Montreat Conference Center is pleased to bring you This Week in Montreat, our summer publication which provides weekly updates and information about activities in the Montreat valley. This week, we are talking about the process of inviting pastors to preach for our Summer Worship Series, the Fourth of July in Montreat, and the world of Montreat Clubs. Find these, along with other important announcements, below.

On Preacher Selection for the Summer Worship Series

by Richard DuBose, president of Montreat Conference Center

As this, my eleventh summer, dawned in Montreat, a friend remarked: “Ten summers…so that means you have picked 100 preachers for Sunday morning worship, right?”  

His math was correct, more or less – ten years times ten preachers – but the follow-up question was harder. “How’d you pick all those preachers?” The short answer is that I didn’t pick them, and below, I’ll try to give the longer answer.

Pastors are invited to preach for our Summer Worship Series in Anderson Auditorium by a committee composed of staff members and members of the community. I serve on the committee, but another staff member, Carol Steele, serves as chair. There are three basic steps to each invitation cycle...

A Week in the World of Clubs

If you’ve spent a summer day in Montreat, you’ve probably heard the Clubbies before you’ve seen them. Throughout the week, you’ll find them shouting with joy as they run across Moore Center Field, splashing in the pool with their friends, or belting out camp songs in the barn. I got to spend time with these “Clubbies” (the spirited campers of Montreat Clubs) and over three days, I had the chance to step into their world...

This Sunday in Montreat

We are delighted to welcome leading preachers from across the country as they join with visual artists, musicians, and volunteers in a service of worship open to the surrounding community. All are welcome and all are invited.

This Sunday, June 29, we will be joined by Rev. John Molina-Moore, general presbyter of National Capital Presbytery in Washington, D.C. Services will begin in Anderson Auditorium at 10:30 am.

Immediately following the service, lunch will be served in the Galax dining room of Assembly Inn. Find the lunch menu and meal costs here.

• The Fourth of July is next week! Use this link to see a schedule of the day's activities, information about the parade, and more!
• The Montreat Cottagers will be selling tickets for their annual Fourth of July BBQ lunch through Wednesday, July 2. Tickets can be purchased from their booth outside the Montreat Post Office, at The Montreat Store, or at Red Radish. Only cash or check can be accepted. Click here for more information!
• Montreat's Arts, Music, and Theology lecture series starts next week! Join us for an evening of thought and meaningful conversation each Tuesday in July. Programs will begin in Convocation Hall at 7:00 pm. Events are free of charge and all are welcome! For more information, click here!
• Did you know that our Summer Worship Series has a podcast? You can hear a wide variety of guest preachers on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts . Click here to listen!

• The Annual Perimeter Hike is this Tuesday! Join the Rangers on this full-day hike that has become a Montreat Fourth of July week tradition. Click here for more information about public hikes this summer!
• Go for a canoe or paddleboat ride on Lake Susan! The boats are open daily from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. For more information about hours and pricing, click here.
• Please note a change of time and location for our Fourth of July barn dance next Friday. Instead of taking place in the Barn, we will gather on the Patricia Cornwell Tennis Courts at 7:00 pm. These changes help to accommodate larger crowds and allow us to take full advantage of the evening’s light.

• Join us this week for a summer favorite! Learn how to sculpt your own life-like Montreat black bear figurines or other creatures from your imagination during “Blair's Bears and Creatures” with Blair Hartman. Click this link to sign up!
• We are currently in the process of rebuilding our Raku kiln that was lost during Hurricane Helene. We plan to celebrate next week by hosting a special Raku firing on Thursday, July 3, at 2:00 pm. Visit the craft shop to see how you can participate!
• Don’t forget about our annual Fourth of July Auction! If you have a handmade item you would like to donate to the cause, bring it by the craft shop next week. 100% of the proceeds support Montreat’s arts ministry. Learn more about the auction here!
• Registration for all classes offered at the Currie Craft Center and Sally Jones Pottery Studio can be completed online. To find a complete schedule of offerings, click here.

• What does the Montreat Fund do? The Montreat Fund supports Summer Staff! The Summer Staff program is vital to summertime memories here in Montreat and gifts to the Montreat Fund support this program each year!
• Make a gift to the Montreat Fund to support Summer Staff here!

Montreat Conference Center, a ministry of the Mountain Retreat Association, is a national conference center located in Western North Carolina with roots in the PC(USA). More at www.montreat.org.