Category: Uncategorized

February 9-12, 2025

Ski the Summit is a unique spiritual retreat offered by Mount Ellis Academy for 7th – 11th grade students. Participants will spend three days skiing three different mountains – Bridger Bowl; Big Sky;  and our own private slope, Bear Canyon Ski Area – while also having the opportunity to meet MEA students and staff, learn more about the programs offered at MEA, and grow closer to their peers and to Christ through daily worship and activities.  This is an unforgettable experience you won’t want to miss!  We will be offering mini courses on Monday and Tuesday for those students who want to come to Ski the Summit  but do not want to ski/board.  Previous mini courses have included cooking/baking, photography, art, and rock climbing.  If you choose to stay for our “Shadow Day”, visiting students will be able to attend classes with our students on Wednesday morning in order to experience the full boarding high school experience.

*Price includes Big Sky lift ticket, insurance, activities, room and board.  Price does NOT include lift ticket to Bridger Bowl or equipment rental fees.  Bridger Bowl requires each individual to set up an account with Bridger Bowl and parents must sign waivers.  Accounts for Bridger Bowl can be made at https://estore.bridgerbowl.com/login.   Please  purchase your lift ticket for Bridger Bowl for Monday, February 10 through Bridger Bowl.  Lift ticket prices for Bridger Bowl:  Youth/Adult (RFID and ticket) $10 +52/$10 +$82.**  

**If we have 20 or more adults (19-69) sign up, we will receive a discount code for adult lift tickets with Bridger Bowl.  Please purchase your Bridger Bowl lift ticket after January 20, 2024 and prior to January 27,2025  so that if applicable, you can apply the discount code.

***In the event that you need to cancel your registration, we can not guarantee that we will be able to provide you with a full refund.  We will do our best to accommodate your request, however lift tickets are not refundable past the purchase date.

Accommodations and Meals: Up to 3 nights stay on MEA campus, Tuesday night lodging and Wednesday breakfast available upon request.

***********Sign-up Deadline is January 15, 2025***********

Unfortunately, we can not accept applications received after January 15, 2025.

How to Register:  

  1. Register online OR download the registration forms. Downloaded forms can be returned via email to alumni@mtellis.org.
  2. Please download and sign the EVENT WAIVER for each participant (student and adult): https://mtellis.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Liability-waiver-and-permission-form.pdf. Email the completed waiver to alumni@mtellis.org.  This must be signed in order to participate.
  3. Payments may be made with cash/check, or credit cards.  In order to reserve your spot, payment is due with event registration. 
  4. Sign up with Bridger Bowl.
    • Please go to www.bridgerbowl.com and create an account. 
    • Purchase your ticket for Monday, February 10, 2025.
    • Tickets should be purchased online after January I7 and prior to January 26, 2024 so that Bridger Bowl has time to process our group’s request.  We will be skiing at Bridger Bowl on Monday, February 10.  If we have 20 or more adults (19-69) sign up, we will receive a discount code for adult tickets which we will send to you once we qualify so that you can apply it towards your ticket purchase.

If you would like to rent equipment for multiple days, we recommend that you check out Chalet Sports https://chaletsportsmt.com or Round House Sports at www.roundhouse-sports.com in Bozeman.  You can also rent equipment at Bridger Bowl and Big Sky, but we do not have equipment rentals at MEA available for Bear Canyon.

Questions?  Please call 587.5178 ext 105 for more information.

Christmas concerts are next weekend! Join us as we welcome the Christmas season with our sacred concerts on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Our Saturday night secular concert promises to delight. Don’t miss out on this musical weekend to remember!

Mt. Ellis Academy.  What do you think of when you hear that name? Do you think of mountains, Montana, and its great outdoor recreation, friends, teachers, or just another boarding school? Here are some of the ideas shared by the Seniors of ’84. They think of a friendly school with mountains and skiing. They think of a school with a good reputation for its great family atmosphere due to its small, but mighty size. They think of a place where they laughed, cried, felt depressed, felt joy, and all the other human emotions. A place where they grew up, changed, and matured. And as they look back to their years at Mt. Ellis, they will remember their jobs and classes. But even more, they will remember their friends. They will remember the fun times and the bad times they experienced together that strengthened their friendships. And some will remember their teachers as friends who really cared and helped them during this growing, changing, maturing period of their lives.

Mt. Ellis Academy is here to provide skiing, friends, scenery, and a family atmosphere. But the main reason for the existence of Mt. Ellis Academy is to guide each student in their awareness of Christ’s statement of each person’s duty: to love God, to love others, and to love one’s self….We are being changed into HIS likeness (II Chor 3:18). Mt. Ellis Academy is a place to make that kind of change.

Excerpted from the 1984 Ellisonian

Please join us for Alumni Homecoming, April 19-21. We can’t wait to welcome you back on campus. For details regarding the weekend and to register go here: https://mtellis.org/alumni/

Barry Curtis ’84 and Becky (Boyl) Curtis ’84 will be presenting Sabbath’s message “Where We Learn to Love”

Adventure Awaits!

The Mount Ellis class of 2025 invites you to an enchanting evening in the Jungle! There will be food, fun, games, and maybe a little monkey business at the Junior Benefit! The adventure will begin on March 2, at 6:30 p.m. at the Mount Ellis Academy Gym! Don’t forget to mark your calendars and prepare to have a roaring time!

Save time and purchase your tickets on pre-sale here: https://mountellisacademy.factsmgtadmin.com/form/kikO4g7mH?authToken=__token__

Join us for Ski the Summit! Ski the Summit is a unique spiritual retreat offered by MEA for 7th-11th grade students. Participants will spend three days skiing three different mountains – Bridger Bowl, Big Sky, and our own private slope, Bear Canyon Ski Area. You will have the opportunity to experience academy life, meet students and staff, learn more about the programs offered at MEA, and grow closer to your peers and to Christ through daily worship and activities. This is an unforgettable experience that you don’t want to miss! We will also be offering mini-courses on Monday and Tuesday for those students who want to participate in Ski the Summit but do not want to ski/snowboard. Previous mini-courses have included cooking/baking, photography, art, and rock climbing.

There are a few changes to Ski the Summit this year. Bridger Bowl is requiring all participants to have a Bridger Bowl account and parents/participants will need to sign separate waivers for Bridger Bowl. This year’s pricing does NOT include Bridger Bowl lift ticket or equipment rental fees.

Registration fees include: Big Sky lift ticket (pending confirmation from Big Sky), insurance, activities, room and board (up to 3 nights stay on MEA campus).

Here’s how to register: Download the application packet here and drop it off in the front office at MEA, or email the completed registration forms to alumni@mtellis.org.    

Payments can be made with cash/check, or credit cards.  Checks should be made out to Mt. Ellis Academy with Ski the Summit in the memo and either dropped off at MEA or mailed to Ski the Summit, Mount Ellis Academy 3641 Bozeman Trail Road, Bozeman, MT 59715.

You can also pay with a credit card here:

To sign up and purchase tickets with Bridger Bowl, please go to www.bridgerbowl.com and create an account.  Tickets should be purchased online after January I8 and prior to January 26, 2024 so that Bridger Bowl has time to process our group’s request.  We will be skiing at Bridger Bowl on Monday, February 5.  If we have 20 or more adults (19-69) sign up, we will receive a discount code for adult tickets which we will send to you once we qualify so that you can apply it towards your ticket purchase.

If you would like to rent equipment for multiple days, we recommend that you check out Chalet Sports at https://chaletsportsmt.com/contact/ or Round House Sports in Bozeman.  You can also rent equipment at Bridger Bowl and Big Sky, but we do not have equipment rentals at MEA available for Bear Canyon.

Questions?  Please call 587.5178 ext 105 for more information.

Established in 1902, Mount Ellis Academy (MEA) was founded as a Christian boarding high school for the youth of Montana. We are still located on the land donated to the school by the Rouse brothers all those years ago. For over 120 years, God’s Hand has never been far from this school.

In 1952, God provided direction for MEA by allowing us to acquire the Bear Canyon Ski Hill beginning MEA’s foray into enriched outdoor experiences for our students. This has grown into our Outdoor School program, Lifetime Activities, as well as a variety of other opportunities to get out to learn and explore God’s amazing creation that surrounds our Bozeman campus. Many times throughout our history, God’s hand has opened the floodgates of heaven to keep our ministry going in reaching His youth.

We are striving to create a sustainable future for MEA as we prepare for our next 120+ years of ministry. Our next big step forward is a long-term goal over the next 3-5 years of $4.5 Million to augment our “only at Mt. Ellis” activities, further develop our Trade Program offerings as well as develop new programs that enhance the learning experience at MEA, and to create a vibrant indoor and outdoor environment conducive to creativity and learning.

The generosity of our donors is the driving force behind our progress towards these goals. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in Kingdom-building. Together, we are building a brighter future for our students.

View the full report here:

At the top of Mount Ellis Academy’s legendary ski hill, the students of MEA gathered for the very last vespers of the year.   Most years, the Agape Feast has been held at the base of the hill in the lodge, but a couple teachers decided to get creative this year. After being chauffeured in trucks by various staff members up the ski hill’s steep, grassy slope, we were met with a peaceful, pretty view. A cross was set up just before the big flat of ground at the top just before the ground dipped into its descent towards the base, and there were plenty of blankets laid on the ground and logs set up for people to sit on. The smell of burgers being grilled was tantalizing and we could hardly wait to eat as we fellowshipped before everything began.

After our meal, Mr. Ellis, Math teacher, led out in a song service. It was incredible to sing on top of our hill: everyone’s voices echoing back from the mountains surrounding us, the slowly sinking sun creating a wonderful golden hour, and we felt on top of our little world. Mrs. Vinglas, Development Director,, blessed our evening with a very touching talk about how there is always a door, always a path to take, and God is there for us no matter what door we go through. Mr. Stuart, Science, then took the front and we partook in communion, drinking grape juice in each other’s presence to help remind us of Jesus’ gift and that he chose the door that led to saving us. Then, as we do every year at the Agape Feast, we closed the evening with the rose ceremony. Every student and staff member was given four roses, and were instructed to gift them to people they appreciate, want to say “sorry” to, or just want to show a little extra love. The sounds of laughter filled the evening air as people exchanged roses, the flowers almost never settling in one’s hand before they were passed to another in overwhelming gratitude. After spending a good amount of time milling about, expressing our appreciation, it was announced that it was time to clean up and return to campus. Everyone lent a helping hand and we descended the hill in no time, feeling blessed and satisfied from an evening full of fellowship and reconnection with our friends and God.

~Ava Rogers, Junior

Students worship through music at top of ski hill

Come out to support the Class of 2023 as they present their rendition of Joseph Kesselring’s classic comedy/mystery “Arsenic and Old Lace”. It’s a classic whodunit that will leave you laughing in your seat. Show-times are Saturday night, March 11 at 7:30 and Wednesday night, March 15 at 7:00. Tickets are $15 each for adults and $10 for children (<12 years). You can purchase and/or reserve your tickets here:

Reserve your Ticket

Join us this weekend for our annual Christmas Concerts! Friday evening’s program, I Wonder as I Wander, is sure to delight. Sabbath’s worship service will feature community and academy students performing the cantata Little Lion, Little Lamb, and Saturday night’s secular concert, Christmas is Coming will get you in the holiday spirit as close out the weekend. We are planning to livestream the programs, so watch for the links. #mtellisacademy #littlelionlittlelamb

Watch the livestreams for the different programs here:

Friday, December 16: I Wonder as I Wander 7:30 pm:

Friday Evening Sacred Concert: I Wonder as I Wander

Sabbath, December 17 Worship and Cantata: Little Lion, Little Lamb at 10:00 am

Sabbath Worship and Cantata

Saturday, December 17 Secular Christmas Concert at 7:00 pm

Secular Concert

Ski the Summit is a unique spiritual retreat offered by Mount Ellis Academy for 7th – 11th grade students. Participants will spend three days skiing three different mountains – Bridger Bowl; Big Sky; and our own private slope, Bear Canyon Ski Area – while also having the opportunity to get closer to their peers and to Christ through daily worship and activities. This is an unforgettable experience you won’t want to miss!

Dates: February 20-22, 2022

Cost:

Prior to February 7

  • Students: $200
  • Sponsors: 165

After February 7

  • Students: $250
  • Sponsors: $215

*Price includes lift tickets, activities, room and board. Price does NOT include equipment rental fees.

Students not needing room and board:

  • Prior to February 7: $165
  • After February 7: $215

Download the registration packet to register and email completed packet by February 14 to registrar@mtellis.org. Call 406-587-5178 with any questions.

***REGISTRATION DEADLINE February 14, 2022***

Ski-the-Summit-Registration-PacketDownload