Montreat Conference Center

Please note: Rooms in Hickory Lodge are now available during Week II of Youth Conference. If you are still looking for housing please contact chandlerg[at]montreat.org.

“Here and Be Heard”

2013 Montreat Youth Conferences will provide a community where all are valued and heard, where gifts are discovered and celebrated, and youth are empowered to share. Through a community of acceptance, support, and conversation, youth will discover their calling as beloved children of God. Faithful discipleship that is lived and not just talked about will be encouraged through faith practices that help youth engage with church, community, and world in ways that are rooted in scripture and explored through keynote, small group, recreation, and worship.

The Montreat Youth Conference is designed for high school students, entering freshmen through graduated seniors, and their adult leaders. It is a unique gathering of young people from all over the country for a week of study, worship, and recreation. Activities include morning energizers, music, keynote, small group meetings, afternoon recreation activities, and evening worship. Follow the link for more information on becoming a Small Group Leader.

Youth Conference Dates with Flyers to Download

• Week I: June 2-8, 2013
• Week II: June 9-15, 2013
• Week III: July 7-13, 2013
• Week IV: July 14-20, 2013
• Week V: July 21-27, 2013
• Week VI: July 28-August 3, 2013

Leaders for Weeks I & II

Scott Phillips Keynote Leader
Scott is a San Diego native and a lifetime west coast transplant to North Carolina. He lives in Apex, NC (near Raleigh) and loves movies, reading, movies, traveling, movies, funky food, movies, a good football game and movies. He also serves as the Campus Minister in Raleigh at NC State, Meredith and Peace colleges. To see more about this ministry check out the “website”:pcmraleigh.org

Amos Disasa – Preacher
Amos Disasa is the organizing pastor of Downtown Church in Columbia, SC. Born in Ethiopia, Amos immigrated to the United States in 1983 with his family. He was raised in the Presbyterian Church, so Montreat has been a special place to him throughout his life for worship and vacation. Even with the demands of starting up a new church, Amos finds time for his passions: hanging out with his children, running, biking and cupcakes.

Emily Nelson Dixon – Recreation Leader
Emily is in her ninth year as the Director of Youth Ministries at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church, in Overland Park, KS. She is super stoked to be leading recreation again and can’t wait to get back to the beautiful mountains with the energetic youth and awesome staff, leadership, and planning team! She marvels at seeing the face of God in the people around her. And she loves impromptu dance parties, especially with her 2-year old daughter.

Jorge Sayago-Gonzalez – Music Leader
Jorge is the Associate Pastor for Youth & Young Adults at Second Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Jorge has worked for more than ten years as a worship and music leader in Puerto Rico and the United States. He is a songwriter and singer with special interest in multicultural, contemporary and emergent worship.

Turner Merritt – Music Leader
Turner Merritt is a music and worship leader at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church in South Carolina where he facilitates and leads “The Net,” a contemporary worship service. He grew up coming to Montreat and is excited to worship Jesus with everyone at the youth conference. Other than music, he loves to spend time in the great outdoors, whether fishing, working in the yard, or grilling steaks.

Leaders for Weeks III & IV

Derek Mcleod Keynote Leader
Derek lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Home of the Blue Jays, Drake, Toronto Raptors and Glenview Presbyterian Church where he serves as senior minister. Derek is thrilled to back at Montreat for a second time and
looks forward to an amazing conference. He also plans to follow through on his plan to buy a seer sucker suit. He is married to Catherine Chappell and together they are raising three young girls, two cats and a dog.

Mark Lomax – Preacher
Mark is the founding pastor of the First African Presbyterian Church of Lithonia, Georgia where he has served since 1993, and assistant professor of homiletics at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) where
he has served since 1998.

Lynn Turnage – Recreation Leader
Lynn is the Director of Children & Family Ministries at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Lynn calls Montreat one of her “holy lands.” She’s been around Montreat most of her life and thinks playing in the creek with her children is a Sabbath experience. She loves chocolate, movies, adventure, Chinese food, pottery, and her two girls.

Alex Dorsam – Recreation Leader
Alex is the Youth Director for Palmetto Presbyterian Church. Some of his greatest memories are of Montreat Youth Conferences. He learned so much and met so many great people. He’s ecstatic to be coming back after a few years of being away! He enjoys soccer, hiking, camping, and the mountains!

David Ealy – Music Leader
David is the Pastor at Hawfields Presbyterian Church in Mebane, NC. His family is living it up with their standard poodle, tiger-striped cat and made-from-scratch sour dough bread. With almost 20 years in ministry with youth, David loves the way youth use music to speak to who they are. He also believes music colors all of life and can help the church heal not only others but itself. Dark chocolate is a standard inducement for him.

Stuart Hill – Music Leader
Stuart lives in Greensboro, NC, where he is the chorus teacher at Northern Guilford Middle School. Although Stuart has led music at Montreat Middle School and other conferences, he is excited to lead music in Anderson Auditorium for the first time this summer! When Stuart isn’t teaching, he loves writing music, traveling, alphabetizing, color-coding, and campaigning for good grammar worldwide.

Leaders for Weeks V & VI

Dana Hughes Keynote Leader
Dana is a professional interim pastor who has served a variety of churches, and she thinks Montreat is mighty close to Heaven. There was a time when she could have been called a youth, and she happily boasts of having raised three youths of her own.

J. Herbert Nelson – Preacher
J. Herbert serves as Director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (OPW) in Washington, DC. He served a local church Pastor before moving to Washington in 2010. J. Herbert is married to Gail Porter Nelson. They are a clergy couple and parents of a college aged daughter, Alycia. J. Herbert spends his spare time listening to jazz; reading, working out and watching his favorite television programs – Scandal and The Good Wife.

Laurie & John Weicher – Recreation Leaders
The fifteen-year-old John can’t quite believe he gets to lead recreation at Montreat. The fifteen-year-old Laurie can’t quite believe that she ended up with someone as goofy as John. Present day Laurie and John love their little boy, Tate; running; the Phillies; BBQ; and any excuse to visit North Carolina, especially Montreat. Laurie is an associate pastor at Wayne Presbyterian Church, while John is an associate at Swarthmore Presbyterian Church, both outside of Philadelphia.

John Sawyer – Music Leader
John is the Associate Pastor at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Macon, GA. He has been singing for as long as he can remember and is excited to be singing at Montreat. In his spare time, he likes to read, loves to laugh, and enjoys singing random silly songs to his patient wife.

Nathan Proctor – Music Leader
Nathan considers himself lucky: he grew up in Iowa but now lives in North Carolina, so he can handle everything from ten-foot snow drifts to cheese grits. He serves as Associate Director of Music at White Memorial Presbyterian in Raleigh, where he helps lead three worship services each Sunday at the organ, and directs choirs of children, youth, and adults. He enjoys trips for mission work, for fun, and for coffee.

Considering a Mission Trip?

Add a Montreat Summer Mission Experience to your Youth Conference week! Build in a meaningful community helping project for a fraction of what a separate mission trip would cost. Your youth group can make a real difference in the world, while the Youth Conference is making a difference for them!

Questions about adding a mission experience? Contact Bill Buchanan director of Asheville Youth Mission.

Special Incentive for Early Registration

If you send us your registration form on or before December 1st, you will receive free youth conference t-shirts equal to the number of conferees registered by December 1st!

Comprehensive Rates Including Conference, Room, & Meals

Rates below include conference fee of $250, housing in Assembly Inn, Winsborough, or Glen Rock Inn, meals in the Galax Dining Room (Sunday supper through Saturday breakfast), plus a $5 community services fee per person for public services provided by the Town and the fire district. Beginning January 16th, the conference fee increases by $10 per person per month.

Comprehensive Rates for Weeks I & VI: (Download a rate sheet)

Winsborough
—Triple Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $517 per person (limited number of rooms available)
—Double Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $567 per person
Glen Rock Inn
—Triple Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $527 per person (limited number of rooms available)
—Double Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $582 per person
Assembly Inn
—Triple Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $537 per person (limited number of rooms available)
—Triple Occupancy, Private Bath: starts at $577 per person
—Double Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $597 per person
—Double Occupancy, Private Bath: starts at $657 per person

Comprehensive Rates for Weeks II, III, IV & V: (Download a rate sheet)

Winsborough
—Triple Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $517 per person (limited number of rooms available)
—Double Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $567 per person
Glen Rock Inn
—Triple Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $527 per person (limited number of rooms available)
—Double Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $582 per person
Assembly Inn
—Triple Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $557 per person (limited number of rooms available)
—Triple Occupancy, Private Bath: starts at $597 per person
—Double Occupancy, Connecting Bath: starts at $627 per person
—Double Occupancy, Private Bath: starts at $687 per person

Conference-Only Rates

Rates below include the conference fee (starting at $250) plus a $5 community services fee per person for public services provided by the Town and the fire district. Room & meals are not included. These rates are for groups staying in all other housing facilities and private cottages. (For groups staying in Assembly Inn, Winsborough, or Glen Rock Inn, please refer to comprehensive rates above.)

Conference-Only Rates for All Weeks:
—On or before January 15th: $255 per person
—Between January 16th and February 15th: $265 per person
—Between February 16th and March 15th: $275 per person
—Between March 16th and April 15th: $285 per person
—After April 15th: $295 per person

Registration Form for Groups

Group leaders must register their youth groups as a block using the 2013 Youth Conference Registration Packet. Each conference is limited. All registrations will be processed in the order received. There will be no registrations by phone. See the registration packet for refund policy.

Already registered? Download the Additions & Cancellations Form to make changes to your reservation.

Questions about registering your group? Contact the registrar, chandlerg[at]montreat.org or call 800.572.2257, ext. 335.

Registration Form for Individuals NOT Coming with a Group

Individuals NOT coming with a group may register for weeks I & VI only using the 2013 Youth Conference Registration Packet for INDIVIDUALS. Space is limited. All registrations will be processed in the order received. There will be no registrations by phone. See the registration packet for refund policy.

Questions about registering as an individual? Contact the registrar, chandlerg[at]montreat.org or call 800.572.2257, ext. 335.

General Information for All Youth Conferences

• Eligibility: The Montreat Youth Conferences are designed for high school students, entering freshmen through graduated seniors, and for their group leaders. All groups must include at least one adult for every six young people. Adults must be housed with their youth.

• Housing: There are numerous housing options to meet the needs of various size groups, including Montreat Conference Center’s Assembly Inn, Winsborough, and Glen Rock Inn, which include meals in the Galax Dining Room in the Assembly Inn. You may also choose to arrange your own accommodations and register for the conference separately. You may request a private cottage list by emailing carolo[at]montreat.org or check out our comprehensive list of housing options in Montreat! A special meal package is available for individuals and/or groups staying in private cottages who would like to purchase lunch or supper at the Galax Dining Room (contact the registrar, chandlerg[at]montreat.org to make your reservation).

• Conference Schedule: A Youth Conference is a unique gathering of young people from all over the country for a week of study, worship, and recreation. A typical day at Youth Conference includes morning energizers, music, keynote, small group meetings where the conference theme is explored, afternoon recreation activities, and evening worship, as well as other options (Wednesday afternoon is free). Registration will begin at 3:00 PM on Sunday. The conference will run from Sunday supper through Saturday breakfast. Sample schedule

• Opportunities for College Students: You have an opportunity to participate in the Youth Conference as a member of the Collegiate Work Crew. We are looking for college students who want to attend the conference with their church groups. You will have the chance to help the conference planning team during the week. You will work behind the scenes, learn the ropes, and get a close-up look at what is involved in running a Youth Conference. Look for more Work Crew information in your Back Home packet. No application is necessary; just make sure that you are registered as a part of your church group.

• Opportunities for Younger Children: Learn more about the Clubs & Child Care program. Pre-registration is required. Enrollment is limited.

• Opportunities for Adults: If you are 21+, a member of a denomination in the Reformed tradition, and are interested in applying to be a small group leader for the Youth Conferences, call 800.572.2257, ext. 327, or download a Small Group Leader Application. You may be both a small group leader and a back home leader if there is another adult with your home group attending the conference. Your registration fee is waived, and your room, board, and travel are covered! All small group leaders must be members of congregations that are members of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (for a listing of member churches, go to World Alliance of Reformed Churches).

Additional Youth Conference Resources

• Check out resources from past youth conferences.
• Limited scholarship funds are available for this conference.
• Some youth leaders have been bringing groups to Montreat Youth Conferences for years. Learn about their processes, fundraising efforts and more in this series of leader chats and audio interviews.
• Is this your first time bringing a group to Montreat? Contact Susie Burns to walk you through the process at 800.572.2257 ext. 334 or email her at susieb[at]montreat.org.
• If you would like the “2013 Youth Conference Registration Packet” mailed to you via U.S. mail, please email carolo[at]montreat.org or write Montreat Conference Center, P.O. Box 969, Montreat, NC 28757, or call 800.572.2257, ext. 338.
• Be part of the planning team for a future Montreat Youth Conference. Apply now!
• Have you heard about the Morgan Endowment for Youth?

Commissioning Service Liturgy

In response to requests, we’ve developed brief liturgy for a short service for commissioning the young people and adult leaders who are heading to a Montreat Youth Conference this summer!

• Download a pdf that you can print quickly and fill in the blanks on the go!
• Download a document that you can edit yourself.

Pre-Conference Meeting Planning

Download the Pre-Conference Session

Being part of the Montreat Youth Conference requires preparation, planning, packing, and prayer. We have prepared a Pre-Conference session for you to use with your group. You may download it to help you prepare your group for Montreat.

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

Download Registration Information »