Weekend Programs

Silver Lake Conference Center 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 beyond 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.

Registration for high schoolers is available through our online registration; cost is $45; a complete health record is required. Adults are asked to RSVP to slcc@silverlakect.org. There is no cost to adult volunteers, though donations are accepted.

Maple Sugaring Weekend

Held during the maple sugaring season (early 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 appreicate our environment and to care for all of God's Creation, in nature's resurrection: Spring! Registration is available online; the cost is $115 per person; a complete health record is required.

Harvest Camp or Christmas at Silver Lake

In the fall, we will offer either Harvest Camp (November before Thanksgiving) or Christmas at Silver Lake (the weekend after Thanksgiving) as a weekend conference. The weekend provides a program for 5th & 6th graders and a program for 7th & 8th grades, each with their own deans and counselors. Whether we're celebrating the harvest and giving thanks or preparing for the birth of Christ, the fall 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 $115 per person; a complete health record is required.

Confirmation Retreats

Unity in the Body of Christ

"There is one body and one spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you." Ephesians 4:4.

The Connecticut Conference of the UCC provides five to six 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.

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 male adult for every eight male youth participants and one female adult for every eight female youth participants.

Each retreat begins on Friday at 7:00 pm and ends at noon 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: January, February, March, April, November, and December. Pre-registration information is available by contacting the Conference office at 860.233.5564.

Upcoming Events

Title	Cost	Age Range	Dates
2020 Spring Action Weekend - CANCELED	$45 per High Schooler; By donation for adults	9th Grade - Adult	4/24/2020 - 4/26/2020	Register
THE 2020 SPRING ACTION WEEKEND HAS BEEN CANCELED. Catch up with old friends, make new friends, and work hard to prepare YOUR conference center for the coming season. From chopping wood to repairing buildings, moving picnic tables to raking leaves, there’s a project for everyone, high schoolers through adult. Action Weekends are open to youth in grades 9 through 12. Cost is $45 per person; register at www.silverlakect.org. Adult volunteers are also welcome; donations accepted; RSVP to slcc@silverlakect.org.
2020 Counselor Retreat - Rescheduled (Virtual)	$25 per person	Age 16 - Adult	5/15/2020 - 5/16/2020	Register
The originally scheduled Counselor Retreat has been rescheduled. The Counselor training will now be held virtually, the weekend of May 15, 2020. Group games, cabin bonding, faith exploration, homesickness, bugs, fun, sun, outdoor adventure. We’ll cover it all! Learn how to make the magic of camp happen for your campers, while keeping them safe. This retreat is open to all who will serve as counselors at Silver Lake, whether it’s your first time or your 20th time. Join us for a weekend of community building and skills training and get ready to have the best week of your summer! This weekend fulfills the in-person training requirement for counselors serving in 2020. Dean: Jennifer Kronholm Clark
2020 Open House	Free		5/17/2020 - 5/17/2020
Silver Lake Conference Center will hold an open house Sunday, May 17, from 1 to 5 p.m. “We are so excited to kick off the summer by welcoming families to Open House,” said Rev. Ryan Gackenheimer, Executive Director. “This event is the best way to get a feel for what it’s like to be a camper at Silver Lake for a week this summer.” Silver Lake Conference Center holds summer camp June through August for youth entering grades 4 through 12. Registration is now open for the summer program online at www.silverlakect.org. The conference center hosts retreat groups September through May, overnight or day groups, offering food services and challenge course programming. The open house on May 17 will feature walking tours of the facilities, including, a hayride to the waterfront on Mudge Pond, a campfire with marshmallows to roast, opportunities to climb the high ropes or play a hole or two of disc golf, cookies and juice, and giveaways of camp merchandise. This free event is open to the public. RSVPs requested to slcc@silverlakect.org by May 12. Silver Lake Conference Center, 223 Low Road, Sharon, CT, is the outdoor ministry program of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. For more information, call 860-364-5526 or visit www.silverlakect.org.
Pioneer	$520/$450/$400	9 - 12	6/21/2020 - 6/27/2020	Register
Do you LOVE SLCC? Like LOVE it love it? Do you love mission trips? Do you like helping out? Cool work projects? Getting covered in paint? Finding new BFFs? COME TO PIONEER! It's like a mission trip at camp! Whether you're a master carpenter or have never seen a hammer in your life, this is the conference for you! Attendance counts toward community service hours.
Bon Voyage & Happy Trails	$635/$575/$525	7 - 8	6/28/2020 - 7/4/2020	Register
Want to paddle and hike like an explorer? Sailboats, canoes, kayaks, and trails are ready for you to experience a week of floating, boating, and hiking adventures! Find God on the water and on the trails, exploring your faith through teamwork. Pack your hiking boots and come along!
JuST Camp	$585/$525/$475	9 - 12	6/28/2020 - 7/4/2020	Register
Looking for an experience of faith that's more relevant to what's happening in the world? JuST Camp stands for Justice & Service Training Camp. We spend half the week at Silver Lake learning & playing and half the week in New Haven serving & exploring. Through fun adventures we'll discover the biblical call to co-creating a more loving world.
My Loved One & Me	$585/$525/$475 per pair	4 - 4	6/28/2020 - 7/1/2020	Register
Take your loved one - mom, dad, grandparent, you name it! - on a camp adventure! Dive into the waterfront, swing at High Ropes, create artwork at the Art Grotto, and learn about your faith. The grownups will have a solo adventure, and you can fly on your own!
Silver Lake Sings	$635/$575/$525	7 - 8	6/28/2020 - 7/4/2020	Register
Let's bring Broadway to Silver Lake this summer! We'll explore faith and praise through music, singing show tunes, and performing our favorites. From Godspell to Hamilton, we'll take a musical journey of faith - including attending a show - while enjoying the camp life of swim time, ropes, and campfires.
TE FITI, OHANA, MOR'DU, AND THE ELEMENTALS	$585/$525/$475	5 - 6	6/28/2020 - 7/4/2020	Register
Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself, love creation - it's the Silver Lake way! Explore the Silver Lake loves through familiar animated characters and beloved stories, while learning more about yourself and making friends.
Clergy Camp	$270	Adults - Adult	7/1/2020 - 7/4/2020	Register
Join fellow clergy for reflection, renewal, and worship in the woods. We'll enjoy all the best that Silver Lake has to offer - boating, hiking, singing, creating, and making friends - and opt-in to Bible study, sermon prep, and vocational development. And of course a campfire with s'mores! Come to deepen your relationship with God and your colleagues! This conference is open to all authorized ministers.
STEAM Team	$585/$525/$475	4 - 5	7/5/2020 - 7/11/2020	Register
If you love science, technology, engineering, art, or math, then this conference is for you! We'll build boats like Noah, do experiments with water, and play with important numbers from the Bible. Nature hikes, campfires, and swimming will inspire us to make our own works of art. Come stretch your creativity as we enjoy the wonder of God's creation.
Still Singing	$655 / $595 / $545	10 - 12	7/5/2020 - 7/11/2020	Register
Bring your dramatic voice, your dancing feet, your brilliant mind, your musical instrument, and any other of God's gifts to you that you want to share. We will explore where our faith meets the issues of today as we write, compose, and perform an original biblical musical for a joyous experience of worship.
Welcome to Wakanda	$585/$525/$475	5 - 6	7/5/2020 - 7/11/2020	Register
You won't find Wakanda on any map, but if you look carefully, you will see that it's all around us! African explorers, artists, and scientists have used their talents throughout history to make the world a better place. Let's discover how they did it and how you can do it, too. This is an intentionally diverse conference.
On Sacred Ground	$635/$575/$525	7 - 9	7/5/2020 - 7/11/2020	Register
The world in which we live is filled with history, mystery, and wonder. Have you ever wondered how we can draw on the past to guide how we care for the earth today? We will learn some of the history of the land and explore our surroundings with hikes and other adventures. Join us as we shape the future of our earth by learning about its sacred history.
Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get	$585/$525/$475	7 - 8	7/5/2020 - 7/11/2020	Register
When our words don't match our actions, it hurts others. But in card tricks and magic, Whatcha See isn't always Whatcha Get! Let's get real and start walking our talk and take home 10-15 tricks to impress your friends! Camp stuff will reign, so come for fun!
God Song	$585/$525/$475	5 - 6	7/12/2020 - 7/18/2020	Register
Do you love to sing, act, write, dance, create art, or play an instrument? Join us as we form a community of creative spirits, discovering each other's talents. We'll go for nature walks, write and perform, form a band or two (bring your instrument!), gaze at the stars, learn a dance, play games ... and on the way we?ll create an amazing worship service!
Fun in the Son	$585/$525/$475	7 - 9	7/12/2020 - 7/18/2020	Register
When Jesus is your head coach, welcoming the stranger and loving your neighbor are more important than defeating your opponent. In this high energy week of playing, passing, and scoring, we'll exercise our bodies, minds and spirits (yoga & dancing, too!). We'll share some laughs, share God's love, and make lifelong friends! Join our team!
Team Lego	$585/$525/$475	4 - 5	7/12/2020 - 7/18/2020	Register
Everything is awesome when you are part of a team! During a fun-filled week, we will build connections with God, creation, and each other as we play games, participate in the Challenge Course, swim, do arts & crafts, enjoy God's creation, and of course, have fun with Legos.
This Just In	$585/$525/$475	9 - 12	7/12/2020 - 7/18/2020	Register
Descend upon Silver Lake Conference Center to explore where current events and faith collide. Sing, dance, and laugh throughout camp as you strengthen your convictions and grow bold in your expression. Learn how to respond to events in a way that is true to your faith and yourself.
MACH 2	$655 / $595 / $545	8 - 10	7/12/2020 - 7/18/2020	Register
Get ready for an extremely active week at Silver Lake! Each day will bring a new challenge: hiking, biking, climbing, canoeing. We will go off-site most days for our adventures. Test your endurance, take your faith to the limit, and bond with your fellow adventurers. Bike rental included. Conferees should be fit enough to enjoy challenges such as a hike to a local summit, six miles total for the day.
Rock of Ages	$655 / $595 / $545	9 - 12	7/19/2020 - 7/25/2020	Register
The roar of the crowd. The buzz of guitars. The flash of lights. Ever imagined yourself as a rock star? From folk to punk, hip hop to metal, we'll perform classic and original music, put on a concert, and learn more about our faith and what it means to be a community. Join our band!
Water World	$585/$525/$475	5 - 6	7/19/2020 - 7/25/2020	Register
What a wonderful world: swim in it, paddle it, drink it, magnify it, splash in it, spray it! We'll delight in God's special creation, our vital resource: water. Ducks, fish, and frogs: look out, we're about to dive into your world! Swimsuits required! Come celebrate the wet, wild, and wonderful creations we each are!
W.O.W. - Week of Wonder	$585/$525/$475	4 - 5	7/19/2020 - 7/25/2020	Register
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to go to summer camp? This is a week to discover what Silver Lake is all about. Through games, swimming, arts & crafts, and more we will make new friends and explore the wonder of God's creation.
Common Threads	$585/$525/$475	7 - 8	7/19/2020 - 7/25/2020	Register
Everyone is unique, but we're all connected. Let's travel the world through games, stories, crafts, music, and activities. We'll explore how much we have in common with young people from around the globe and discover that we aren't that different after all.
Agents of SHIELD	$585/$525/$475	7 - 8	7/19/2020 - 7/25/2020	Register
Every day the battle continues against forces that destroy our world: pollution, hunger, bullying, racism, and apathy. We need your help! Come to Agent training and learn the skills you need to battle evil: outdoor survival skills, leadership training, and antibullying powers. Join the cause and make a difference!
Hammer & a Nail	$745/$695/$645	10 - college	7/19/2020 - 7/25/2020	Register
Do you know how to swing a hammer? Or have you ever wanted to learn? At Silver Lake we learn to love our neighbors, and at Hammer and a Nail we take that love on the road! Join us for a week of volunteering at H.O.M.E. Co-op in rural Orland, Maine. Together we will build houses and do work projects in homeless shelters, on a farm, in a daycare center, and wherever else our hands are needed. After work, we will sing songs around a campfire and even take a day trip to Acadia National Park. No prior volunteer experience is necessary, but come ready to work hard and have a ton of fun in the process. If you have a care in the world, you have a gift to bring! Transportation from Connecticut to Maine is provided, and an informational meeting for participants and families will be held this spring.
Sing Praise	$655 / $595 / $545	7 - 9	7/26/2020 - 8/1/2020	Register
Let all the earth sing praise ... and dance, and paint, and make music. We'll explore our different ways of prayer and worship as we join forces to create an original Biblical musical and share it with the Silver Lake community. Come exercise your gifts and talents and perhaps discover some new ones.
Causing A Commotion	$585/$525/$475	4 - 5	7/26/2020 - 8/1/2020	Register
Run, jump, spin, swim, play, laugh, learn - cause a commotion! Join all your new friends at camp this summer for a high energy week of sports, games, community, and belonging. Make a whole lot of noise in celebration of God's awesome creation of you.
The Supers	$585/$525/$475	5 - 6	7/26/2020 - 8/1/2020	Register
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's you and your own super power! While some powers are more visible than others, God gave everyone their own Super Power! Put on your cape, grab your power bracelets, and prepare for adventure. Join us in exploring God's creation around us and the Powers inside us that make us all Super.
Can You Dig It?	$635/$575/$525	7 - 8	7/26/2020 - 8/1/2020	Register
Adventure! Archaeology! Playing in dirt and mud! Together, we'll explore our ancient faith with the modern tools of science. We'll play games, expand our faith horizons, and learn what people's "stuff" can tell us about how they lived. Features an off-site day trip with a real-life archeologist.
Carry the Torch	$585/$525/$475	9 - 12	7/26/2020 - 8/1/2020	Register
Join us for a truly Herculean week full of sports and competition! In the spirit of the Ancient Greeks, we invite all to join our own version of the Summer Olympics. Get ready to challenge yourself, focusing on mind, body, and spirit. Along the way we will learn about teamwork and how this all ties into being better Christians and citizens of the world.
Clarence & the Godzooks' Most Amazing Puppet Show	$595/$535/$485	4 - 5	8/2/2020 - 8/8/2020	Register
We're looking for a few good Godzooks! It's an open audition call for the Most Amazing Puppet Show! Sing, shout, and use funny voices to perform stories of loving God and doing good! Create your own puppet and join the Godzooks troupe..
Family Camp 1	$240/adult; $140/10 & under; free under 3; $730 family cap	all ages - all ages	8/2/2020 - 8/5/2020	Register
Families of every size and description are welcome to gather and enjoy all that SLCC has to offer. We'll worship together, be challenged by the ropes courses, cool off in the lake, and much more, while learning what it means to be a family, not just to each other, but to all God's people.
Hiking the Way	$635/$575/$525	9 - 12	8/2/2020 - 8/8/2020	Register
Mountain top highs and valley lows are both a part of the human experience, and God walks with us all along the way. We will hike and explore God's magnificent creation and reflect on the ways that God is with us in our daily lives. This will be a physically demanding conference; bring an appetite for adventure and an open heart. New hikes are planned!
Soul Sisters	$585/$525/$475	7 - 8	8/2/2020 - 8/8/2020	Register
Advertisements, magazines, "reality" shows, and a hundred other daily messages tell us how we're supposed to look, think, act, feel. Break free from all that: This week you make the rules! We'll see ourselves and each other as God created us: strong, intelligent, wondrous, fun, free. Bring your journal, your poetry, your songs, your spirit. This conference is open to all who identify as girls.
Stepping Stones	$585/$525/$475	6 - 8	8/2/2020 - 8/8/2020	Register
God's people come in many colors, but the world doesn't treat all of them equally. Together we can take steps to make our world more fair and just. We'll also step up to the challenge on high ropes, create art, enjoy the outdoors, and take your life up a notch. YOU have what it takes to reach the next step. This is an intentionally diverse racial justice conference.
Family Camp 1.5	$240/adult; $140/10 & under; free under 3; $730 family cap	all ages - all ages	8/5/2020 - 8/8/2020	Register
Families of every size and description are welcome to gather and enjoy all that SLCC has to offer. We'll worship together, be challenged by the ropes courses, cool off in the lake, and much more, while learning what it means to be a family, not just to each other, but to all God's people.
Circle of Friends	$585/$525/$475	4 - 5	8/9/2020 - 8/15/2020	Register
Ready to make some new friends? We will spend the week learning to be the best friends we can be to each other, to ourselves, and to God. Laugh, sing, play, climb, swim, worship, and become lifelong friends. Bring your positive attitude and be prepared to "Love God, love your neighbor, and love yourself."
Family Camp 2	$240/adult; $140/10 & under; free under 3; $730 family cap	all ages - all ages	8/9/2020 - 8/12/2020	Register
Families of every size and description are welcome to gather and enjoy all that SLCC has to offer. We'll worship together, be challenged by the ropes courses, cool off in the lake, and much more, while learning what it means to be a family, not just to each other, but to all God's people.
Muggles & Wizards	$585/$525/$475	5 - 6	8/9/2020 - 8/15/2020	Register
Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin: Come join us as we explore the world of Harry Potter and how it connects with God's call to each of us! Bring your favorite Potter memorabilia and your sense of fun! We'll look for God's call in the wizarding world and in our own. We'll play, pray, swim, sing - and even get in a game of Quidditch!
God Acting Through Us	$635/$575/$525	7 - 8	8/9/2020 - 8/15/2020	Register
Have you ever considered the things you do to be prayers to God? Join us for a week of exploring how our good works on earth are expressions of faith. We will have a chance for service in the local community while we have fun at camp and make new friends.
Reel to Real	$585 / $525 / $475	9 - 12	8/9/2020 - 8/15/2020	Register
Fade up on another beautiful day at Silver Lake! Each day we will write, produce, direct, and film our own videos. We'll explore social issues while learning technical aspects about telling stories on video. Learn more about God, your neighbor, and yourself through the lens of a camera. Come join the fun!
2020 Pride Retreat		9 - 12	11/6/2020 - 11/8/2020
This is a retreat weekend for 9^th-12^th graders who identify as a part of the LGBTQI or Queer community and Allies. A time to be in community, make friends, to experience God’s Love, to know you are loved just as you are, and to learn, grow, & have fun. Register online at www.silverlakect.org
2020 Fall Action	45	9 - 12	11/20/2020 - 11/22/2020
From chopping wood to repairing buildings, moving picnic tables to raking leaves, there’s a project for everyone, high schoolers through adult. Action Weekends are open to youth in grades 9 through 12. Cost is $45 per person; register at www.silverlakect.org. Adult volunteers are also welcome; donations accepted; RSVP to slcc@silverlakect.org.
2020 Christmas at the Lake		4 - 8	12/4/2020 - 12/6/2020
Celebrate Christmas, Silver Lake-style! Join your friends and make new ones as we anticipate Christ’s birth at Silver Lake, with or without snow! We will get busy and creative with Christmas crafts, outdoor play, baking, worship, and lots of singing of Christmas songs around the fire. Open to youth in grades 4-6, and 7-8. Register online at www.silverlakect.org

Retreats

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Retreats

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