Experience the Magic of Star Island
For over 50 years, the UCC Star Gathering Conferences have welcomed individuals and families to experience rest, renewal, and connection on the breathtaking shores of Star Island. We host four enriching conferences each summer that bring together people of all ages for a week or weekend of spiritual growth, community, and fun. Join us on Star Island this summer — and become part of a tradition that has inspired generations.
Star Gathering 1 Family
August 2 - August 9, 2026
Welcome Home: an Invitation to Wholeness, Wonder, and Whimsy Through worship and practice, we will explore new ways to foster our own wholeness. We will wonder at the beauty around us and how to cultivate wonder in our daily lives. All along we will engage in the whimsy innate to Star Island. Come to Star Island this summer for rest and join Minister of the week Rev. Alexis Fuller-Wright and Speaker of the week Rev. Dr. Tim TenClay at Star Island Family Gathering 1, where we offer you a full week of worship, crafts, activities, and recreation. Whoever you are, whatever tradition(s) have shaped the way you relate to being and doing in the world, and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome to come rest and rejoice with the SG1 community. Be refreshed with inspiring worship and be delighted by activities that inspire wholeness, wonder and whimsy. Children are invited to attend morning chapel each day at 9 am. Children’s programming takes place from 9:30 to noon each day. Children up to age 14 meet in various groups around the island for a morning of fun!
"On Star Island I experience a sense of community unlike any other. When Rev. Leslie Foley invited my family to attend a Star Gathering conference in 2008, little did I know that returning to Star annually would become a family tradition."
Sarah Hauser
Star Gathering 1 Youth
August 2 - August 9, 2026
Growing through Play "We don't Stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw This summer, come join the Star Gathering 1 Youth as we explore the physical and mental benefits of play and learn to never get old! In a world that's constantly trying to pull our attention, we'll choose to direct it to play. Through games, conversations, worship and sunsets (and far too many lime rickeys), we will learn to grow as individuals and as a community. Come be a part of that community and become a lifelong learner through play and motion! This conference is for teens age 14 (going into 9th grade in the fall) through high school grads.
_edited.png)
Star Gathering 2 Family
August 9 - August 16, 2026
Makers in Our Midst: Creativity and a life of purpose This year’s program, “Makers in Our Midst,” will be centered on conversations around what it means to pursue a creative and deeply intentional life. Learn from Academy-award nominated filmmakers, award-winning theater artists, chefs, photographers, and painters how a life dedicated to a discipline can help shape a sense of purpose. Children from infants through high schoolers participate in morning programs led by conference volunteers to explore Star Island history, conference traditions, arts, recreation, and the natural beauty of our island home. There are also structured evening activities for high schoolers.
Star Gathering Family Weekend
September 4 or 5 -September 7, 2026
Hands in Harmony: Woven in Creation, the Work of Our Hands and Song of Our Hearts Hands in Harmony: Woven in Creation, the Work of Our Hands and Song of Our Hearts invites us to notice and nurture the good that surrounds us. Through music, craft, and thoughtful reflection, we discover how creation becomes a source of beauty and resilience. Each song, each stitch, and each shared moment reminds us that harmony is possible even when life feels out of rhythm. Hands in Harmony celebrates the creative spirit within us and the community we build together. As we lift our voices, shape with our hands, and pause in quiet contemplation, we find both joy and strength—a reminder that hope is always being woven through us and the world around us. Hands-on projects for adults and youth, inviting us to work with texture, color, and form as a spiritual and reflective practice. We will sing together, share stories, and make space for personal and communal reflection that connects our time on island with our lives beyond it. Whether you come ready to sew, sing, paint, reflect—or simply rest—this week offers a gentle, creative space to be renewed in body, mind, and spirit.
“As a member of the Youth Conference in the 1980s, I remember looking forward to reuniting with my Star friends with such anticipation each year… And my children had the same wonderful experience as Youth 30 years later! There is a sense of independence and growing as an individual that makes the Youth Conference a truly valuable time in a teen’s life.”
Jen Johnson
