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Issues of passion, concern, celebration, and calls to action typically fill the signup list for the “SpeakOut!” segments at each Plenary session during the 35th General Synod of the United Church of Christ. However, a young participant from Missouri South-Central Conference brought a different flavor to the Monday evening session.
Gabe, a 10-year-old (almost 11), took to the microphone with humor as his chosen topic. He lightened the mood with jokes like, “I’m not tired of [my construction job], but I’m still working on it,” and “Why are they called ‘Pop Tarts’? Because of the pastry-archy.”
Gabe is familiar with delivering quick jokes. His mother Laura introduced him to meetings of the Missouri South-Central General Synod delegation. When meetings became slow, delegates would call for a break, leading to Gabe's popular act known as “60 Seconds with Gabe.”
Despite limited experience beyond these delegation spots, Gabe was eager to participate in SpeakOut! He explained his motivation simply: “I wanted to go National.”
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