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Synod in the City: A Feast for Hartford

Keynote Speakers

Bill Moyers and Barack Obama

Places: Block by Block

Civic Center — Main Stage 8:15-9 a.m. Worship 9-10 a.m. Bill Moyers 10:15-11 a.m. Chung Hyun Kyung 11:15-Noon Ricardo Esquivia 12:30-1 p.m. Rachel Barton Pine 1-1:45 p.m. Maria Otero 2-2:30 p.m. Children’s Orchestra 2:30-3:15 p.m. Sen. Barack Obama 3:30-4:15 p.m. Ray Kurzweil 4:30-5:30 p.m. The Rev. Peter Gomes 7:30 p.m. UCC@50 Birthday Bash Civic Center — Assembly HALL 10:15-11:45 a.m. Three Women Theologians for Peace 12:15-1 p.m. Kevin Phillips 1:15-2 p.m. Famous Dave 3:30-4:15 Harry Knox 4:45-5:30 danah boyd Hartford Hilton –– Grand Ballroom 10:30-11:15 a.m. Marilynne Robinson 11:45 a.m. -12:30 p.m. John Hockenberry 1-1:45 p.m. DJ Davey D 3:45-4:30 p.m. Billy Mills 4:45-5:30 p.m. Steeplejacking Center Church 10:30-11:15 a.m. Voices of the Pacific, Samoan Choir 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Youth Bell Choir, “Blessed Bells” 1-1:45 p.m. Sweet the Sound 3:45-4:30 p.m. Plymouth Church Choir 4:45-5:30 p.m. Joy Harjo Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art 10:30-11:15 a.m. He Qi 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Leonard Pitts 1-1:45 p.m. Nick Carter and Bill Imes 3:45-4:30 p.m. Pauline Chen 4:45-5:30 p.m. Elaine Meryl Brown Christ Church — Sanctuary 10:15-11:15 a.m. Walter Brueggemann 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Renita Weems 12:45-1:45 p.m. Diane Darling 4-5 p.m. Susan Thistlethwaite Christ Church — Auditorium 10:30 a.m.-Noon Awaiting Judgment – a play 12:30-1:30 p.m. Strong Women – a play 4-5:30 p.m. Amistad Re-enactment – a play Capital Community College –– Auditorium 10:15-11:15 a.m. Bubblemania 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Craig Parsons 1-1:45 p.m. Charles McCullough 3:45-4:45 p.m. UCC@50 Part II Today’s Voices 960 Main — Atrium 10:30-11:30 a.m. Juggle Joy 12-12:45 p.m. Christopher Grundy 1-1:45 p.m. Poppin’ Puppets 3:45-4:30 p.m. Drew Willard 4:45-5:30 p.m. Proverbial Fools Market Street 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For the Bible Tells Me So video; meet the director 12:45-1:30 p.m. I Am Tyler video; meet Tyler 4-5:15 p.m. Traces of the Trade video Bushnell Park 10:15-10:45 a.m. Jerry Leggett 11 a.m-Noon Moses, a musical play for children of all ages 12:15-1:15 p.m. Mariachi Band 1:30-2:15 p.m. Hallmark Jazz Quartet 3:45-4:30 p.m. Kenny Endo, Taiko drums 4:45-5:30 p.m. Branches 6-6:45 p.m. Gary Miller and the Celebration Jazz Band

HARTFORD (06/14/2007) -- An unprecedented number of sparkling presenters, thinkers, writers, and performers will bring their gifts to Hartford on Saturday, June 23rd, as the United Church of Christ's 50th Anniversary General Synod presents "Synod in the City." Twelve venues in the quadrangle formed by the Hartford Civic Center, Capital Community College, the Wadsworth Museum of Art, and Bushnell Park will host fifty-seven speakers and performances on just one day.

The day opens with worship in the Civic Center Coliseum Main Stage at 8:15 am, followed by the morning keynote of journalist Bill Moyers from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. At 10:15, further presentations begin at all venues.

At 2:30 pm, the Main Stage will again be the sole venue open, as US Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) presents the afternoon keynote. At 3:30, the other venues reopen with even more speakers and performances.

The day ends with the UCC's 50th Anniversary Birthday Bash at 7:30 in the Civic Center. It will be a day, and a half century, to celebrate!

Other well-known figures, in addition to Moyers and Obama, include:

• Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann
• Hip hop historian and artist D J Davey D
• Colombian peace activist Ricardo Esquivia
• Entrepreneur Famous Dave Anderson of Famous Dave's BBQ
• Harvard University preacher and theologian Peter J. Gomes
• Musicians Kim and Reggie Harris
• NBC journalist John Hockenberry
• Korean theologian Chung Hyun Kyung
• Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills
• Entrepreneur and microfinance expert Maria Otero
• Political historian Kevin Phillips
• Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson
• Chicago Theological Seminary President and theologian Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite
• Storyteller Valerie Tutson

A further fifty-seven workshops, all being held in the Capital Community College building at 960 Main Street, offer small-group discussions on an incredible range of topics related to the work and ministries of the United Church of Christ.

Synod in the City is included in the multi-day registration fees. Registration for June 23 only is $50. Online registration will be open until midnight on June 17; walk-in registration will be available at the Civic Center throughout General Synod, and at Capital Community College and Center Church from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on June 23rd.

Program and Posters

Click here for the Synod in the City Program, with full information about the day's presenters and activities, including schedule, locations, maps, biographies, and workshop descriptions.

Click here for a PDF of an 11x17 poster of the morning activities.

Click here for a PDF of an 11x17 poster of the afternoon activities.