Dear TEC Adult,

We are in the beginning stages of another TEC weekend and are looking for many adults to assist in this ministry with our young people. For those of you who are newer to TEC, it is a 3-day retreat for students in Grades 9-12 who may or may not belong to a church. All of the fun, fellowship, music, food, worship and prayer at TEC iss 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. 

We warmly invite you to participate in this next TEC at whatever level your time, schedule, and comfort allows. Your leadership and engagement will be deeply appreciated. Please fill out this online registration, and someone will contact you to follow-up your role and responsibilities.

In this online registration you can sign up to:

• Be a volunteer at TEC as a clergy or lay adult leader
• Purchase/send food for meals
• Help cook, serve, and clean up for the Saturday Agape Dinner
• Donate $ for scholarships, food, supplies, etc. 
• Help drive youth in carpools from your area
• Send us your own ideas for how you can help 

The next TEC weekend is Friday, April 13th (4:00 PM) through Sunday, April 15th (4:00 PM) at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis. All youth and adults on Team arrive on Thursday, April 12 (8:00pm). Team may also arrive on Friday morning at 9am. Few exceptions 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 all TEC participants (youth and adults) team is $40. The application deadline for Team is Friday March 15th.

Requirements for volunteers serving onsite at TEC:

• 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. Some onsite roles may not require this, but most do. 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). 
• All adults must have completed Safe Church training and a background check. 

Policies:

• No weapons, 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.

Register Now - TEC Adults

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.