Description: When Encounter started, the social and connections activities were planned on a somewhat ad hoc basis and the leadership team was responsible for all of the planning and implementation for about a year. The leadership team then created two teams “Connections” and “Social” to address the issues of facilitating interaction between its members. Due to the amount of overlap between the two teams and the need to pool resources to accomplish both team’s assignments, the leaders of the two teams requested the opportunity to merge relatively quickly and have been functioning as the “Connections/Social Team” for about one and a half years.

The Connections/Social Team has had 5-7 members that meet regularly to plan opportunities that build social relationships and a community of belonging. This process not only helps build community, but helps to teach how to implement that process. Participation on the team also helps teach people how to reach out to others and make connections and start building relationships and helping to discover the needs and interests of new attendees and connecting them with the Encounter community resources and opportunities for ministry.

The combined team has been planning monthly and annual events of both a spiritual and social nature ranging from cookouts and vespers in natural settings to monthly potlucks, to game nights, bowling, sledding etc. The team has also had a greeter/connector at each Sabbath School meeting to welcome old friends and make connections with new people and to help new people to find friends and an opportunity to connect with the activities we plan. We have also been involved in organizing the group to collect donations and provide resources to those in need within our group and to respond in an organized manner to family losses.

Ways you can be involved: The Connections/Social team is looking for volunteers to help with planning events and helping to make them successful. We are also looking for a leader for the Connections part of the team.