Montreat Conference Center

Current Conferences

Events Open to the Public:

• Worship services on Thursday and Friday evenings at 7 pm
• Book Signing on Thursday from 3:00-4:00 pm in the bookstore

Blaze: 1.) n. a large, fiercely burning fire; 2.) v. to mark out a path or route; 3.) v. to be a light; 4.) v. to pioneer; 5.) n. an outburst; 6.) v. to set an example

The Blaze is a mid-winter gathering for adults who have answered the call to accompany youth on their journeys of faith. Anyone who has driven the bus to a youth conference, chaperoned a lock-in, led a small group, or organized a youth Sunday is invited to the Blaze to find new friends in ministry, fresh ideas, and renewed inspiration.

Our keynoter will be Mark DeVries, author of Sustainable Youth Ministry, and our worship will be led by Michelle Thomas-Bush, Associate Pastor at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC.

The Blaze is sponsored by Montreat Conference Center and Project Burning Bush, a youth ministry initiative of Union Presbyterian Seminary. Because of this partnership, we offer the Blaze at a cost of just $100 — our gift to hardworking youth leaders and their congregations. Come join us around the fire!

Sponsored by Montreat Conference Center and Project Burning Bush, a youth ministry initiative of Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, VA.

Key Leaders

Mark DeVries, Nashville, TN; Associate Pastor for Youth and their Families, First Presbyterian Church, and founder of Youth Ministry Architects. Mark is the author of a number of books, including Sustainable Youth Ministry and Family-Based Youth Ministry, and his articles and reviews have been published in a variety of magazines and journals, including The Christian Century, Theology Today, Group, and Youthworker Journal.

Michelle Thomas-Bush, Charlotte, NC; Associate Pastor for Youth and their Families, Myers Park Presbyterian Chuch. Michelle grew up coming to Montreat Youth Conferences. She is a veteran youth conference back home leader, keynoter, preacher, and director.

Workshops

After you register for the conference, please sign up for your workshops! Choose four workshops and two alternates.

• 1.) “What? Who, Me? How?” – A Vocational Discernment Workshop Young people are faced with decisions every day. As those in ministry with them, what tools and resources can we provide that help them address those decisions in faith? Experiencing ways of listening for God’s voice in the midst of decisions and life’s adventures is a gift that we can give the young people with whom we work. In this workshop we will experience several spiritual practices that involve listening for this call to discipleship that can then be used in your ministry with young people. Martha Miller serves the PC(USA) as the Associate for Certification and Christian Vocation. This includes ministries with youth and young adults as they respond to the question, “Who is God calling me to be?” and ministering with Christian educators who have been called to certification. Her own call also includes loving, supporting, and cheering on her two daughters and husband, Andrew, in their lives together in Louisville, KY.

• 2.) Pastoral Care with Youth – An Introduction This workshop will focus on some of the major issues that youth confront including eating disorders, cutting, dating violence, and substance abuse. What are some of the early warning signs of trouble? How are youth ministers and leaders best able to respond to the warning signs? What are some strategies for helping the youth as well as their parents? Participants are encouraged to think about a case they would like to discuss during the workshop time as time permits. If participants would like to forward specific questions to Dr. Schweitzer in advance so that workshop time can be directed to their particular concerns, she may be contacted directly at cschweitzer@upsem.edu. Dr. Carol Schnabl Schweitzer is Associate professor of Pastoral Care at Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, Virginia. She is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American and a marriage and family therapist. She received her Ph.D. in Practical Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. Her research interests include women’s issues, adolescent issues, and interdisciplinary approaches for pastoral care. Her recent publications include The Stranger’s Voice (Peter Lang, 2010), “‘For-giving’ and Forgiving: Process and Practice in Pastoral Care” in Pastoral Psychology, and “Watch Out: Serious Personality Disorders” in the Church Leader’s Resource Book (Oxford, January 2011). Her husband, John is also an ordained minister in the ELCA. Dr. Schweitzer is also a conservatory trained church musician and she has recently begun to explore the music (hymns especially) as resources for pastoral care.

• 3.) Vessels of the Spirit “If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 The Message. At the pottery, participants will learn to integrate clay in self-reflection, prayer and meditation using exercises from Spirit Windows: A Handbook of Spiritual Growth Resources for Leaders by Ann Z. Kulp. This class has a size limit of 16. Martha Nelson, potter in residence & long-time instructor and workshop leader here in Montreat, graduated from Warren Wilson College in Intercultural Studies. She made her first pot on the wheel while living in a potters’ village in Sri Lanka. She loves playing old-time bass, yoga, her dog, Lily, her family, theology, and sharing her love of having her hands in the clay.

• 4.) The Spirituality of Bread Making: A Sacred Act Through the simple yet satisfying process of making your daily bread, you will encounter God’s presence. Integrating spiritual practices into the everyday, baking bread can become a meditation, a prayer, and an act of service. Explore your presence in community and in God’s community of love as we gather, create, encounter, and discuss the process of making bread together. Simple, daily acts become sacred, holy tasks. Come, taste and see. Suzanne l. Vinson’s creativity is lived through her roles as artist, bread maker, mother, wife, friend, gardener, writer, blogger, workshop & retreat leader, bereavement group facilitator, and ordained minister. Suzanne encourages all individuals to open the window of the soul through the work of their hands and to embrace the healing process through creative expression. She leads art+spirit groups for any age, integrating daily practices to the sacred. “From making mud-pies to carving block prints, creating allows me to be fully present to others, while still caring for myself. I hope to help others spark the Creative Spirit within as we make and bake together.”

• 5.) Group Spiritual Direction The Blaze staff care about you and your life… inside and outside your ministry, so this year we are offering an opportunity for group spiritual direction. Spiritual Direction at The Blaze is an invitation for you to hear what God might be saying to you through the joys and challenges facing you from day to day. For more information about spiritual direction and spiritual directors in your area, check out Spiritual Directors International’s website: http://www.sdiworld.org/ Group Spiritual Direction will meet during two of the workshop times; if you choose this option for a workshop, you’ll choose three workshops (this one and two others) instead of four. This workshop has a size limit of 10. Steve Matthews was a youth minister for over 15 years and his last church, St. Paul’s Episcopal (Richmond, VA) participated in the “Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project” with Mark Yaconelli. Presently Steve is working as a spiritual director, writer, retreat leader, and consultant to churches in the area of “Contemplative Process in Ministry.”

• 6.) Getting Even Deeper in Small Groups Assuming you already know how to get a group engaged and sharing, how to “read” a group and adapt your content to that group, and have a hip pocket full of ideas and activities, this workshop will take small group leadership to a deeper level with advanced models and skill-building. How do you handle a sensitive disclosure in a group? How can you encourage participation by everyone in the group, not just the ones who like to talk? What can we do about “hot topic” issues where there are often strong opinions, and how can you lead the group without your own perspective getting in the way? What are some skills for including persons with special needs in your group? How can “outsiders” be included? There will be plenty of fun activities and we’ll certainly add to your collection of hip pocket resources, but this will be a forum to hone our skills for some of the more challenging parts of small group leadership. Jeff Peterson-Davis serves as Co-Pastor of Pioneer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Solon, Ohio, along with his wife Kerri. He is a frequent speaker and leader at events across the denomination including the recent Big Tent Event, Presbyterian Peacemaking Conferences, the Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry, and many Presbytery events and regional gatherings. Jeff has provided leadership in several roles for the Montreat Youth Conferences over the years including keynote, music leadership, and conference manual writer. We’ve seen him dance on stage, so he probably won’t be invited to lead recreation anytime soon.

• 7.) Building Intentional Community Strong youth groups and youth communities focused on Christ just don’t happen. Too often, churches think healthy community among youth will just naturally develop amidst the group’s activities. It doesn’t. Building strong intentional Christian communities requires planning and effort. This workshop will focus on ways to build a strong community in Christ with youth and in the process make it fun, meaningful, and a place where youth feel “safe” to participate, ask questions, and share. We will look at practical ways that can easily be adapted along with forming long term objectives. Christ calls us to live in community, yet that takes thoughtful intention along with a growing, maturing faith. Gail Monsma is Associate Pastor at Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA. She has over 17 years of professional experience working in youth ministry in churches in Michigan, California, and Virginia. She has a deep passion for helping youth grow in their faith, a living and active faith that will grow and sustain them throughout their lives. She is a graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Calvin College.

• 8.) It’s Right to Play as Well as Pray! Come and see what it means to live out this statement! We will experience the “Do It, Then Talk About It” technique of leading recreation activities and unpacking their deeper meaning with the gathered community. While we learn some new games and activities, we’ll explore the theological roots of recreation ministry. Plus, we’ll have a great time doing this together! Glenn Bannerman is internationally known as a one-stop resource for training of recreation leaders, and combines his many skills to train people to lead others in intergenerational recreation. His background as a professor of recreation and his extensive travel providing leadership for countless events allows him to offer a unique blend of dance, play, puppetry, creative nylon hose play, and worship leadership training. Glenn loves to provide play, dance and fellowship for people of all ages and abilities.

• 9.) Intentional Impact: An Honest Look at Youth and Service in the Community Sending our youth out into the world to serve and witness for Jesus doesn’t always send the message we intend, even when we are clad in matching t-shirts. While we hope and expect our youth (and ourselves) to be transformed when serving at soup kitchens, homeless shelters, an urban VBS or nursing home, have you ever wondered what the recipients of such service say after we’ve left? You will be surprised and saddened by the reputation the church youth group has at many (most?) secular non-profits we serve. Come hear both the positive and the negative side of serving in the community. Learn how you can be more intentional about the effect your group can have. It can be much more than the 2 hours or one week you spend in service aka “getting community service hours.” This workshop will consider how churches and non-profits can serve symbiotically, as partners, in order to create a more positive experience for everyone. Erika Funk is a native of California, and now pastors at Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia for the Youth Immersion Program. A graduate of San Francisco Theological Seminary, she has served churches in Southern California, Northern California, Florida, and now, Pennsylvania. She returns to The Blaze this year after being a worship planner and preacher last year!

Registration & Accommodations

We have reserved a special room block for this conference. When you make your reservation online, you will be asked to enter group ID “blaze” and password “montreat” to access these rooms. If you have any questions about the registration process, please email the registrar at chandlerg[at]montreat.org or call 800.572.2257 ext. 335.

Register online (for reserving one room at a time – up to 2 adults per room)
Download registration form (recommended for groups reserving multiple rooms)

Comprehensive rates below includes conference fee, double occupancy room in Assembly Inn or Winsborough, meals in the Galax Dining Room (Wednesday supper through Saturday breakfast), plus a $3 community services fee per adult. Rooms are assigned on a first come, first served basis. Some rooms have private baths, and some rooms have connecting baths. If you are the only adult in the room and you do not specify a roommate when registering, an additional $100 single room upcharge will be added to your reservation after you register online.

• Double Occupancy: $103.00 per adult
• Children 12 & over: $76.50 for meals
• Children ages 5-11: $38.75 for meals
• Children under 5: no charge

Child Care Information

Child care will be available for this conference. Rates are as follows:

• First Child: $45;
• Additional Child: $30;
• Family Maximum: $100

When registering online for the conference, please list children and their ages in the comment section. Child care rates will be added to your reservation after you register online.

Refund Policy

$50 of the registration fee is non-refundable; after December 10, 2010, no refunds will be issued.

More Information…

• Event begins Wednesday, January 5, with room check-in at 3:00 pm, Assembly Inn.
• Event ends Saturday, January 8, following breakfast.
• Questions? Contact the registrar at 800-572-2257, ext. 335 or email chandlerg[at]montreat.org.
• If you would like conference information mailed to you via U.S. mail, please email carolo[at]montreat.org.

Check out other opportunities for youth and young adults offered by the Center for Youth & Young Adult Ministry

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