Welcome!
Welcome to the ARW 2027 Conference!
We’re excited to welcome you to this inspiring gathering of arts, recreation, and worship! Whether you're a longtime attendee or exploring a dynamic continuing education opportunity to fuel your creativity, this is the place to be.
Dates: May 4-9, 2027
Location: Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC
Registration: $675 (includes program fee, double occupancy lodging, and meals)
Price increases to $700 at 12:01 AM on April 1, 2026
Join us for a week of learning, connection, and renewal!
We’re excited to welcome you to this inspiring gathering of arts, recreation, and worship! Whether you're a longtime attendee or exploring a dynamic continuing education opportunity to fuel your creativity, this is the place to be.
Dates: May 4-9, 2027
Location: Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC
Registration: $675 (includes program fee, double occupancy lodging, and meals)
Price increases to $700 at 12:01 AM on April 1, 2026
Join us for a week of learning, connection, and renewal!
Wild Hope
In a world that can feel uncertain, fractured, and worn thin, ministry often begins in the smallest places—like something fragile pushing up through the cracks. This year’s theme, Wild Hope, invites us to notice, nurture, and trust the kind of hope that refuses to stay buried.
Wild hope isn’t polished or predictable. It grows in unexpected places. It takes root in hard ground. It shows up in quiet moments of connection, in creative risks, in communities that choose love and resilience even when the path forward isn’t clear.
Ministry today isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about cultivating spaces where hope can take hold and grow. Whether you’re navigating change, experimenting with new ways to engage your community, or simply trying to stay grounded in your call, ARW 2027 offers a space to reconnect, reimagine, and be renewed.
Join us as we tend what is growing, make room for what is emerging, and rediscover the power of hope that is alive, untamed, and still breaking through.
Learn more about this year’s leadership & classes
Wild hope isn’t polished or predictable. It grows in unexpected places. It takes root in hard ground. It shows up in quiet moments of connection, in creative risks, in communities that choose love and resilience even when the path forward isn’t clear.
Ministry today isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about cultivating spaces where hope can take hold and grow. Whether you’re navigating change, experimenting with new ways to engage your community, or simply trying to stay grounded in your call, ARW 2027 offers a space to reconnect, reimagine, and be renewed.
Join us as we tend what is growing, make room for what is emerging, and rediscover the power of hope that is alive, untamed, and still breaking through.
Learn more about this year’s leadership & classes
Need to Edit Your Registration? Click this LINK to set up an account on our registration page
|
Dive into arts, recreation, and worship classes that turn things upside down—in the best way. Explore creative tools for ministry in a topsy-turvy world.
|
A limited number of scholarships are available to help make ARW accessible to all. If cost is a barrier, we encourage you to apply—there’s a place for you here.
|
What Is ARW?
ARW is a week long experiential opportunity to participate in recreation, worship, community, creativity and the arts. The conference is designed for those who want to deepen their creativity, broaden their leadership skills and experience personal spiritual renewal. In addition to whole group worship and recreation events, participants select from a wide range of unique classes. Our collaborative learning environment fosters a sense of community that embraces all participants.
The weekly schedule is generally:
The weekly schedule is generally:
- Monday: Arrival and housing check-in beginning at 3 pm. Registration from 3-5 pm, dinner at 5:30 pm, Opening Program at 7 pm, optional late-night activities from 9:30 pm onward.
- Tuesday - Friday: Morning gathering from 8:45-10 am, classes from 10:15 am - 12:30 pm, lunch from 12:30-1:30 pm, afternoon classes from 2:30-4:45 pm, dinner from 5:30-6:30 pm, evening programming from 7-8:30 pm, optional late night activities from 9 pm onward.
- Thursday's schedule varies, with a free afternoon and classes held from 6:45-9 pm.
Register Today!
Sign me up for 2027 Arts, Recreation, and Worship Conference!
|
Montreat Conference Center is a ministry of the Mountain Retreat Association, nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, about 20 minutes from Asheville, NC. Each year, the conference center welcomes over 30,000 guests as they seek to explore, renew, and connect with their faith and their communities.
Sponsored and planned by re:create and Montreat™ Conference Center. |
