Happening & GIC

Happening

Happening is a Christian experience presented by teenagers, for teenagers with the help of clergy and lay adult leadership. The Happening program is meant to be one of the instruments within the Anglican Tradition of renewing the Christian church in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the church may more readily respond to its call to spread the Kingdom of God throughout the world. It seeks to achieve this purpose by bringing young persons and adults to fuller personal knowledge of and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to a deeper level of commitment and apostleship.

Throughout the weekend, a series of talks are delivered by youth and clergy to logically present the elements that define the catechism process and a mature profession of faith. The presentation of key talks by youth using personal life experiences is intended to offer Christ's message to attending Happeners on a level they can understand and to answer many of the faith questions youth struggle with daily. Talks about church teachings and their importance in the lives of youth attending the weekend are presented by clergy in a fair and friendly manner. Each talk is a critical building block in the creation of the Happening message. The entire series of talks is given in a sequence that is intended to guide Happeners by opening an avenue of discussions to help them verbalize and internalize their faith questions in a safe environment, hopefully leading to a new or renewed relationship with Christ.

Happening Registration

Already attended a Happening weekend? Read So You've Happened... Now What? to learn how you can stay engaged!

Growth in Christ

Growth in Christ, or “GIC,” is a program that takes place on the Saturday and Sunday concurrent with the Happening weekend for individuals who have already "Happened." It's designed in collaboration with Happeners and intended to build on the teachings of the Happening weekend. Participants will assist with the behind-the-scenes service of Happening as well as dig deeper into the topics discussed in the Happening Talks through personal story-sharing.

GIC Registration

Happening Staff / GIC Leadership

Two ways Happeners can engage with Happening weekend and continue exploring their faith are serving on Weekend Staff or GIC Leadership or attending GIC as a participant. The purpose of Happening Staff is to serve the Candidates and create a safe, loving, welcoming environment to have an open and transformative weekend experience. The following are descriptions of each staff role involved in the Happening Weekend experience. The Lay Rector and Big Brother/Big Sister, along with the Observing Lay Rector and Observing Big Brother/Sister, decide selection for Weekend Staff and GIC Leadership with the assistance of the Happening Steering Committee.

The Growth in Christ program is undergoing a visioning period, and a critical piece of the process is the GIC Leadership team. This group of both youth and adults will design and implement a program based on the Happening talks and teachings that breathes fresh life into Happeners seeking reconnection to the Happening family. The Rector and Big Brother/Big Sister of the Happening immediately preceding upcoming session are invited to participate on this team

Weekend Staff / GIC Leadership Application

Happening Updates