Small Groups:

• This year we saw an increase in people trying small groups and exploring what this ministry has to offer.  
• We had 2 small groups that went on hiatus and did not start up again but then added three new small groups:  A Tuesday evening women's bible study called Jesus & Women, a monthly devotion and fellowship group for men called Bible, Beer & Bros and a devotion and fellowship group for women called Wine, Women & the Word.
• Small group ministry continues to move in the direction of also offering more short 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, and racial relations. A parents of young children group is also being explored for Fall 2023.
• Small groups continue to be active in service supporting our PADS ministry, heading our Men In Motion Event and supporting Love INC. 

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First Impressions:

• First Impressions includes communion servers, ushers, main door & office door greeters, bread bakers, chair set up, info center, coffee & altar set up, and refreshment providers. After losing many volunteers in this ministry following COVID we are happy to announce an increase in volunteers in the areas of communion bread bakers, greeters & communion servers. We still are hoping to increase other areas of this team where people control where, when & how often they serve.
• This ministry also continues to support online worship efforts by interacting with the Livestream community on Sunday mornings as well on both Facebook & Youtube.
• A new gluten free prepackaged communion cup was introduced in Spring and that station continues to be used each week by a number of people with dietary restrictions or because it meets a certain comfort level for them following the pandemic. 

Connections Ministry:

• We continue to track online folks and 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. This has come with some challenges as fewer people are willing to give their personal information or use our QR codes.
• QR codes for connect page and giving were added to every worship chair this year in hopes of making it easier for folks to complete.
• We offered two Starting Point classes this year. One virtually and one in person with dinner. We updated materials to be more interactive. We had 11 families become new members of Joy during these 2 classes.
• Continue to create new ideas for daily  engagement “calendar” for Joy’s Facebook Community Group to keep people engaged and connected. We have 754 members on our private FB group. Engagement has been up within the group.

Special Events:

• Last summer we started a new opportunity called Walk and Talk for 6 weeks where people could gather for a nature walk and to connect to one another.
• Joy!serve 2022 had 132 volunteers that served on various projects for Keeping Families Covered, Greentown Grows, Habitat Build, Love INC, Joy! Grounds, Blood Drive, Neighborhood Love, Painting Joy!, and Sing & Play at Bickford. We also collected 251 kitchen items for Love INC.  
• Men In Motion built and delivered 8 bunk beds to families in need during its 11th year of this event.  
• Our annual Women's Christmas event was a blast for 36 women who participated. We shared a full meal and played games that brought us closer together while sharing loads of laughs! 
• 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
• We held our 1st Intergenerational Womens TEA called Steeped in JOY!  54 people attended for an afternoon of tea & treats, bonnets, bingo, a talk, games and fellowshipping. This event collected womens period products to support Keeping Families Covered and their efforts to eliminate period poverty. 

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Miscellaneous:

• “Care Caps" gathered in April and had rejoiced in the 52  care caps, 20  lap blankets, 5  Cancer Awareness bracelets, 3  prayer shawls and  2  amigurumi (teddy bear and dinosaur) created by this team for cancer patients. 
• Joy!’s Golf League is back in the swing of it and has 18 teams!
• Joy “Once-A-Month” Adult Bowling league returned and had 48 people participate! It was a striking success. 

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Jenelle Roush, Relational Ministry Director

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