Back Home Leader Chats: Shannon Guse

Shannon Guse is DCE for Youth and Young Adult Ministries at Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee FL.

In this interview she tells about prayer partners between members of her congregation and her youth, and also tells us the latest activities of the Presbyterian Youth Workers Association at www.pywa.org and on Facebook. In addition she shares the efforts that her Session is making in area of college ministry.

Back Home Leader Chats: Ellen Shields

Ellen Shields is Director of Youth Ministries at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church in New Orleans LA.

In this interview she shares why staying in Assembly Inn is great for her group and gives an overview of youth ministry in her congregation as well as info about a great mission program called RHINO--"Rebuilding Hope in New Orleans."

This Week in Montreat - Issue #10

Download this issue of This Week in Montreat (PDF)

Crossroads in a Cul-de-sac
Montreat is not the center of the world — not even the center of the one church of Jesus Christ. But in the small sliver of the one church we know well, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), it remains a key place of exchange, conversation, encounter — a crossroads, so to speak.

People across this Presbyterian Church sometimes complain that Montreat is not a place of easy accessibility. There is no hub airport here; there is no train service. In fact, unless you hike out the back, Montreat is, quite frankly, a cul-de-sac.

But this summer, in this cul-de-sac, besides the thousands of conferees from congregations stretching from Bismarck, North Dakota, to Sarasota, Florida, and international church leaders from Havana, Cuba, to Seoul, Korea, I have spotted the following: four presidents of seminaries related to the PCUSA (there are ten in all); the current Moderator of the General Assembly; one former Moderator (and I know of two more former Moderators on their way); the editors of at least two major church periodicals; a former president of the National Council of Churches of Christ; the current president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches; the Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council; perhaps a dozen college or seminary professors of Bible, theology, mission, and church history; plus more pastors, Christian educators, church musicians, missionaries, and elders than can be easily counted.

Where is there a more convenient place to engage in conversation about what God is doing in and through this communion of the one church of Jesus Christ? What better cul-de-sac for pausing to garner fresh vistas on the challenges and the callings we have as Presbyterians or to network with church leaders who will become resources for us when we go back home?

Admittedly, Montreat is not at the center of everything, but what a crossroads this little mountain cul-de-sac has become and remains for so many!

Grace and peace,
Pete

* * * * *

Courtney Kovacs is the Creative Assistant at Montreat Conference Center. She works on This Week In Montreat and the Sunday Worship Bulletins. This is her second year on Summer Staff.

Courtney can be reached at creativeassistant@montreat.org.

Back Home Leader Chats: Kim McNeill

Kim McNeill is Staff Associate for Youth/Congregational Life at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill NC.

In this interview she shares lots of insight into their large program for youth ministry and how she promotes it among the congregation and with parents.

Chat with Cat: The Gift of Place

I just finished reading Pete Peery's column that will appear in This Week in Montreat on Friday, and it makes a very good point about this place set apart. I won't ruin it for you, so you'll have to read it for yourself, but it did make me think about the importance of place.

When you're planning a retreat or event, a venue can often be reduced to a simple canvas over which you paint your sessions, meals, receptions, accommodations, etc. Of course, the flexibility of a particular space is very important for making the event run smoothly. But don't let it fade into the background.

Instead, use the place as the centerpiece of your event. Like the centerpiece of the table, it is not as important as the other things happening around it (the food, the discussion, the fellowship). But it is essential to setting the mood, providing a conversation starter and adding dimension to an otherwise flat table.

In the same way, let your venue enter into the atmosphere of your retreat. Think about the heritage of the place you have chosen, the intellectual and spiritual environment it nurtures, and the relationships it cultivates. Some places by nature engage their guests, and guests can in turn interact with the place through recreation, contemplation and simply moving around from onew room or building to another.

Unlike your table's centerpiece, you won't have to fight over who gets it at the end of the day. A memorable place will go home with everyone.

* * * * *

Want to give yourself or your family the gift of this place for the holidays? Don't forget about Montreat packages for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now accepting bookings.

* * * * *

Cat is the Sales Associate at Montreat Conference Center. She loves helping people plan the perfect Montreat Experience and would love to hear from you about how this blog can help you.

Cat can be reached at catw@montreat.org.

Back Home Leader Chats: Scott Neely

Scott Neely is Director of Recreation and Youth Ministry at Alamance Presbyterian Church in Greensboro NC and has been bringing groups for a number of years.

Listen to how important Scott thinks the "backhome meeting" at the end of the night is to his group's experience at the conference by playing the interview below

Chat with Cat: Extra! -- Helping retreat groups find success

I know it's not Tuesday quite yet, but one of my co-workers here at Montreat passed along this article, and I had to share. The Christian Camp and Conference Association publishes InSite, a bi-monthly magazine for professionals who work at places like Montreat.

One of the main functions of a conference center is to make the conference or retreat experience easy and meaningful for the guests. This article by Ray Schnickels, who is executive director at Canby Grove Christian Camp and Conference Center, features ways that institutions can provide this service to their customers. I would love to incorporate some of these ideas into what we do, and I hope they will be helpful to any other event planners who may be reading this.

What I really wanted to highlight is the list below, written by a guest group who found these ideas useful. You can also read the full article "Supporting Group Success" here.

What do you do to publicize your event or to ensure its success? What might conference centers do better in helping you to plan and facilitiate your retreat?

This article, first published in the May/June 2009 issue of InSite, is used with permission. Copyright 2009, Christian Camp and Conference Association. List box designed by Mike Hames.

Back Home Leader Chats: Mary MacMichael

Mary MacMichael is Director of Church Programs/Youth at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Roanoke VA and has been bringing groups for a number of years.

Listen in on plans for a Montreat Youth Conference Sunday that begins in the van on the way home as well as how she promotes the conference and her timeline for registration by playing the interview below

The Rev. Jim Singleton is Guest Preacher at Montreat Conference Center

The Rev. Jim Singleton, guest preacher this Sunday at Montreat Conference Center, was born in Oklahoma into the home of a Presbyterian pastor, where he was instilled with a deep love of Jesus Christ. Active in the life of the church ever since, he is now the Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Colorado Springs, CO.

Rev. Singleton's calling to ministry emerged in high school, intensified during his undergraduate years at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, and became clear while he was employed as a social worker for the state of Tennessee. His seminary training began at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, and concluded in 1983 at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia.

In 1983, First Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, TX, called Rev. Singleton as an associate pastor for evangelism and young adults. An emerging love of and curiosity about the field of evangelism eventually took him to Boston University in 1988. Called to churches in Spokane, WA, in 1991, and in Austin, TX, in 1999, Rev. Singleton accepted the call to First Presbyterian Church, Colorado Springs, in 2005.

A frequent visitor to Montreat Conference Center, Rev. Singleton spoke most recently at the 2008 Church Unbound conference. “I met the Lord at Montreat, and I met my wife at Montreat – both at youth conferences,” Singleton reflected. “It is a very important place in my spiritual formation.” His sermon, “Lessons on Getting Lost (and Found)” will come from selected verses in Luke 15 and Genesis 3:1-9.

This Sunday’s worship is part of the on-going Sunday Summer Worship Series at Montreat Conference Center, a national conference center serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and visited annually by over 35,000 people for rest, renewal, and inspiration. Worship begins at 11:00 AM in Anderson Auditorium, with child care available for children six months through completed kindergarten at the Updike Child Care Center on Texas Road. Following worship, a lunch buffet will be served at the Galax Dining Room in Assembly Inn, 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM.

This Week in Montreat - Issue #9

Download this issue of This Week in Montreat (PDF)

Sending – Now Receiving

I heard a few weeks back that the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was changing its policy. Instead of commissioning out-going missionaries only at meetings of the General Assembly, those commissioning services are now going to be held in different settings across the church. Upon gaining this information, I immediately emailed the staff person responsible for the commissioning services and offered Montreat as a site, reminding him of the conference center’s rich history of being the place from which many, many missionaries were commissioned and sent out to the far ends of the globe. Montreat has indeed been in the business of sending people out into the mission field.

But now, a new thing seems to be happening here in Montreat.

This past Sunday, Montreat received a missionary – Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Cláudio, his life shaped in part by Presbyterian missionaries, is in this country sharing the gospel and shaping Americans for ministry in the multi-cultural church that is emerging here.

And there is more…

Last week I received a call from a Korean Presbyterian pastor in Washington, D.C., asking for an appointment to see me. Representing the growing Presbyterian Korean community in the United States, this pastor wants Montreat to receive thanksgiving from that Korean community for the missionaries who went out to Korea from here.

And yet more…

In August, a delegation of twenty-five Taiwanese Presbyterian pastors will be received here in Montreat. They will come, in part, to teach us about ministry in a multi-cultural world – the ways of ministry they have learned in their own multi-cultural Taiwan and that we now need to learn, too, for mission to thrive here.

For years Montreat has sent out. Now, could it be the calling of Montreat to receive? Are we called now to receive missionaries from around the world who will come to help us become the open, multicultural, embracing church of this changed, global neighborhood that is our home?New things are, indeed, happening in Montreat.

Grace and peace,
Pete

PS - If you do not think our neighborhood has become global, justconsider this. Right here in Buncombe County, NC (clearly not the urban center of the nation), there are fifty different languages spoken by students in Buncombe County Public Schools.

* * * * *

Courtney Kovacs is the Creative Assistant at Montreat Conference Center. She works on This Week In Montreat and the Sunday Worship Bulletins. This is her second year on Summer Staff.

Courtney can be reached at creativeassistant@montreat.org.

Local Youth Raise Funds for Water Fountain in Montreat

Seven young men who love Montreat have been working diligently over the past two years to raise funds for their dream – a water fountain at Welch Field. These boys – David deLuzuriaga, Guthrie and Weyman Cohen, Fil Mabry, Gray and Jack Rixey, and Hunter Legerton – have sold lemonade, spoken at town meetings, and advocated to adults to generate support for a public drinking fountain at the ball field location. Their goal was finally reached on the fourth of July when the water fountain was opened to the public. An informal “ribbon cutting” ceremony was held at the site on Saturday afternoon, July 18.

Designed and installed by Liquid Landscapes of Asheville, the fountain is crafted with an eye for durability as well as aesthetic consistency with its surroundings. Now, Clubbies (participants in the conference center’s summer day camp program), conferees, visitors, and local Montreaters alike may stop for a cool refreshing drink of water as they pass by Welch Field.

Congratulations to these industrious young men for their vision and determination in seeing this through.

Chat with Cat: Hungry for Variety in Your Retreat Menu?

Whether your group is meeting for one day or for four, mealtime is an important part of your meeting schedule. Meals offer a place for participants to decompress and to digest (pun intended) the content of keynotes, discussions and workshops. Groups who eat together also have an opportunity to get to know one another better and to socialize.

So why not mix it up a little? Go ahead and plan to have most of your meals--especially breakfast and lunch, when time is at a premium--at your conference center dining room. Be sure to alert the kitchen to any special dietary requests well ahead of time, and ask your reservations person about the food. Most facilities will provide a variety of options that offers a little something for everyone. Check out the sample menus on Montreat's meals and refreshments page.

But for one meal--maybe dinner after a very packed day--plan something different. Here are some ideas:

• Cookout: Ask if your facility has picnic areas with grills, and plan a cookout for your group. This allows you to enjoy the outdoor setting of your conference center, and it also gives participants the chance to work together as they help prepare the food. The kitchen at some facilities can even provide the food and beverages--just ask.
• Night on the Town: If you are meeting close to a town or area with a good choice of restaurants, offer participants a night on their own. They will appreciate the opportunity to dine out and maybe do some window shopping before your meetings resume.
• Reception: Does your group have something to celebrate? Awards? A new year? Getting together? Consider skipping the traditional dinner fare and hosting a reception instead. Hors d'oeuvres and a nice selection of wine and desserts can make for an evening as elegant or casual as you want. Be sure to ask your facility about catering and alcohol policies.
• Campfire: A great option for families and congregations--but fun for everyone--campfires are great venues not just for dinner, but also for storytelling and for enjoying the outdoors. Hotdogs and s'mores are a great start, but you can be creative too. Bisquick on a stick, anyone?
• Dinner and a Show: Consider having dinner in a different space, maybe one where you can feature live music or another type of performance. Also consider after-dinner activities such as dancing, or fun menus like barbecue or a pasta bar.

Don't be afraid to ask your reservations person about any of these options. A special evening event doesn't have to be extravagant or take up a lot of your schedule. Just think outside the boxed lunch, and look for some great culinary opportunities.

* * * * *

I also wanted to highlight a new program available at Montreat for visitors and residents. Check out the announcement on our meal options page to learn about how you might be able to purchase a set of meals in our Galax Dining Room and at the Huckleberry Cafe.

* * * * *

Cat is the Sales Associate at Montreat Conference Center. She loves helping people plan the perfect Montreat Experience and would love to hear from you about how this blog can help you.

Cat can be reached at catw@montreat.org.

Back Home Leader Chats: Kathryn Dabbs

Kathryn Dabbs is a former Montreat Youth Conference Co-Director and is an adult leader with Hilton Presbyterian Church in Newport News, VA. Hilton Presbyterian has a vital youth ministry program whose continuity has been maintained by volunteers for the last seven years. Find out more by playing the interview below.

Diane Givens Moffett to Preach at Montreat Conference Center

The Rev. Dr. Diane Givens Moffett, pastor at St. James Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC, is the guest preacher on July 26, part of the on-going Sunday Summer Worship Series at Montreat Conference Center. A native of Oakland, CA, Dr. Moffett received her undergraduate degree from the University of Berkley and both her Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry at the San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, CA.

In addition to being a preacher and pastor, Dr. Moffett is the author of Beyond Greens and Cornbread: Reflections of African American Christian Identity, published by Judson Press. One of Dr. Moffett's sermons, "Giving Birth" is featured in Outstanding Black Sermons, published by Judson Press, and another, "Mustard Seed Faith," was published in Those Preachin' Women, Volume 4, Judson Press. She has two articles – “Celebrating the Birthday of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” and “Black History Month” – in Call to Worship - Liturgy, Music, Preaching and The Arts, the official journal of The Presbyterian Association of Musicians. Most recently, her sermon, “A Fruitful Partnership,” was published in the African American Pulpit Journal, Winter Edition 2008.

Dr. Moffett is a highly regarded revival speaker and guest preacher and, most recently at Montreat Conference Center, was the worship leader for the 2008 Women’s Connection. Her sermon this Sunday, “Juicy Fruit,” will be based on readings from the Gospel of John and the Old Testament book of Jeremiah. Worship starts at 11:00 AM in Anderson Auditorium, with child care available for children six months through completed kindergarten at the Updike Child Care Center on Texas Road. Following worship, a lunch buffet will be served at the Galax Dining Room in Assembly Inn, 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM.

Back Home Leader Chats: Frank Kelly

Frank Kelly is Director of Youth Ministry at Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis TN.

Frank has 3,000 pictures and 90 videos on Facebook and uses it as the primary tool to communicate and promote the church's youth ministry program. Find out how by playing the interview below.

This Week in Montreat - Issue #8

Download this issue of This Week in Montreat (PDF)

Is It All About Words?
“The church we have known has ignored the sacraments. Therefore we have become verbose. A church of the Word alone becomes a church of words alone. And we fight over words.” Joe Small, theologian on the staff of the General Assembly, said that here during last week’s Calvin Jubilee. And it struck me! He may well be right. For here in Montreat — and back in our home congregations — how often have we fought over words?

John Calvin declared that the church existed where the Word was rightly proclaimed and the sacraments were celebrated. Proclaiming the Word and celebrating the sacraments are not the only things that churches do. But for Calvin they were the core things that churches do. And he said both the proclamation of the Word and the celebration of the sacraments disclose the real presence of Christ. Yet, most often in worship we focus on words alone – Scripture, preaching, doctrine – and ignore sacraments. In most of our Presbyterian churches, is it once a quarter, or maybe now once a month, that we come to Table together
with all those whom our Lord invites? I wonder how many of our congregations actually keep the Word and sacrament together every Sunday?

So instead of sensing the presence of Christ in our gathered life at Table – gathered life with even those whom we would never have picked on our own – have we instead assumed Christ is known primarily in words? What would happen to us if, instead of only focusing on words, we noticed more keenly Christ’s presence at Table with us and all his other invited guests? Might our tendency to squabble over words diminish?

This summer we are celebrating the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper more frequently than ever before in our worship here in Montreat. Indeed, we will celebrate the feast again this Sunday. Yes, I know. It means the service will take a little longer. But what does that “little longer” matter if the result is that Christ’s presence is more fully encountered?

I hope to see you at worship on Sunday.
Grace and peace,
Pete
* * * * *

Courtney Kovaks is the Creative Assistant at Montreat Conference Center. She works on This Week In Montreat and the Sunday Worship Bulletins. This is her second year on Summer Staff.

Courtney can be reached at creativeassistant@montreat.org.

Back Home Leader Chats: Rebecca Mattern

Rebecca Mattern is Director of Youth Ministry at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC.

Find out about how their church supports trips to both mission sites as well as Montreat Youth Conferences in the same summer and how their young people process those experiences through the eyes of faith by playing the interview below.

Chat with Cat: Get Your Story Straight

As human creatures, we are all drawn to stories. For many of us this began when we were very young, with tales about Sleeping Beauty and Noah and the Ark. But it still continues today. Now we find our stories on news shows, in movies and in magazines. We know the whole story behind celebrities or current events, but how well do we know the stories of those around us?

It may not seem like this has anything to do with planning your event. But it does in many ways, two of which I want to highlight today: publicity and community.

At the Faith & Environment Conference that I attended this past week (it was amazing), one of the seminars was "Church Communications," led by Ken Garfield. He is the director of communications at Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C., but for many years before that he served as the faith editor at the Charlotte Observer. Garfield is a story guy.

The seminar focused on effective communications across all platforms--email blasts, print newsletters, bulletin announcements, etc. And throughout, he emphasized the importance of telling a story. This is already commonly used when trying to create awareness of a social issue or cause, just think of all those special offering inserts around the holidays. But this approach is also useful when publicizing a meeting or an event. Garfield used the example of a widows support group that recently formed at the church. In a recent newsletter, he printed the words of the group's founder: "We are adding a hopefully new persona, that of strong and courageous women who have grown closer to God."

These words say so much more than, "Show up, Wednesday, 3 o'clock." Instead of beating meeting times and places into people's heads, let the stories reach their hearts. Get former participants to tell you in their words why the event meant so much to them last year, or talk about how a group is changing people's lives. If you don't feel you are the best storyteller, find someone on your planning team or in your office who is.

A second dynamic of stories is in building communities. Sharing stories about who we are helps us to learn about one another on a new level. If someone asks, "What's important to you?" you will likely list a number of general things: family, the church, your friends. But if you tell a story that is close to your heart, those generic things take on life.

Furthermore, stories are important not just to individuals, but also to groups and organizations. David Carr, who leads a professional development program at Montreat College, offers a program for groups interested in strenghtening their stories. He writes, "What are the stories about your team, your organization, your efforts, your vision that touch the hearts of your customers and want to have them keep coming back?" Stories set you apart from others, and they also make us a community.

What can stories do for you? Do you really know the people you work or worship with? Do you know their stories? What does the story of your group look like, and how are you at telling it? Who else is telling your story?

* * * * *

Cat is the Sales Associate at Montreat Conference Center. She loves helping people plan the perfect Montreat Experience and would love to hear from you about how this blog can help you.

Cat can be reached at catw@montreat.org.

Back Home Leader Chats: Neil Myer

Neil Myer is Director of Christian Education & Youth Ministries at Pioneer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Solon, Ohio.

Find out about how their church built excitement among the young people for their first trip to Montreat Youth Conferences and get some ideas for innovative fundraising by playing the interview below.

Check out updates from Neil's group on their website.

Carvalhaes to Preach at Montreat Conference Center

The Rev. Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes, guest preacher this Sunday for worship in Montreat Conference Center’s Anderson Auditorium, was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, where he earned his degree from the Independent Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Following ordination, Carvalhaes served two different Presbyterian congregations in São Paulo. He then studied ecumenism in Switzerland at the World Council of Churches and received his M.A. in theology and literature from Methodist University's Ecumenical Institute of the Graduate School of Religion in São Paulo. Both a theologian and an artist, Carvalhaes, in partnership with the Presbytery of São Paulo and the Presbytery of New England, became founding pastor of Christ Is Life Presbyterian Church, a Portuguese-speaking congregation in Fall River, MA. He served there for four years before beginning doctoral studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York.

A much sought after speaker, writer, and consultant, Carvalhaes has served with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in its peacemaking and immigrant groups ministries. He was part of the 9th Assembly of the All-African Conference of Churches in Maputo, Mozambique in December, 2008, and was part of the Theological School during the conference, teaching young leaders from all over Africa and leading the worship team. Most recently, he was one of the preachers for the “Big Tent” gathering in Atlanta, GA.

Carvalhaes’ sermon, “Encounterings at the Well,” is taken from John 4:1-30. Worship starts at 11:00 AM in Anderson Auditorium, with child care available for children six months through completed kindergarten at the Updike Child Care Center on Texas Road. Following worship, a lunch buffet will be served at the Galax Dining Room in Assembly Inn, 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM.

This Week in Montreat - Issue #7

Download this issue of This Week in Montreat (PDF)

The Doorway
Over the past two years I have had the privilege of participating in a colloquy sponsored by the Institute of Reformed Theology at what will soon be known as Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond. In that study, I discovered a poem that has come to mean a lot to me. Written by Mary Oliver, it is also a poem that helps me understand what is available to us here in Montreat. It is in her collection Thirst. It goes like this:

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris. It could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stories; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a context but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

Paying attention around Montreat, we are all offered this doorway. I trust this summer each of you will walk through that doorway into thanks — and into that silence in which another voice may speak. Grace to you and peace,

Pete

P.S. The Montreat Bookstore carries books by Mary Oliver.

* * * * *

Courtney Kovaks is the Creative Assistant at Montreat Conference Center. She works on This Week In Montreat and the Sunday Worship Bulletins. This is her second year on Summer Staff.

Courtney can be reached at creativeassistant@montreat.org.

Montreat Conference Center Awarded for Institutional Leadership in Environmental Justice

At “Faith and Environment,” the national conference for Presbyterians for Restoring Creation (PRC), the William Gibson Award for Institutional Leadership in Environmental Justice was awarded to Montreat Conference Center. The award, which recognizes Montreat Conference Center for its leadership in environmental stewardship and justice in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), was presented by PRC Executive Committee member Bob Remsburg. President Pete Peery and Vice President for Development Bill Straughan accepted on behalf of the conference center.

“The conference center,” read Remsburg as he made the presentation, “under the leadership of President Pete Peery and the Board of Trustees, has endeavored creative, forward-thinking initiatives that reflect reverence for God’s creation that will promote and inspire environmental responsibility and reverence to visitors and employees alike through their involvement with the conference center.” He went on to note a few of the many environmental projects undertaken and implemented by the conference center over the past several years, including a 2,500 acre wilderness conservation easement; the use of more local foods and a healthier menu for guests; and the purchase of an electric vehicle for transportation needs within the conference center. In addition, Montreat Conference Center is currently considering a proposal for a solar water heating system.

PRC, a national, grassroots organization founded in 1995 to support people of faith working toward “environmental wholeness with social justice,” presents the William Gibson Award annually. Montreat Conference Center joins a list of institutional recipients that also includes Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, Solana Beach, CA; Trinity Presbyterian Church, Harrisonburg, VA; the Synod of Living Waters; Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center, Little Rock, AR; and Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC.

Chat with Cat: Make It Easy to Be Green

It’s been a greenish kind of summer. Starting tonight I will be attending Montreat’s 2009 Faith & Environment Conference, put on in partnership with Presbyterians for Restoring Creation.

And a couple of weeks ago I attended the Mountain Green Sustainability Conference at Warren Wilson College. The one-day event featured a host of speakers, workshops, and vendors dedicated to green development. One of the sessions I attended was about greening your events, and it was presented by Georgia Malki, president at Seven-Star green event experts.

So what can you, as an event planner or coordinator, do to help our planet? Many of these ideas came from these two conferences, and I hope they will inspire you to be greener in whatever ways you can.

• For the Faith & Environment Conference, organizers and participants will be purchasing carbon offsets from NativeEnergy. Conference leaders will purchase offsets for the carbon generated by the event itself, and they have asked participants to calculate and purchase offsets for their travel. NativeEnergy off-sets carbon by purchasing win energy and energy generated from the methane in livestock manure, and their website features several handy calculators.
  
  
• One of Seven-Star’s main projects is landfill diversion—sorting “trash” into appropriate areas to keep as much of it as possible out of the landfill. Georgia reported a diversion rate of close to 90%, and they green huge events like the DNC. The secret to their success is their use of volunteers—both to staff the receptacles and to sort the refuse. Asheville’s Downtown After Five events also use volunteers to staff the bin areas, which makes people feel better about doing the right thing.
  
  
• One way to keep trash out of the landfill is to not create it in the first place. One of the biggest offenders in this area is the single-use drink container. Encourage people to bring their own reusable water bottles, and don’t provide any drinks in disposable containers. Sell reusable cups and bottles wherever drinks are provided, and sell disposable (but compostable!) cups for a dollar.
  
  
• Go paperless! Forget handouts and fliers. Post all necessary documents on the event’s website before it starts, and hand out flash drives at the conference, each one containing everything participants may need, including PowerPoint presentations, speaker bios, etc.
  
  
• Don’t sweat the swag. Look for green sources for your merchandise, especially T-shirts. Look for organic cotton options or sweatshop-free organizations.
  
  
• Worried about cost? Let someone else pay for it. If you event has sponsors, keep in mind that every greening action is also an opportunity for sponsor visibility. Put logos on flash drives, water bottles, and even on the signs at the trash bins. Add an optional (or not) fee for carbon offsets on the registration form. Offer lower conference fees for those people willing to volunteer with trash sorting or green education. The planet is our collective responsibility, so let everyone pitch in to help.

* * * * *

Cat is the Sales Associate at Montreat Conference Center. She loves helping people plan the perfect Montreat Experience and would love to hear from you about how this blog can help you.

Cat can be reached at catw@montreat.org.

Free David Holt Concert on July 18th!

“His songs bubble like water from an Appalachian spring. The best of the best.” Parents Magazine

“Holt inspires laughs and shivers as he draws on his vast store of Southern tales and folklore. No gimmicks-just Holt’s expressive face and body, a few musical instruments and a warm voice weaving word magic.” Lynne Hefley, Los Angeles TIMES

An evening with David Holt offers tales, ballads and tunes told, sung and played on the banjo, slide guitar, guitar, harmonica, bones, spoons and jaw harp. His audiences are constantly involved, learning to play the paper bag, applauding the vitality of his clog dancing, listening to the haunting sound of a 122 year old mountain banjo, or being spellbound by a ghost story. Learn more about David at www.davidholt.com.

• Sat, July 18, 8:30–9:30pm (following Patrons Banquet)
• Anderson Auditorium, Montreat Conference Center

This concert is a gift to the community from the Montreat Conference Center President

Montreat Conference Center Welcomes Guest Preacher the Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Rigby

Montreat Conference Center is pleased to welcome the Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Rigby, a respected friend and frequent speaker at the conference center, as the guest preacher for Sunday worship on July 12 in Anderson Auditorium. Dr. Rigby, the W. C. Brown Professor of Theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Austin, TX), is visiting the conference center this week for the nation’s premier celebration honoring the 500th birthday of the Reform theologian John Calvin. Rigby, whose special area of interest is setting Reformed theologies in conversation with theologies of liberation, particularly feminist theologies, has been actively involved in planning and preparation for the “Calvin Jubilee.” Her sermon Sunday, “All Things New,” is taken from Isaiah 65:17-25 and Revelation 21:1-8.

Cited as one of the great theologians of our time, Rigby is a prolific writer; co-chair of the Christian Systematic Theology Section of the American Academy of Religion; the “Continuing Resource Theologian” for the Central United States for the pastor/theologian program sponsored by the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, NJ; and most recently, a member of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) taskforce that authored “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing,” a document that articulates the relevance of trinitarian doctrine to our lives of faith today.

In 1998, Rigby received the Ph.D. in systematic theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, where she was awarded a doctoral fellowship and the Wildrich Award for Excellence in Homiletics. She earned her M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1989, and her AB, magna cum laude, from Brown University in 1986. Prior to her appointment to the Austin Seminary faculty in 1995, she was co-instructor and visiting lecturer at Princeton Seminary, Princeton University, and New Brunswick Seminary. She served on the ministerial staff of the Community Presbyterian Church of Edison, NJ, and the Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, NJ; she spent a year as Pastor of Special Ministries with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Cagayan d’Oro City, Mindanao.

Worship this Sunday is part of the continuing Sunday Summer Worship Series at Montreat Conference Center. Worship starts at 11:00 AM in Anderson Auditorium, with child care available for children six months through completed kindergarten at the Updike Child Care Center on Texas Road. Following worship, a lunch buffet will be served at the Galax Dining Room in Assembly Inn, 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM.

This Week in Montreat - Issue #6

Download this issue of This Week in Montreat (PDF)

John Calvin at 500 Years

Montreat will celebrate a major birthday this week: John Calvin’s. And it’s a big one! Montreat Conference Center has been selected as one of the major sites along with celebrations worldwide, to host events marking Calvin’s 500th birthday.

Likely, most of us who participate in the Presbyterian Church still claim Calvin as one of our “founders.” Yet just as likely, we seldom turn to him and actually read what he wrote. What’s more, some of us may have stereotypical images of him as a stern, even harsh man.

In my ministry, I have been shaped by Calvin more than I ever would have expected. That shaping comes from one who, though he had his extraordinary little ways, was not, at the core, a harsh person. In fact, Calvin was one who lived life in joyous, hopeful, thankful response to the grace of God.

Among the many things I have learned from Calvin, one thing in particular has given me great comfort as I, like almost everyone in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), have experienced turmoil, disappointment, and anxiety in the church. Calvin has taught me that we do not needlessly have to worry about the existence of the church. Calvin had no doubt that the church is the church of Jesus Christ and that it belongs to God. Thus, Calvin declared with confidence, “Although the melancholy desolations which confront us on every side may cry that no remnant of the church is left, let us know that Christ’s death is fruitful, and that God miraculously keeps his church as in hiding places.”1

There is more – a lot more – to learn from good, old John Calvin. We have an opportunity to do so this week right here in Montreat. THE CALVIN JUBILEE begins on Wednesday and runs until noon on Saturday. This would be a splendid event for which to sign up and add to your summer experience in Montreat. Space is still available. Don’t miss it! It won’t happen again for another 500 years!

Grace and peace,
Pete

* * * * *

Courtney Kovaks is the Creative Assistant at Montreat Conference Center. She works on This Week In Montreat and the Sunday Worship Bulletins. This is her second year on Summer Staff.

Courtney can be reached at creativeassistant@montreat.org.