Weekend Programs

Vaccine Requirement

Silver Lake requires all guests to our site and participants at our in-person events to be fully vaccinated (2+ weeks from final dose) against Covid-19. Those who are not able to be vaccinated due to a medical condition or due to age may show proof of a negative PCR test taken not more than 3 days before the event.

As a ministry of the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ (SNE UCC), Silver Lake adheres to all the policies put in place by the Conference.

Read the SNE UCC Covid Policy for Sites and Events.

Silver Lake provides several opportunities for individuals and groups to participate in specialized programs of Christian Education and Spiritual Renewal each year. We invite young people from throughout New England to meet others and to learn from these programs as they develop their faith and build relationships. Each special weekend program is designed around a specific theme and age group.

Action Weekends

Held in April or May (Spring Action), and October or November (Fall Action), these work retreats are designed to provide an opportunity for young people in 9th grade and above to work together as Silver Lake is readied for the summer and winter months respectively. Many hands make light work! Action weekends also provide a great opportunity to meet new friends, re-unite with old friends, and work hard. They are recommended for all young people who are contemplating being on the summer staff. Actions are also a great time for former staff and alumni conferees to come back to Silver Lake and help out.

Everyone is asked to register online. For high schoolers, cost is $45 and a complete health record is required. There is no cost to adult volunteers, though donations are accepted.

View all our upcoming weekend programs to register.

Christmas at the Lake

In the beginning of December, we will offer Christmas at the Lake as a weekend conference. The weekend provides a program for 4th-6th graders with their own deans and counselors. The retreat weekend offers a wonderful opportunity for young people to re-unite with friends made during the summer conference program or to experience the magic of Silver Lake for the first time. Registration is available online; the cost is $125 per person; a complete health record is required.

We also have a Christmas at the Lake intergenerational Day the first Saturday of December. Bring your family to camp for a day of fellowship by the fireside, games, crafts, hot cocoa, chili, and some Adventure games. Spend time outdoors with other families as we enter the season of Advent and prepare for Christmas.

View all our upcoming events for details and registration.

Maple Sugaring Weekend

Held during the maple sugaring season (early to mid-March) each year, this weekend is designed to provide 6th, 7th, and 8th graders with the opportunity to learn about tapping maple trees, boiling sap to make maple syrup, and to discover new ways to appreciate our environment and to care for all of God's Creation, in nature's resurrection: Spring!

Registration is available online; the cost is $125 per person; a complete health record is required.

View all our upcoming weekend programs to register.

We also have a Maple Sugaring intergenerational Day. From tap to table, experience nature’s renewal and its sweet gifts at Silver Lake! We will tap the camp’s sugar maple trees, collect the sap, and boil it over a big outdoor stove as we participate in the transformation of sap into syrup. See firsthand God’s gift of Resurrection in the coming Spring.

View all our upcoming events for details and registration.

Pride Retreat

This weekend retreat is a safe space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies to explore issues of identity and faith through a lens of progressive Christian values. All are welcome, regardless of faith identity or belief.
9th-12th graders will join a community of your peers for fun, laughter, connection, music, community, campfires, history, low ropes, arts and crafts, fashion shows, and discussion.

Weekend lodging is determined by age, not by gender.

Registration is available online; the cost is $140 per person; a complete health record is required.

Find additional details about the program and leaders on our Pride Retreat webpage.

View all our upcoming weekend programs to register.

Confirmation Retreats

The Southern New England Conference of the UCC provides Confirmation Retreats at Silver Lake annually. If your church's Confirmation Class is too small on its own of if your class could benefit from a retreat experience with other classes, these retreats were designed for you. The purpose of these retreats is not to teach confirmation all in one weekend but to help build community and to help begin the process of asking the questions that are key to the Confirmation process. The curriculum resources used are appropriate for young people in 7th - 9th grade.

Program includes Team Building games and campfire on Saturday.

The Conference provides the resources and the leadership for each retreat and each group is required to bring adult advisors to facilitate the program: One (1) adult for every eight (8) youth participants.

Each retreat begins on Friday at 7:30 pm and ends at 11:30 am on Sunday. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided on Saturday, and Brunch is served on Sunday.

While specific retreat dates are announced annually, they are generally held in the following months: February, March, April, and November.

Details and registration can be found on the SNE Faith Formation webpage - www.sneucc.org/disciples

Please note, while Silver Lake hosts the Confirmation Retreats, all registration, payments, schedule, and additional details are collected and organized by the Southern New England Conference.