The Opening of New Katherine and Thomas Belk Center

Rain did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the large gathering of friends and neighbors that joined with members of the Belk family Saturday afternoon for the dedication of Montreat Conference Center’s new Katherine and Thomas Belk Center at the Left Bank. Extensive renovations to the Left Bank building were made possible through a grant from the Katherine and Thomas M. Belk Foundation of Charlotte, N.C. The grant was a gift initiated by the Belk’s children in memory of their father, Thomas, who served as the chair of the Board of Directors of the Mountain Retreat Association, and in honor of their mother, Katherine, who attended Saturday’s dedication ceremony.

Chat with Cat: Stop Looking for Good Ideas

Photo by murielle.

The well-known marketing guru Seth Godin began a blog post some months back with these resonating words:

"Do you often find ideas that change everything in a windowless conference room, with bottled water on the side table and a circle of critics and skeptics wearing suits looking at you as the clock ticks down to the 60 minutes allocated for this meeting?

If not, then why do you keep looking for them there?"

I think he has a good point. It makes me think of that infamous Albert Einstein quote about how insanity is repeating the same actions time and time again while expecting new results. If we go into the same meeting every day/week/month/year and fail to get the desired outcome everytime, then why are we still doing it?

Now I'm sure Seth's point wasn't "you should take your meeting to a conference center," but I do think his point was to stop looking for good ideas. Like shooting stars, they appear when we're not focused on finding them. What else could you do as a group that might take your mind of the endless onslaught of your busy-ness?

You could do a team building session (a fun one!); a service project, such as a work day or a fundraiser; a recreational activity like hiking or rafting. You could just have a big, relaxed dinner with everyone in the office, to show them you value their contributions and their company.

But the budget's tight, you say? Think about how much you "spend" on your pointless meeting each week, and compare that to the "cost" of a special event, where some great idea might just appear. Might it be worth it?

Seth's post ends with these words, which I too will leave with you: "Have fun. Why not? It works."

Eric Wall to be New Conference Center Musician at Montreat

The music that plays such an important role in Sunday summer worship, adult and youth conference worship, and special events will now be coordinated by Eric Wall, the newly appointed Conference Center Musician at Montreat Conference Center. “We have long needed a person on staff who is grounded musically, theologically, and liturgically to be integrally involved in the planning and coordinating of the music, artistic expression, and liturgy that is so much a part of our conferencing and worship,” said Pete Peery, president of Montreat Conference Center. “Eric Wall brings to Montreat his deep training as a church musician, a serious grasp of the vast realm of musical genres in the global Christian community, and a wondrous and imaginative gift for drawing people of all types into the worship of God. Eric’s skills, creativity, vision, and talent promise to transform the worship life of all our conferences and our Summer Worship Series.”

This Week in Montreat - Issue #11

Download Issue #11: August 6-12, 2010

She has been a wonder — and a wonderful partner in ministry this summer. I am talking about Jamie Thompson, our Ministry Team Member funded by Union Presbyterian Seminary. Jamie has served as chaplain to our Collegiate Summer Staff and as an assistant leader of worship.

Until the day she arrived in June, Jamie had never been to Montreat. She had no clue
about our traditions. Except for some conversations with fellow students at Union, she
knew nothing about the splendid accommodations provided for our seminary interns at The Moose.

She took the position with us expecting to be one of two seminary students on the Ministry Team. The
second day on the job she discovered she was the whole ministry team! Circumstances in the other student’s
life caused him to leave Montreat after only one night here... continue reading.

Submissions to This Week in Montreat:

Submissions should be brief and are due by 12:00 noon on the Friday of the week BEFORE the issue comes out (the following Friday):
· Email submissions to creativeassistant[at]montreat.org OR
· Bring articles to the Marketing offices in Freeland Hall OR
· Fax to 828.669.7593 OR
· Call 800.572.2257 or 828.669.2911, ext. 326.

View archived issues at http://www.montreat.org/news/this-week-in-montreat-archived-issues

Author Brian McLaren to Speak at Montreat Conference Center

Montreat Conference Center is pleased to welcome the Rev. Dr. Brian McLaren as the guest speaker on Sunday, August 15, the final Sunday of Montreat’s acclaimed summer worship series. Author of numerous books, including A Generous Orthodoxy and The Secret Message of Jesus, Dr. McLaren is also well-known as a speaker, pastor, and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers, and activists. He holds BA and MA degrees in English from the University of Maryland and was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree (honoris causa) from Carey Theological Seminary in Vancouver, BC, Canada.