Current Conferences
How do you tend your soul? Enjoying nature? Laughing? Creating? Resting? Making music? Worshiping? At this conference – through each of these activities as well as many others – we will take the time to nurture our own souls and learn ways to care for the souls of our children and health of our families. Intended for families of all configurations, with children of any age, we will explore what it means to create community and craft ritual as a family, hear experts from a variety of fields share ways to cultivate wholeness and strength in our children and ourselves, play together, provide opportunities for solitude, discover the role and power of peacemaking in families, and ultimately learn how to find our best rhythm as parents and then get out of the way – supporting our children as they grow into the fullness of who they’re created to be!
Workshops
Creating Community with Crafts Art gives voice to what the heart wants to say. Paint, paper and more help us tell our stories, uplifting and transforming us at the same time. As co-creators with God, we will learn ways art can bring us together as a family, church and community. Sarah Peters of Raleigh, N.C., leads workshops, classes and retreats in art, spirituality, yoga and Christian Education. She has led the children and youth’s craft program each summer in Montreat, N.C. since 2005. A graduate of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, she also works as a spiritual director. She makes and sells hand-crafted clay jewelry and gifts, and enjoys time with her husband and two children.
Playing Together Finding time to play as a family is challenging at best. So come make time to play, laugh, create and talk about the value of families strengthening bonds and creating intentional playtime! Beth Gunn is a recreation leader from Western North Carolina. She is the Associate for Youth for the Presbytery of Western North Carolina with a particular emphasis in the field of Recreation Ministry. She lives in the mountains of North Carolina with her husband and two dogs. Their 3 daughters are all out of the nest (currently)! Beth is enjoying being “GG” to their almost 2 year old granddaughter and thrilled that another granddaughter is due in April. Time with family to play together has been a life long priority and made for a richer and stronger bond.
Yoga in the Morning Come enjoy movement and mediation as a family. We will explore some playful postures that you can enjoy doing at home as a family. We will also share meditations and pranayam (breath) to overcome stress and challenges that come up in our daily lives. Each class will begin and end with simple mantras. Diana McCall of Black Mountain, NC, is a Kundalini Yoga Instructor offering private, home, and studio classes. She also supervises the Black Mountain Community Garden.
Finding Your Rhythm and Getting Out of the Way Using basic principles of the Enneagram and Internal Family Systems, participants will learn ways to be more aware of their own inclinations and how to love and care for their own parts and be more present to others. Using these principles, along with studies of temperament and developmental stages, you will learn how to be more understanding of your children. Some practical tools for parenting will also be offered. This will be an introduction to some paths that folks can continue to learn more about for further growth. Jey Hiott is a psychologist in private practice in Asheville. She studied Eastern Psychology at Naropa Institute, has a MA in Humanistic Psychology from West Georgia College and PhD in Applied/School Psychology from New York University . Having worked many years with children and families, Jey now concentrates on adults and couples.
Making Peace Sibling rivalry, parenting and discipline, negotiating time and space and money… Conflict is inherent to even the most loving families, and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We will explore ways to move beyond the “fight or flight” paradigm to a more productive, respectful and peaceful “third way” by applying principles of non-violence and mediation to common family scenarios. David LaMotte is a Rotary World Peace Fellow and a consultant on peace issues for the NC Carolina Council of Churches. He has led workshops and offered keynotes on peace issues on four continents. His most recent book, an illustrated poem called White Flour, tells the true story of a creative, non-violent response to a racist rally in 2007 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Nurturing Health and Wholeness Nearly every decision we make affects our health, so we’re going to spend our time together examining what affects those daily choices, how we can be more intentional about them in the future, and how family members—big and small—learn from and support each other in the quest for health and wholeness. Specific health topics (food, exercise, sleep, risk-taking, etc.) will be narrowed based on participants’ interests. Deanna LaMotte is currently a student in UNC Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, interested in chronic disease management and prevention. Her calling to work in community health arose from the 13 years she taught English as a Second Language, often among marginalized populations, both in the USA and abroad.
Registration & Accommodations
Conference Rate
Conference rates below includes conference fee of $300 per family plus a $4 community services fee per adult for public services provided by the Town and the fire district. (This rate does not include room & board.) After May 22, this rate will increase by $25.
- $304 per family with one adult
- $308 per family with two adults
Room Packages (optional)
Room rates below include all room charges for four nights. (Conference fee and meals are charged separately.)
One Room with Private Bath
- Winsborough: $200.00
- Glen Rock Inn: $220.00
- Assembly Inn: $400.00 with 2 parents; $365.00 with 1 parent
Two Rooms with Connecting Bath
- Winsborough: $400.00
- Glen Rock Inn: $440.00
- Assembly Inn: $560.00
Meal Packages (required with room package)
Meal rates below are per person. All meals are served in the Galax Dining room in Assembly Inn (Tuesday supper to Saturday breakfast).
- Adults: $105.00
- Children 12 and older: $105.00
- Children ages 5-11: $53.25
- Children under 5: no charge
Refund Policy
Cancellations must be received by May 22 in order to receive a full refund less a $25 service charge. Cancellations received after May 22 but on or before June 26 will receive a 50% refund of the conference fee and payments made toward room and meal charges (if applicable) less $40. No refunds will be issued after June 26. All requests must be in writing and received via email, fax, or U.S. mail.
More Information…
- Event begins: Tuesday, July 3, with registration, 3:00-5:00 pm, Assembly Inn Lobby.
- Event ends: Friday night, July 6, with a Big Circle Mountain Dance at the Barn, 7:30–10:00 pm. Breakfast will be served on Saturday, July 7, for those staying in Assembly Inn, Winsborough, and Glen Rock Inn.
- Clubs & Child Care are available for this event for an additional charge. Pre-registration is required. Enrollment is limited. You must register at least 30 days in advance to guarantee enrollment in the program. Enrollment is not guaranteed for walk-in registrations.
- Questions about registration? Email the registrar at SusanA[at]montreat.org.
- If you would like conference information mailed to you via U.S. mail, please email carolo[at]montreat.org.
- Find out more about housing options available in Montreat.
Learn more about other opportunities offered by The Center for Faith & Life…
