am–5:00 pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Contact: 828.669.5298
Located: 2nd floor, Moore Center
Ten Thousand Villages
Ten Thousand Villages is a global maker‑to‑market movement that breaks the cycle of generational poverty and ignites social change in the developing world.
| Ten Thousand Villages Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | 10:00 am–6:00 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am–5:00 pm |
| Sunday | Noon–5:00 pm |
Contact: 828.669.1406
Located: 3rd floor, Moore Center
Galax Sunday Buffet
The Galax Dining room is open for Sunday lunch June 4–August 6. Non-refundable tickets may be purchased at the Assembly Inn front desk and used on any Sunday. You can call the front desk at 828.669.2911 for more information or to purchase tickets.
| Adults | Ages 5–11 | Under 5 |
| $17.00 | $8.50 | FREE |
The menu for Sunday, June 18 is:
Greek Lemon Chicken
Herb Baked Whitefish
Mashed Potatoes
Lima Bean Succotash
Buttered Broccoli & Cauliflower
Rolls, Butter
Fruit, Salad Bar, Assorted Desserts
Development Summer Events
To support these activities and all aspects of Montreat's ministry visit montreat.org/support.
Welcome Center at the Gatehouse
The Montreat Gate House will be open June 5-August 4. Those interested in volunteering at the Welcome Center should contact Martha Todd Sloan, director of donor engagement at marthas@montreat.org or 828.419.9883.
| Gatehouse Welcome Center Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | 10:00 am–4:00 pm |
Support Montreat
Support Summer in Montreat and all aspects of Montreat's ministry!
Hymn Sings
It’s time for singing on Sunday nights at Montreat! Each Sunday evening from June 4 through August 6 you are invited to come to Assembly Inn Lobby at 7:00 pm, our usual place to gather. *Note the venue changes on June 25 (singing by the lake at Left Bank - rain location Assembly Inn Lobby) and July 16 (Presbyterian Heritage Center).
You will enjoy an hour of singing or listening to your favorite hymns, learn some new hymns, and learn a little about some of the hymns we sing on Sunday mornings. Come!
| Hymn Sing Lineup | |
|---|---|
| Date | Leader |
| June 18 | Bekah Caruso |
| June 25* | Beth Neville Lancaster Evans |
| July 2 | Susan Strickland |
| July 9 | Susan Strickland |
| July 16* | Eric Wall |
| July 23 | Vivian Hare and Keith Grogg |
| July 30 | Wayne Smith |
| August 6 | Eunice Wonderly Stackhouse |