Dear TEC Youth Team Applicant,

Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) is a non-denominational, 3-day weekend for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school, whether you go to church or not! All of the fun, fellowship, music, food, worship and prayer is led by a team of 50-100 teens and adults. The atmosphere of the weekend makes it easy to develop new friendships, make connections and experience being a part of a loving and supportive faith community. 

The next TEC will be Friday, April 13th (4:00 PM) through Sunday, April 15th (4:00 PM) at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis. Team arrives on Thursday, April 12 (8:00pm). Team may also arrive on Friday morning at 9am. Later arrivals on Friday can be accomodated with approval (sarah.b@episcopalmn.org). 

This online application must be completely filled out, and two forms (medical and photo/media release) must be printed and brought with you to the retreat. The participant fee for team and for candidates is $40. The application deadline for Team is Friday March 15th.

An e-mail confirming your participation and providing details like where and when to arrive, what to bring, and time you should arrange to be picked up on Sunday will be e-mailed when your application is processed. We do our best to honor your requests for what Team you want to serve on. 

Scholarship help is available by:

1. Request scholarship help from the church you attend.
2. If your request is not able to be granted, please ask for a letter or email stating this.
3. Email MN TEC directly (sarah.b@episcopalmn.org) requesting the scholarship and include a copy of the email/letter from your church stating you were unable to receive a scholarship from them.

Requirements:

• All TEC Team Members must be present for the Team Planning Meeting at St. Mark's on Saturday, March 17 from 10am-2pm. Youth who are serving on the Youth Commission will be leading this planning meeting, and they will arrive at 7pm on March 16 for an overnight. Very few exceptions can be made for this (email sarah.b@episcopalmn.org to inquire). 
• All participants agree to be present for the entire TEC weekend. The TEC weekend for Team runs from 8:00 p.m. Thursday, April 12th to 4:00 p.m. Sunday, April 15th. Team may also arrive on Friday morning at 9am. Later arrivals on Friday can be accomodated with approval (sarah.b@episcopalmn.org). Team members cannot arrive after 4pm on Friday, but youth can still attend the Agape dinner and dance on Saturday from 3:00-10:00pm (email sarah.b@episcopalmn.org).

Policies:

• No non-prescription drugs, alcohol or smoking at any time during the TEC weekend.
• Application fee of $40 is non-refundable two weeks prior to the TEC weekend. There is a $15 cancellation fee at any time.
• Participants will respect the church and its property. Participants will be held financially responsible for damage and/or destruction.
• TEC is not responsible for any lost or stolen personal items.
• There is not parking available at TEC. Please arrange to be dropped off and picked up from TEC. We will be coordinating some group travel from places outside of the twin cities.

Register Now - Youth Team

Questions?

Sarah Barnett 
The Episcopal Church in Minnesota 
612-870-3327 
sarah.b@episcopalmn.org 

TEC FAQ

Who runs TEC? ECMN’s Youth Commission meets throughout the year as the decision-making body for all TEC plans. Each TEC retreat is run by a team of 40-60 youth who have been through TEC before. Around 20-30 adult volunteers are onsite to assist this inspiring team. The Bishop’s Team of Missioners assists TEC with logistics. 

What is a "Candidate"? Candidates are first-time TEC participants. The youth who are returning to TEC on team have a mantra that “TEC is about the Candidates.” One of the very first welcoming messages Candidates hear is: “This weekend is for you. We hope that you are able to not worry about one thing. Just relax. We are cooking your food, keeping the time, and making sure to have some fun. This weekend you get to focus on yourself, your life, and your questions. This is rare in our society, and it is why so many of us keep coming back to TEC.”

TEC started in the 70s? Yes, TEC was written in the 70s as a youth retreat based on an adult retreat called Cursillo by the Catholic Church. Also in the 70s, the Episcopal Church wrote a very similar retreat called Happenings. Here in ECMN, we have been doing TEC since 1971. There are active TEC & Happenings retreats all over the world. 

Why MN TEC? MN TEC is built to be a statewide program for young people in the Episcopal Church and their friends. Youth who go to TEC say that the TEC community is why they come back. For many it also becomes a foundational reason to go to church beyond high school.  One of our young people recently said it this way: “TEC helped me understand that my whole life is a part of God’s story. God is in every high and every low. Everything I experience matters, and every moment is a chance to share Agape love with others.” 

 What happens at TEC? During your 48 hours at TEC you will journey through Holy Week with personal stories, dramas, delicious meals, music, and a few fantastic, encouraging surprises. Everyone is invited to journey at their own pace, with their own questions, making relevant connections to their daily lives. Each weekend is a new experience with new friends as we all share God’s rich, unconditional Agape love with one another. 

 What does the TEC schedule look like? Friday: Candidate welcome, youth talks, free time, holy week drama. Saturday: Easter celebration, youth talks, free time, service project, off-site adventure. Sunday: Youth talks, TEC debrief, invitation to return on Team, closing service.