Small Groups:

• This year many small groups started out using technology to stay connected and eventually moved back to in person gathering so that people could continue to grow in God's word and support one another.
• Small group ministry continues to move in the direction of also offering more shorter term groups to reach people with different needs and availability.  Those short term small groups were focused on our fall church wide study, on health and wellness, on a Lenten series, on combining art journaling with bible study, on racial justice and then also offering our 10 week ROOTED study.

 
First Impressions:

• First Impressions reworked communion, offering collection, refreshments, and bread baking this year to move forward in this new norm.
•  Many volunteer roles in this ministry were revamped which included a simplified version of the usher role, info center role, coach role and added an office greeter role.
• This ministry also continues to support online worship efforts by interacting with that community on Sunday mornings as well 

 
Connections Ministry:

• Continued efforts to track online folks as well as new visitors to Joy and follow up with each one so they feel fully welcomed to this community and have the opportunity to get connected.
• We offered our Starting Point classes virtually again this year which we find has been helpful for families with kids.  We had 6 families become new members of Joy during our last 2 classes.
• Reworked “GIFT BAGS” for visitors with new take home gifts and a new Welcome card with QR code for people to fill out digital connect card
• Continue to create new ideas for daily “calendar” for Facebook community group to keep people engaged and connected. We have 747 members on our private FB group. 
• Ramped up efforts to regularly track the engagement of our FB group and FB page vs other local churches to stay on top of how to best use our social media platform

 
Special Events:

• Joy!serve 2021 was a 2 part opportunity so people could safely participate by either donating needed items for our community or serving in small service projects. We collected 16,645 items for local organizations and had 106 volunteers serve at one of the 8 service projects we offered. Joy!serve 2022 efforts are underway.
• Organized two fun food truck days- our Sweet Life donut truck and our Don Pablos Kitchen Empanada truck to help rebuild a sense of community together by gathering the way Lutherans love to around food :)
• Put on our annual Women's Christmas event which we revamped to a cookie exchange and games evening of fellowship and fun
• Organized a full blown Easter breakfast event again to gather our community and celebrate- and what a glorious celebration it was with over 250 people at the breakfast itself

 
Miscellaneous:

• Helped explore a partnership with a disaster relief program in WI
• Helped get the new ministry “Care Caps” off the ground and have the pleasure of supporting the 2 new leaders- Luann Satzger and Jan Rudolf
• Helped relaunch our bowling group which will begin this fall

Jenelle Roush, Relational Ministry Director

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