Recently a friend asked me why we sometimes use the phrase "Sacred Ground" to describe the Valle Crucis Conference Center. This person expressed her belief that the whole world is sacred ground.

"When I put my feet on the floor in my own home each morning, I feel I touch sacred ground," she went on to say.

Now I must agree with her, for the whole world is God’s creation and all God has touched and brought into being is, indeed, sacred. Is the ground here in Valle Crucis any more sacred than her floor or your yard or the sidewalk in New York City? No, I think not. It is all from God and of God. However, I think that we often are blind and deaf to the sacredness that surrounds us.

The real gift of a place like the Valle Crucis Conference Center is that it offers a place and time away from the busy-ness and usual-ness of our lives; it offers a place and time for meditation, relaxation, renewal, and community. For some of our visitors that means sitting in a rocking chair; for others it means hiking to the waterfall or through the forest; for others it means using the Center as "home base" as they go out into the community to repair roofs or offer concerts at a retirement home. Regardless, it is "sacred ground" because it opens eyes and ears to fully realize how God is working in the world and in our own lives.

Why does that happen here? I don’t really know but I believe this happens for two reasons. One is the incredible physical beauty of this valley and these mountains. You cannot help but feel God’s power and presence, both in creation and in your own life, when you gaze upon this splendor. The other reason is the history of this place. This land was set aside for a special purpose in 1842 by Bishop Ives; that purpose has evolved over the decades but the purpose still remains to purposefully be a place of God.

Why does that happen here? I don’t really know but I certainly hear enough personal "testimonies" from people of all ages who visit here. It is not I as the director or the staff or the board who have termed the Conference Center as "sacred ground." It is you who come and stay and rock on the porch and break bread in the dining hall and share retreats and celebrate family reunions and do work in the community. You are the ones who name and claim this place as "sacred ground."

Over six thousand lives were touched by the Valle Crucis Conference Center last year.Only it wasn’t really us it was - God touching hearts and changing lives as they came to be with us, if only for a day or a weekend or a week. Thanks be to God for sacred places that open our ears and eyes to God’s goodness that surrounds us all the time!

- Tom Eshelman, Executive Director

Our new maintenance operations center was constructed in late October by a crew from Morton Builders of Fletcher, NC. This new building will allow us to move much of the maintenance equipment out of the Annex basement. The walls, roof, and the floor have been completed on this new building and we will be working on the plumbing, interior walls, and electricity over the next few months.

Keep up to date on all of the happenings at the Valle Crucis Conference Center with our Schedule of Events.

Bishop Johnson Hall is fast becoming a reality as the footers have been poured, the concrete block walls are going up and the building is taking shape before our eyes. We are looking at a late Spring 2003 completion date for this new addition to the Valle Crucis Conference Center.

It is the time of year when every day brings a request from a worthy non-profit asking you for your financial support. Where are we called to give what we have, what we have earned, what is ours? There are many, many biblical references to guide us but one worthy of a look this year is Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians: "...excel in this grace of giving" (2 Cor. 8.7). Paul doesn’t just ask that the Corinthians give a little or if they will "consider" a gift, but he asks them to excel in giving. Can you imagine what the world would look like if, rather than focusing on excelling at what we have and what we get, we focused on excelling at what we give? Regardless of our resources, God gives us the grace and the opportunity to excel in giving. The Valle Crucis Conference Center strives year-round to excel in what we give to those who visit; we appreciate your excellent support to continue our mission of God’s work in this little corner of the world.

Heidi Herrmann has joined our kitchen staff as the new assistant food service director. Heidi is a recent graduate of Appalachian State University and has worked for the Conference Center for the past 3 years learning all aspects of the kitchen operation. We know Heidi will do an excellent job in her new position. Heidi has a winning smile for all our guests. Please welcome Heidi on your next visit to the Center.

Due to a very long and dry summer, our sorghum cane crop was not what we have come to expect. We were only able to squeeze enough juice this year to produce 13 gallons of that delicious liquid gold for our kitchen. There will be limited supplies for sale in the office, but we will reserve plenty for use on those hot home-made biscuits and rolls that our kitchen staff bakes during your stay.

Even though the cane crop did not produce as well as we would have liked, both our garden and that of ASU produced bumper crops of fresh tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, and other produce for use in our kitchen.

Our special thanks to these individuals & organizations for their generosity in giving to the Center in recent months:

The mission of the Valle Crucis Conference Center is to inspire, by loving example and service, those who break bread with us and share in the quest for spiritual renewal, Christian community, and stewardship of this sacred place.

The Right Reverend Robert H. Johnson
Bishop of the Diocese of Western North Carolina

David Yates, President
Ralph Tilden, Vice President
Diana White, Treasurer
The Rev. Tim McRee, Secretary

Brenda Binning
The Rev. Brian Cole
Billy DuBose
Tom Eshelman (ex officio)
Jaan Ferree
John Huie
Nina-Jo Moore
Judy Teele
The Rev. John Zellner (ex-officio)