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People growing, people serving and people connecting. People are the heart of everything that relational ministry is all about. Relational Ministry includes 1st impressions, special events, small groups and connections ministries.
“We/I feel so welcomed here” is a common comment I have the joy of hearing from new people at Joy!
The people who serve in Joy!’s 1st impressions ministry are key partners in making others feel that way. Whether it's our greeters at the main and office doors or our welcome center friends, our ushers at the entrance of our worship center, those serving communion, helping with chairs, baking the bread, bringing refreshments, making the coffee, or setting up the altar--each role plays an important part in creating this welcoming atmosphere and feeling. And while the number of people who serve in this ministry continues to be lower than pre-Covid numbers, I can wholeheartedly say those who serve in these roles are committed & faithful to the value that all people are accepted and welcomed as they are. We also make sure people feel appreciated for taking that first step into our church and had the joy of giving away over 50 new visitor gift bags this past year.
“I love my tribe” is a comment I hear from people in Joy!’s small groups.
Our eleven long-term small groups gather from September through May and really are a wonderful place to experience God through not only study but also by authentically connecting with and caring for one another. Small groups continue to offer short-term options which include a fall churchwide study, an Advent study, a Lent study, and studies that focus on race & the LGBTQIA+ community. Two new fellowship small groups were created--our Lunch Bunch monthly group has been averaging between 12-15 people (but last month had 22 people gather!) as well as our quarterly Game Night which has been creating a buzz for all the fun had on those nights. The Supper Club group was reworked and is now called Second Suppers with the hope that more people can connect with one another. Small group ministry will continue to offer a variety of groups so that all those interested can experience authentic community and spiritual growth.
“How do I become a member?” is a question asked soon after people find Joy!
We hold two new member classes a year and assure people they can participate on every level at Joy! without becoming a member. Yet the Connections Ministry had 33 people become new members in 2024 because people wanted to publicly commit to our mission of changing lives. What a blessing and affirmation that Joy’s mission continues to be in alignment with who God is calling this church community to be.
Joy! has also retained 75% of our repeat visitors (3 or more visits) this past year. Our private Facebook page has continued to see an increase in engagement and has been a wonderful extension for people to share prayer requests, learn about happenings, engage with one another and contribute to the weekly sermons. We currently have 745 members in our private group and 937 followers on our public Facebook page.
Special events continue to make an impact in a variety of ways.
We kicked off 2024 with a “Dinner with Jesus” potluck where 70 people gathered not just to share a dish, but to discuss and experience authentic community. Then we hosted an Easter breakfast for our Joy! friends and family and also for many people who visited our campus for the Easter egg hunt. God showed up and provided us with several extra casseroles so all could eat plenty and experience the spirit of the resurrected hope of Christ with one another! Immediately after Easter we began planning monthly special events to give our Young Adults an opportunity to connect with one another. Over the course of 7 events we had 24 young adults engage in 1 or more of the events. This year we will gather and see what dreams and hopes this group of people have moving forward and how that will look and be carried out.
Other events last year included our new Spring Women Serving Women Event with 35 women of all ages who came together to create hygiene bags for women in the PADS program and collected numerous feminine supplies for Keeping Families Covered, our summer Joy!Serve event which had 172 serving opportunities filled that supported 9 different community partners, a Colby Martin event with a full lunch and inspiring message from Colby that not only had over 100 people from both Joy and the community attend, but also led to a small group opportunity to continue the conversation called UNCLOBBERED. We also hosted a Senior Adult event with 22 friends for lunch conversation and fun, an Omelet breakfast that raised money for a Hot Box for hospitality, our fall kickoff event, our Men in Motion bunk bed build event, our Women's Christmas Dinner event, and before we knew it--our Christmas Pancake Breakfast was here.
With God's help, in 2025, Relational Ministries will continue to offer opportunities for people to grow, serve, gather, and connect in ways that honor God and make an imprint on our lives that encourage us to then go out and live out our mission of changing lives.
Jenelle Roush
“We/I feel so welcomed here” is a common comment I have the joy of hearing from new people at Joy!
The people who serve in Joy!’s 1st impressions ministry are key partners in making others feel that way. Whether it's our greeters at the main and office doors or our welcome center friends, our ushers at the entrance of our worship center, those serving communion, helping with chairs, baking the bread, bringing refreshments, making the coffee, or setting up the altar--each role plays an important part in creating this welcoming atmosphere and feeling. And while the number of people who serve in this ministry continues to be lower than pre-Covid numbers, I can wholeheartedly say those who serve in these roles are committed & faithful to the value that all people are accepted and welcomed as they are. We also make sure people feel appreciated for taking that first step into our church and had the joy of giving away over 50 new visitor gift bags this past year.
“I love my tribe” is a comment I hear from people in Joy!’s small groups.
Our eleven long-term small groups gather from September through May and really are a wonderful place to experience God through not only study but also by authentically connecting with and caring for one another. Small groups continue to offer short-term options which include a fall churchwide study, an Advent study, a Lent study, and studies that focus on race & the LGBTQIA+ community. Two new fellowship small groups were created--our Lunch Bunch monthly group has been averaging between 12-15 people (but last month had 22 people gather!) as well as our quarterly Game Night which has been creating a buzz for all the fun had on those nights. The Supper Club group was reworked and is now called Second Suppers with the hope that more people can connect with one another. Small group ministry will continue to offer a variety of groups so that all those interested can experience authentic community and spiritual growth.
“How do I become a member?” is a question asked soon after people find Joy!
We hold two new member classes a year and assure people they can participate on every level at Joy! without becoming a member. Yet the Connections Ministry had 33 people become new members in 2024 because people wanted to publicly commit to our mission of changing lives. What a blessing and affirmation that Joy’s mission continues to be in alignment with who God is calling this church community to be.
Joy! has also retained 75% of our repeat visitors (3 or more visits) this past year. Our private Facebook page has continued to see an increase in engagement and has been a wonderful extension for people to share prayer requests, learn about happenings, engage with one another and contribute to the weekly sermons. We currently have 745 members in our private group and 937 followers on our public Facebook page.
Special events continue to make an impact in a variety of ways.
We kicked off 2024 with a “Dinner with Jesus” potluck where 70 people gathered not just to share a dish, but to discuss and experience authentic community. Then we hosted an Easter breakfast for our Joy! friends and family and also for many people who visited our campus for the Easter egg hunt. God showed up and provided us with several extra casseroles so all could eat plenty and experience the spirit of the resurrected hope of Christ with one another! Immediately after Easter we began planning monthly special events to give our Young Adults an opportunity to connect with one another. Over the course of 7 events we had 24 young adults engage in 1 or more of the events. This year we will gather and see what dreams and hopes this group of people have moving forward and how that will look and be carried out.
Other events last year included our new Spring Women Serving Women Event with 35 women of all ages who came together to create hygiene bags for women in the PADS program and collected numerous feminine supplies for Keeping Families Covered, our summer Joy!Serve event which had 172 serving opportunities filled that supported 9 different community partners, a Colby Martin event with a full lunch and inspiring message from Colby that not only had over 100 people from both Joy and the community attend, but also led to a small group opportunity to continue the conversation called UNCLOBBERED. We also hosted a Senior Adult event with 22 friends for lunch conversation and fun, an Omelet breakfast that raised money for a Hot Box for hospitality, our fall kickoff event, our Men in Motion bunk bed build event, our Women's Christmas Dinner event, and before we knew it--our Christmas Pancake Breakfast was here.
With God's help, in 2025, Relational Ministries will continue to offer opportunities for people to grow, serve, gather, and connect in ways that honor God and make an imprint on our lives that encourage us to then go out and live out our mission of changing lives.
Jenelle Roush
