"I really feel that it's all about connection and I just can't stress that enough. People are looking for ways to connect," said Pastor Teresa Person from Riverview United Methodist Church in Huron, S.D.

This hunger for connection has led to several "outside-the-box" new ministries launched at Riverview, including the newest one, Sip and Scripture.

"It came about from the yoga group," said Pastor Teresa.

A couple of years ago, Pastor Teresa started the new year with a sermon series called "SAD—Spiritual Affective Disorder," a play on seasonal affective disorder. The series, which included an emphasis on things like moving your body or finding time for prayer and meditation, struck a chord with some members of the congregation. Brainstorming and conversation led to the start of a yoga group.

"We do yoga in the sanctuary on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30," explained Pastor Teresa. "It's just half an hour, and we use a video series from YouTube, so there's no cost. It's really easy to do, so it's more about connection."

As these connections grew, the idea of taking the opportunity for connection and spiritual friendship beyond the church walls emerged.

"The conversation turned into, 'What if we invite more people and we go out to the winery? So that's when the whole Sip and Scripture thing was born," added Pastor Teresa. The idea was also a great parallel to another new Riverview group—God, Guys, and Grub—which meets at a local sports bar.

The response has reflected the genuine desire for relationship and connection.

"We do it twice a month," explained Pastor Teresa. "We range anywhere from about 12 to 24 women, and we have people in their 20s and gals in their 80s and everything in between."

"What's really cool about our group is that it's extremely multi-generational," said Joanna Bott, a member of Riverview UMC who participates in the group. "It's interesting to listen to viewpoints across the generations."

The format is intentionally designed to be accessible to newcomers and those with varied faith experiences or backgrounds.

"It's very low-key and welcoming, and you can do as much talking or listening as you want," said Joanna. "You definitely don't feel put on the spot."

The gathering begins with everyone introducing themselves and answering a simple question.

Pastor Teresa shared a few examples: "Last night's question was, 'Where did you grow up?' Another time, one of the questions was, 'What's your favorite holiday, what's your favorite season, what's your favorite meal?' One time, I was doing something about being called by name, and so I asked everybody if they knew why their parents named them the name they were given or perhaps what their name means."

"Sometimes I'll try to tie it into the scripture, but sometimes it's just a general thing," she added.

After introductions, Pastor Teresa introduces a scripture—sometimes a Jesus story, sometimes a single verse for discussion, such as Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

"Our last [discussion topic] was, 'What do you think about faith and what does that mean to you?'" shared Joanna. "You don't ever really stop and ask yourself that question, and it was really interesting for me to hear others' views on faith and what it means to them. It made me think a little bit more about my view."

"I usually have four to five questions that I've prepared ahead of time to guide the conversation, but sometimes you've got to be open to the Spirit, and the Spirit might take us somewhere else," explained Pastor Teresa.

The accessibility of the format has also made it a great opportunity for invitation.

"Most of the time, somebody brings a friend, and they kind of get plugged into the group," said Pastor Teresa. "It's not necessarily the same people every time because people's schedules are hectic."

This flexibility and casual atmosphere are aspects of the group that meet the needs of the community.

Joanna said, "I own my own business, and I'm a mom, and it's hard for me to feel like I want to do a Bible study because it feels like another obligation. Sip and Scripture is much less structured. There's not an assignment." She added that worrying about staying caught up on reading or "doing homework" would make her less likely to participate in the fellowship because of where she's at in her life right now.

With each gathering, the group meets the need to create an environment for people to take a step toward a greater connection with God and with one another.

"It is intimidating for somebody to go to something that's already going on in the church because they feel like it's a closed group. Whether it is or not, it feels like it's closed," explained Pastor Teresa. "So something like this where there's no prep, and it's casual, and you can show up one week and maybe not come again for a couple of months and then pop in again, it's just been a welcoming atmosphere for people."

"It's just really refreshing, and it's really helped me go away from there and think a little bit more about what I think and feel about God," added Joanna.