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YOUR CHURCH
Encounter is a community of 6th-12th grade students focused on our church vision of Authentic Worship, Authentic Community, and Authentic Community Service. Our Wednesday night services include worshipping God through music, in-depth Bible teaching, and Life Group time to help dive deeper into God’s Word and build genuine relationships. We believe every student should have a place to be known and belong. At Encounter, each person is a part of the family because we know that all of us are uniquely loved by the God who created us.
Students can take an active role in leading Encounter, so it’s truly a ministry by students, for students. We’re also a little goofy, and we like to #keepencounterweird, so we hope that’s okay with you. Throughout the year, we also have special trips and events designed just for high school students or just for middle school students, which gives you more opportunities to grow in your faith and build relationships with other students and leaders. Our leaders live a life above reproach and are screened and vetted for the safety of our students (background checks are required for all volunteers).
We want to engage, equip, and empower our high school and middle school students so that you can turn your world upside down for Jesus!
ENCOUNTER ADULT LEADERS
The backbone of Encounter is our team of adult leaders. These leaders are a consistent presence every Wednesday, and their goal is to build relationships with students so that we can make disciples who make disciples. We have a variety of leadership roles based on your skills and available time, but our primary role is Life Group Leader. Each Life Group Leader co-leads a small group of students during Wednesday night Encounter and focuses intentionally on those specific students.
All our leaders are required to go through a background check for the security of the students and to fill out an application that provides more information regarding background, service, etc. (application link below). This is mainly to ensure that all our leaders live a life above reproach and have a healthy, strong relationship with God before leading teenagers.
Serving at Encounter is a fantastic opportunity to build relationships and to pour into the next generation. Our leadership team is made up of many different people. We embrace diversity in our team, as it allows students to have opportunities to connect with a variety of people. If you feel called to work with high school students, we’d love for you to fill out an application below so we can connect with you!
To serve with Encounter, individuals must be at least 21 years old or older.
SERVING OPPORTUNITIES
- Life Group Leader
- Support Team
YOUR CHURCH
All throughout our communities in Middle Tennessee, there are men, women, and children struggling with homelessness, hunger, or poverty. When Jesus saw people in need, He helped them. And in the Scriptures, He tells us to share food with the poor and needy and that when we are kind to the needy we are honoring Him (see Proverbs 14:31 and 22:9). Sharing food with people who are struggling with poverty and being kind to those in need are beautiful and admirable things that we desire to do as Jesus’ followers. At ECC, compassionate men and women are doing that through the 5000 Ministry!
If you have a love for those in need and a desire to serve them and help draw them to Christ, the 5000 Ministry may be a great place for you to serve!
Our 5000 Ministry helps clothe, feed, and care for people. From helping to set up, prepare, or give out meals to talking and praying with individuals to leading a Bible study, volunteers in our 5000 ministry help show compassion to the impoverished and foster relationships that will hopefully draw others to Christ.
SERVING OPPORTUNITIES
- Cook
- Food Prep
- Floater
- Bible Study
- Setup and Teardown
- Prayer Team
The 5000 Ministry meets on the first Sunday of every month from 8:30am-10:30am at the Shelbyville Soup Kitchen.
YOUR CHURCH
Each weekend, pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers work together to make The Experience Community Church run smoothly and share the gospel with our communities. They often work happily for long hours to care for the congregation’s spiritual and physical needs. And we believe we should take care of them too!
If you have a servant heart for our volunteers and leaders, the Kitchen Team may be an excellent place for you to serve at ECC.
On our Kitchen Team, we strive to take care of those serving each weekend at ECC. We are thankful to those who step up each weekend to teach, lead, and serve, and we want to provide for them in return. From picking up catered food to prepping meals to cleaning up at the end of the day, the Kitchen Team helps physically feed those who are spiritually feeding the Body of Christ.
SERVING OPPORTUNITIES
Saturdays: Kitchen Team volunteers will pick up catered meals and bring them to the church before services begin. We also need people willing to oversee and take care of the kitchen area until clean up is complete.
Sundays: We have serving times starting as early as 7:00 am. Kitchen Team volunteers will prep breakfast for the 8:00 am, transition from breakfast to lunch during the 10:00 am service, or manage the kitchen area for the 12:00 pm service until clean up is complete.
YOUR CHURCH
Many women, including women with children, in our community experience homelessness. They often struggle emotionally, physically, and mentally and have needs that are unmet. Being able to provide shelter, a shower, a meal, and a place to do laundry or use the phone helps them during this difficult time. We partner with Stepping Stones Safe Haven to help in these practical ways and more.
If you have a heart and understanding for women who are struggling and a genuine desire to help them through their restoration, Stepping Stones is an amazing place for you to serve!
At Stepping Stones, we assist women and children who are experiencing homelessness by providing them with the next steps toward healing and stability through the love of Jesus Christ. From being an overnight hostess at the shelter to helping with meals, volunteering with Stepping Stones can make a huge impact on the lives of women and children in Rutherford County.
YOUR CHURCH
In Emerge, our mission is to make sure every child and student with special needs has an opportunity to hear the gospel and feel the love of Christ. We believe EVERYONE deserves to have a purposeful experience with Jesus while at church. This ministry also allows parents to truly rest in God’s presence, knowing their child is in a safe and loving environment. In Emerge, we use a one-on-one buddy system to ensure that each child is immersed in an inclusive environment with the comfort of a buddy to walk with them throughout our weekend services. Our goal is to meet each child where they are and provide them with the services they need to understand the gospel at their level.
To learn more about Emerge, please view the special needs tab.
SERVING OPPORTUNITIES
- Emerge Kids – Weekends
- Emerge Students – Weekends
YOUR CHURCH
In Emerge, our mission is to make sure every child and student with special needs has an opportunity to hear the gospel and feel the love of Christ. We believe EVERYONE deserves to have a purposeful experience with Jesus while at church. This ministry also allows parents to truly rest in God’s presence, knowing their child is in a safe and loving environment. In Emerge, we use a one-on-one buddy system to ensure that each child is immersed in an inclusive environment with the comfort of a buddy to walk with them throughout our weekend services. Our goal is to meet each child where they are and provide them with the services they need to understand the gospel at their level.
To learn more about Emerge, please view the special needs tab.
SERVING OPPORTUNITIES
- Emerge Kids – Weekends
- Emerge Students – Weekends