TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) is a three-day weekend centered on God’s grace. It provides teenagers the opportunity to examine ways of living out their faith in relationship to others, it is a time for renewal and strengthening of that faith, and it challenges and equips one to center their life on Christ.

The focus of the entire weekend is based on John 12:24 text which reads, "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit."

The weekend begins on Saturday which is a day of personal reflection as the weekenders participate in Ash Wednesday, Lent, Stations of the Cross and Good Friday services. Sunday is a joyous celebration of Easter including an Easter Eucharist service. Monday is a day for sharing and building on a true sense of community, preparing to go home and sharing Christ with the people around them.

The entire weekend is a peer ministry; teens ministering to teens. Adult advisors and pastors also take an active part in leading the weekend. The weekend centers around nine talks, seven given by youth who have attended a previous weekend and two by pastors. Following each talk, small table groups discuss the talk and each table then prepares a poster or skit or other activity depicting the thoughts they heard presented in the talk.

The talks begin on Saturday with:

• Who am I? - Youth Talk
• Sacred Scriptures - Youth Talk
• Easter Mystery - Pastor Talk
• Metanoia- Pastor Talk

On Sunday they progress to:

• God is Love - Youth Talk
• Christian People in the Community - Youth Talk
• Communication - Youth Talk

Monday’s talks include:

• Christians Called Action - Youth Talk
• Beyond TEC - Youth Talk

In addition to these talks and the various worship opportunities, the weekend includes music and singing, food and fellowship, a time for laughter and a time for prayer.

TEC is open to youth who are in 9th grade through the first year after graduation. A limited number of youth are accepted for each weekend this number is dependent on the amount of people the church can hold. You will want to get your application in as soon as possible for this upcoming TEC as spaces fill on a first come fists serve basis, so, fill out your application now!

Already been through a TEC or too old to go through one?

If you’ve already been through a TEC or are too old, we would like for you to serve on a TEC weekend as a Team Member. Team Members are the people who run the weekend. In order to have a successful weekend we need both adult and youth Team Members. Spaces are first come fists serve, so you better act now!

There are three TEC weekends held each year; Fall, Spring, and Summer. For more information on a specific TEC weekend see our calendar.

TEC weekends are held at various churches across northern Minnesota northwestern Wisconsin. See our calendar to see where the next one is being held.

An enrollment fee of $40.00 is asked of each weekender but partial or full scholarships are available in case of hardship. What about the cost for Team? As a Team Member we ask you to pay the same $40.00 as the weekenders do. This helps to defray costs and keeps it affordable for everyone.

Teens Encounter Christ is staffed 100% by volunteers; we donate our time to further the cause of Christ.

However, putting on a TEC weekend costs money. The TEC movement needs your support if we are to continue. Each team member and weekender pays $40 to help cover expenses. This fee allows us to break even (usually). However, TEC is always under financial pressure when we want to put on events, or perform a ministry that takes money. For example, this web site costs money to host. God always provides for us, and he uses people like you to do it.

TEC has the following needs:

* Prayer; above all else the TEC ministry needs your prayers for continued success.

* Food; For each TEC weekend, kitchen team requires a wide variety of snacks, juice, etc. for team and weekenders to munch on. We appreciate any and all donations of food and snacks for the weekends.

* Money; It’s simple truth: when we need to get something, we usually have to buy it. Every TEC, we purchase everything from Kleenex to markers, toilet papers to grape juice. Any and all donations are appreciated. If you’d like to donate anything to TEC, please contact: Northwaters TEC Treasurer Clara Edin 73756 Last Pioneer Lane Askov MN, 55704 God bless, and thank you for your generosity.

The Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) program has been around for quite some time. TEC is not an exclusively Lutheran movement, there are Catholic TEC's, Baptist TEC's, Methodist TEC's, etc. While they all may be a little bit different, the main goal is the same--helping youth and adults interact with Jesus Christ on an intimate and personal basis and to share the love Christ has for us with each other.

The Northwaters Lutheran TEC movement was established in 1993. Prior to this time, area youth and adults attended the Metro TEC movement in the Twin Cities. In 1993, three groups came together and through their hard work and dedication Northwaters Lutheran TEC emerged.

Several members of the Metro TEC movement played a pivotal role in the establishment of Northwaters TEC. The Metro TEC folks helped plant the seed in this area not only through their generous financial support but also through the invaluable support of their time, talents and energy. In fact, the first few Northwaters TEC weekends were only possible because people involved in the Metro TEC movement came to work our TEC weekends and provide the experience for others. It was only through this type of support that we were able to develop a large enough group of experienced people to finally branch off as our own successful TEC program.

Our initial small group of devoted servants of Christ was also critical to helping the TEC seed grow and develop in to the wonderful life giving gift it is now. Some of the names you may recognize from this group, others you may not: Pastor John and Judy Lundberg, Les and Mary Jo Flemming, Pastor Dennis Morreim, Ron Reierson, Pastor Terry Stratton, Pastor Tim Martinson, Lucy Carlson, George and Stancy Walters, Tami Maki, Cory Maki, Pastors Paul and Lil Johnston.

Finally, it was through the gracious support of local churches, who volunteered their buildings and resources to host TEC weekends, that the program was able to be fully planted in our area. Some of the first churches to hold TEC weekends included Our Savior's Lutheran Churches in Cloquet, Virginia and Duluth, and Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Virginia. Without these churches allowing our vision to have a place to grow, the program would have merely remained an unachieved hope of the two groups mentioned above.

Our first Northwaters TEC weekend was held October 23rd-25th, 1993, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Cloquet. The first official Northwaters TEC council meeting was held November 21st, 1993, where we held our first election to establish a TEC council. Since that time, the Northwaters Lutheran TEC movement has continued to grow by leaps and bounds. Some of our more memorable events:

• 1. Our first Wisconsin TEC was at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Superior, Wisconsin in November of 1996.
• 2. Our first East Central Minnesota TEC was held at Faith Lutheran Church in Isle, Minnesota, in April of 1999.
• 3. In October of 2006 we held our first TEC weekend in Aitkin, Minnesota, the furthest west we have ever gone.
• 4. We held our first TEC weekend in Moose Lake, Minnesota, in June of 2007.
• 5. In 2004, we invited anyone who has ever been involved with Northwaters TEC to our first all TEC reunion.
• 6. In 2009, we will hold our 40th TEC weekend!

Through the past several years, Northwaters Lutheran TEC has been able to touch numerous lives with the word of Christ, some in very visible ways and others in less obvious, but still very personal ways. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of local volunteers and churches, nor without our Savior Jesus Christ, through whom all things are possible and for whom all the glory is given!