The United Church of Christ General Synod will take place in Indianapolis, IN on June 30 to July 4, 2023 and Rev. Trayce Potter of the National staff is organizing special programming for Youth @ Synod.

Teens from all over the country will participate in worship, attend plenary sessions and hearings, and observe the resolution process in action.  Youth @ Synod is a wonderful opportunity to engage in justice issues and nurture advocacy skills.  

The Southern New England Conference is sponsoring a trip to Youth @ Synod for young leaders ages 14 to 18 who want to connect with other teens and experience the vibrant diversity of the wider church.

Some of the planned activities include:  

• Keynote Address by Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber
• Immersive service learning in Indianapolis with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless  and Wheeler Mission, 
• Resource Mapping Challenge and workshops to examine root causes of homelessness,
• An outdoor concert at the White River State Park with local food trucks,  
• Opportunities to assist with music and liturgy for worship,
• Meet and greet sessions with UCC National staff and ministry leaders, as well as the SNEUCC delegates
• More exciting details to be announced soon! 

There are two ways to participate:
Local church pastors and youth leaders are invited to organize trips and accompany the teens from their congregations
or,
Individual youth may join the SNEUCC Youth @ Synod trip. Debby Kirk, SNEUCC Faith Formation Team Leader, and Debbie Gline Allen, SNEUCC Minister of Faith Formation will be coordinating the supervision along with local church leaders. Space is limited to 16 participants so indicate your interest now by filling out this online interest form before March 15.
 
Transportation will be by air and travel days will be June 30th and July 5th. The group will stay at General Synod-designated hotels within walking distance of the Convention Center. The cost per person is estimated to be $1495 which includes registration, transportation, meals and hotel 
accommodations.

The Southern New England Conference will be offering significant scholarship support to help make this experience affordable.  Financial support for this event is made possible through the Uncle E Scholarship Fund created in memory of Edward Turner, a lay leader who served in the Hartford Association for many years.

Please share this opportunity with youth in your congregation so that we can plan the logistics. Note that trip reservations and scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis so fill out the interest form as soon as possible.