2026 CLASS OFFERINGS
ARW is known for flipping the script—and the tables—on what a church conference can be. Sure, the innovative worship and music, the epic recreation, and the vibrant community are all part of the magic. But don’t miss the chance to turn your expectations upside down with our EXCEPTIONAL classes led by TALENTED FACULTY. Whether it’s arts, recreation, or worship, each track invites you to challenge the norm, stretch your spirit, and maybe even flip a few tables of your own—in the best way.
Morning Classes
Real Ministry, Artificial Intelligence - Josh Richard - AM 4 Day
$0.00
AI is everywhere – sometimes exciting, sometimes terrifying, often misunderstood. This workshop will take an open approach to understanding AI’s capabilities, its ethical and theological implications in ministry, and how it can support creativity, connection, and community in the church. Whether you’re an AI skeptic or a tech enthusiast, come ready to explore how AI might ACTUALLY be useful in ministry – without losing our humanity (or our jobs).
Class limit: 16
Josh Richard lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife, kids, and cats named after NPR personalities. He likes tinkering and exploring interesting stuff on the internet that many would consider a waste of time (sometimes it is). Josh currently serves as Communications Director at Myers Park Presbyterian Church, where he enjoys designing stuff, clearing paper jams, and exploring ways technology can enhance the spiritual experience.
From Chaos to Creation: Designing Unique Table Coverings - Darci McKinnon - AM 4 Day
$25.00
Transform your table into a work of art! In this hands-on class, we’ll explore a variety of techniques to create unique table coverings using fabric and surface design methods. From layering textures and paints to experimenting with dyes, stencils, and embellishments, you’ll craft multiple iterations of table toppers, runners, or placemats that reflect your personal style. No sewing experience is needed—just bring your creativity and a willingness to play with color, pattern, and composition. Whether you're designing for everyday use or a special occasion, you’ll leave with beautifully customized pieces and plenty of inspiration! This class is perfect for anyone looking to add a personal touch to their home décor or experiment with new artistic techniques. Join us for a fun and engaging experience where fabric meets creativity!
Materials fee: $25 Class limit 14
Darci McKinnon is a professional seamstress and costume designer who believes that life is simply a series of stitches—some planned, some spontaneous, and all part of a beautifully intricate pattern. Based in Edmond, Oklahoma, she shares her world with her amazing husband, John, a devoted PCUSA pastor, her brilliant middle school teacher daughter, Aidan, and her incredible son, Ian.
When she’s not pretending to be a responsible adult, you’ll likely find her immersed in fabric, wielding a needle like a magic wand, or devouring books at an impressive speed. Passionate about creativity in all its forms, Darci loves helping others bring their artistic visions to life, whether through stitches, stories, or sparks of inspiration.
Let's Play: Building Community through Recreation - Kris "Bubba" Brammer AM 4 Day - AM 4 Day
$0.00
This course focuses on everything related to recreation: the games we enjoy, the events we organize, the activities we design, and the underlying theology that connects them all. Throughout the course, we will not only engage in play together but also delve into the fundamental components of recreation, including how to plan and lead activities that foster community building.
This course is part of the Recreation Leadership Training Track.
Kris "Bubba" Brammer resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, but his roots are in the scenic mountains of Roanoke, VA. With over 20 years of experience in youth ministry, Bubba has served churches in Hickory and Southern Pines, NC, and is currently at First Presbyterian in Lincoln, NE. Outside of his professional life, Bubba loves playing golf and fly-fishing, and spending time with his wonderful wife, Kris Adler-Brammer, and their beloved dog, Wrigley.
Playing with Praygrounds: Cultivating Intentional Space in Worship for Kids - Rev. Lanie Sipes - AM 4 Day
$25.00
Let’s flip the table on traditional children’s ministry together! As it gets harder to sustain Sunday School and the nursery due to sparse or overworked volunteers, limited resources, families attending less regularly, and/or kids showing a lack of interest…is God calling us to something new? Creating and cultivating a space for kids to intentionally engage in worship enriches the life of faith of children, their parents, and the whole congregation. Whether you are brand new to the idea of praygrounds or you already have one going in your congregation, you are invited to join as we think about how to meaningfully integrate the prayground into our worship spaces and services. We’ll learn about and dream up ways to intentionally connect our praygrounds to our time with young disciples (or children’s moment) and the worship/sermon theme each week. We’ll also share innovative resources and imaginative ideas…and we’ll even get to play while creating sensory bins, play dough mats, and crafts to use in our prayground spaces (yes, you will get to take your creations back home with you)!
Materials fee $25
Rev. Lanie Sipes (she/her/hers) is the Associate Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Newark, Ohio. She fondly refers to herself as a “cradle Presbyterian” and the PCUSA identity of "reformed and always reforming" is reflected in her ministry and life. She holds a B.A. in International Studies, and a double-minor in International Business and Music, from Wright State University, and an M.Div. from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Lanie currently serves on the PCUSA's Educator Certification Committee and participates in a children’s ministry cohort through Practical Resources for Churches (PRC), where she has been a featured bedtime story reader, participated in the Three Simple Things project, and has contributed to PRC’s SALT resources for families. Children and youth ministry has been a thread throughout her call story - she loves being innovative, imaginative, and creative as she explores and grows in faith with these young disciples! Lanie's favorite thing is spending time with her husband, Mike, and four-year-old son, Luka. Lanie enjoys reading (lots of reading), traveling with family, listening to podcasts, watching tv shows, being creative, going on walks, and coffee with friends.
Stained Glass - Brian and Roger Maness - AM 4 Day
$60.00
Whether learning the basics or improving your skills, join us to build your own beautiful stained glass creations. If a beginner, you will learn to cut glass, apply lead or foil, and to solder in order to create one or more one-dimensional pieces. If you have prior experience, you will be able to create more intricate pieces, including larger panels, or three-dimensional pieces like boxes or kaleidoscopes. Everyone will leave with beautiful pieces, the fun of creative expression, and the resources to continue at home if you wish.
Materials fee $60 Class limit 14
Roger Maness may be officially "retired" from church ministry, but he's far from slowing down. He has shifted his focus to a large nonprofit youth sports ministry, where he continues to pour his energy into meaningful work. In his spare time, he enjoys teaching others the art of stained glass, sharing both his creativity and his love for hands-on ministry.
Brian Maness has worked in sports, recreation, or as a stained glass artisan for 20 years. He is renowned well-beyond these workshops for his creativity and expertise with both fused and traditional glass.
Gathering Around the Table: Cultivating Intergenerational Ministry - Nancy Myer - AM 4 Day
$0.00
This workshop will explore the importance of shared meals and table-centered activities as a way to foster meaningful intergenerational ministry experiences. In many places in our members’ lives, they are divided by age. In the Church, we can all come together and learn from each other. We will spend the week creating spaces where folks can connect, learn, and grow together. We will share ideas for designing and implementing intergenerational events that foster belonging, build relationships, and deepen faith through hospitality, meals, storytelling, games, and creative activities.
Nancy Myer serves as the Associate Pastor for Family Ministry at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, NC. She grew up in the Midwest but is grateful that home now is close to both the beach and the mountains. In her free time, you’ll find her reading, walking, watching Michigan State sports, and doing just about any craft imaginable!
Traveling Communion Ware - Anne Stone - AM 4 Day
$40.00
Join our journey and make a hand-built traveling Communion set that enables you to take The Table wherever it needs to go! You will be guided in how to make a travel-sized pitcher, chalice, paten and tray that easily can be transported to where you and it are called to minister. No experience necessary. Come prepared to create one-of-a-kind pieces you can share with your wider community.
Materials fee $40 Class limit 12
Anne Stone
Afternoon Classes
Flipping Tabletops - Creating a Multi-Use Game Board - Leslie McCarthy - PM 4 Day
$45.00
What can we do with a wood circle, wood pieces and parts, paints and dyes? Sounds like flipping tabletop games to me!! You will personalize with games of your choice and make storage for the game pieces. A little bit of play on a stand at your fingertips!
Materials fee $45 Class limit: 12
Leslie McCarthy is a creative spirit with a sense of adventure and play thrown in the mix. A retired business owner, she is now lucky enough to create, volunteer and have fun with like-hearted friends. Leslie would say that she's primarily a textile and fiber artist with a little wood and paint thrown in for good measure. She loves to design and create everything from jewelry and journals to totes and handbags, but her passion is designing fun and funky furniture that can be found on her Instagram account FunkyFibersKY. She's willing to try anything once... well, almost anything!
Table Time : Cooking and Hospitality - Deb Guess - PM 4 Day
$20.00
Cooking together, preparing the tablescape, and then spending time with great food and conversation can be an amazing way to build community. We will share our stories, lots of laughter, and our family meal traditions while we team up to cook lots of different recipes, several with an unusual twist. No cooking experience necessary as long as you like to eat!
Materials fee: $20 Class limit 12
Deb Guess lives in Asheville, NC, with her hubby Deck and poorly behaved pup, Gypsy. She enjoys trying her hand at anything creative and spends lots of her days creating in her studio - jewelry and quilts and art journaling and more. She also loves traveling, gardening, and cooking (and eating).
Movies and Conversation - Sophie Maness - PM 4 Day
$0.00
Let's explore movies together through a theological lense. Who gets invited to the tables in movies, who has a voice, who does not. What pearls of wisdom and grace can we find in all kinds of movies? Join us for popcorn, play and great conversation.
Sophie Maness is a certified Christian Educator at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville TN. She has served a variety of Presbyterian churches over the years, always trying to bring joy, faith, and service together, for people of all ages. She loves chocolate, hiking and hanging out with family.
Flipping Outdoor Tables: Outdoor Cooking - Jay Banasiak - PM 4 Day
$20.00
From the patio table to the picnic table to one’s own lap around the campfire, we have opportunities to cook, eat, & recreate together in the beauty of God’s great outdoors. We will flip through various methods of outdoor cooking, preparation, & recipes– including the grill, open fire, & dutch ovens– to prepare a variety of foods that will make you flip out. *Dinner-bell-clangs!* “Come and get it!”
Materials fee: $20 Class limit 18
Rev. Jay Banasiak (he/him) is currently a woodworker (Jay Ban Works) and the volunteer Ministry Phone-a-Friend at Northminster PCUSA in Chattanooga, TN, and rarely seen without a Cheerwine Zero within reach. As a pastor and musician, he has served churches in TN, NC, and VA, in a variety of capacities. He loves the outdoors and tries to spend as much time as possible outside in his Chacos– whether in his new everyday, old everyday, work, or Sunday pair. He has always loved eating and preparing food from the grill or cooked over a fire, and he learned the art of Dutch-oven cooking at ARW from the greats.
Bread Making: A Crumbly Class - Beth Gunn - PM 4 Day
$10.00
The smell of bread baking is one that evokes warm, comforting feelings. We get to have that feeling all week! Bread making will range from quick breads to crackers to herby and crusty breads. As we learn about bread baking we will come to understand how breaking bread together can indeed flip tables
Materials fee: $10 Class limit $10
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, Bruce. Their 3 daughters are all out of the nest and while she and Bruce miss them a lot they are enjoying being “GG” and Grumps to their 3 granddaughters! Time with family to play together has been a lifelong priority and made for a richer and stronger bond.
Brass Pendants: Flipping Guns Inside Out - Scotty Utz - PM 4 Day
$15.00
Come turn gun parts into art! We will start with the inner magazine tube of a .22 rifle and make a split cross (Here is a link to what they look like: https://south.rawtools.org/product/brass-split-cross-pendant) and hopefully another pendant or two. We will be using propane torches and scrolling tongs and pliers along with a band saw and a polisher. It might get hot, loud and rowdy but we are sure to have fun as we flip the violence paradigm and transform guns into something beautiful.
Materials fee $50 Class limit 16
Scotty Utz splits his time between serving as the Artist Blacksmith for RAWtools South and making commissioned work. Scotty spent his early years tinkering in the first floor of his fathers studio which was a wood shop where paintings were framed and crated for shipping. He started welding while working on ranches in Wyoming and Montana and got turned on to blacksmithing after moving back to Western North Carolina. He earned a BS in Finance from Sanford University, and somewhat later a M.Div at Princeton Seminary & then a few years after that went back and picked up a Masters in Sociology from the University of Wyoming before starting classes in A-B Tech's welding program and Haywood Community Colleges Blacksmithing Courses. It's been a circuitous journey to this point but in the end, Scotty like others in his family, couldn't resist a return to making art.
Tabletop Fun in a Topsy-Turvy World: Games Around the Table - Carl Horton and Lynn Turnage - PM 4 Day
$0.00
In a world that feels flipped upside down, games can bring people together, spark joy, and create meaningful connections. In this interactive course we will play a variety of table games—board games, dice games, circle games, and activities requiring minimal or no materials. Whether you're looking for ways to engage communities, energize gatherings, or simply have fun, this course will equip you with an adaptable toolbox of games that work in any setting. Come ready to play and discover the power of games in a topsy-turvy world!
Carl Horton has served the PC(USA) at all levels of the church, most recently overseeing the denomination’s Presbyterian Peacemaking Program. He is a lifelong Presbyterian and is highly committed to equipping and strengthening leaders and members for impactful service and inspiring witness. In his free time he is a backyard farmer, piano student, potter, sourdough baker and dog wrangler.
Lynn Turnage is retired from conference and church work, and loves living near Montreat. Her favorite calling is mom, followed by different kinds of adventures, including some advocacy work, and encouraging experiences of recreation as re-creation. She also loves time with her girls, laughing out loud, and talking theology, wonder, and awe.
When God Wants You to Help Set the Table: Liturgical Art - CeCe Armstrong - PM 4 Day
$20.00
Liturgical Arts are not limited in the efforts to include many in the worshipful experience. Let's set the table with writing, visual, and fine arts to glorify God and build authentic community. We will add a sprinkle of performance arts recognizing that we perform for an audience of One.
Materials fee $15
Rev Cecilia "CeCe" Armstrong currently serves as the Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She was elected in July 2024. She is currently serving St. James Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Charleston, South Carolina as Associate Pastor.
Where the Tables Are Already Upside Down: The Realities of Youth Ministry - Josh Sweeney - PM 4 Day
$0.00
Youth ministry is full of flipped expectations, sacred disruptions, and surprising grace. In a world where young people are navigating identity, doubt, justice, joy, and everything in between, those called to serve them often find themselves standing in the middle of the mess—uncertain, hopeful, exhausted, and inspired. This workshop is a space for honesty, encouragement, and shared wisdom. We’ll explore the real joys and real struggles of youth ministry today, wrestle with what it means to lead with hope, and remind one another why this work still matters. Whether you’re new to youth ministry or have the t-shirt and the scars, come and be reminded: God is at work even (and especially) when the tables are upside down.
Josh Sweeney is the Director of Christian Education. He has a Bachelor's in Religion and Psychology from Florida Southern College, a Masters in Practical Theology from Columbia Theological Seminary, and Masters of Divinity from United Theological Seminary. He's served at 6,000 to 100 member congregations with youth groups over 125 to 5 students. In his free time, Josh loves embarking on adventures with his son, Charlie. An avid movie enthusiast, he also enjoys immersing himself in nature, whether he’s on the disc golf course or relaxing by the water.
Mosaic Trays - Anne Stone - PM 4 Day
$30.00
When you entertain do you ever need an additional tray to serve others? It might be hors d’oeuvres or beverages or maybe just a piece to create more room at your table? Come join us and make a glass-inlaid mosaic tray to complement your next gathering, covered dish or just a special memory of your time in Montreat. No experience necessary. Come with ideas to fulfill your inner artist!
Material fee: $30 Class limit 12
Anne Stone
Turntables: Music in Ministry - Ray Landis - - PM 4 Day
$0.00
How can our music disrupt systems of oppression and dismantle white supremacy? How can our music be an act of resistance and nourish mutual liberation? How can our music fully welcome and engage all in beloved community? Throughout the week, come ready to: Create lyrics and music, communally and individually, that speak to the questions above! Engage with various sounds - sounds from nature, instruments you bring, instruments
provided, and maybe even objects you never considered to be an instrument! No
musical training is required, just creative curiosity! Explore through an experiential practice how worship music can emerge organically
out of creative collaboration, curiosity and courage!
Dr Ray Landis currently serves as the Director of Music Ministries at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, NC. Through music ministry, Ray has served United Church of Christ and Presbyterian (PCUSA) congregations in St. Louis, MO, Grand Rapids, MI, Cincinnati, OH, and Grantville, PA. Ray completed his undergraduate studies at Messiah College in Grantham, PA, and holds Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has completed certification in the Orff-Schulwerk music education approach.
Ray is a founding member and past Board President of the Sunshine Cultural Arts Center of East St. Louis, where he developed music-based youth development programming. Having experience time in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Ray's approach to music ministry is informed by interaction with different cultures and a strong sense of social justice, particularly focused on dismantling white supremacy in and through our worship music. He enjoys artistic collaboration with all ages and talent levels and nurturing the creative gifts of all people. Ray and his wife, Dawna, have five children between them by birth and adoption. They enjoy hiking, kayaking, fishing and going to movies.
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Montreat Conference Center is a pleasant, scenic, 20 minute drive east from Asheville, North Carolina. A national conference center serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), it offers guests a time-honored tradition of friendly, gracious hospitality in a warm and casual setting. Annually, approximately 50,000 people of all ages and from all walks of life come to Montreat for rest, renewal, and recreation.
Sponsored and planned by re:create and Montreat™ Conference Center. |