New Calling: Dinner Groups Co-Chair

So, I have a new calling*.

Two Sundays ago, I was on my way up to the Bishop's office to look for someone, and before I could make it all the way up the stairs, I was promptly pulled aside by one of the counselors in the bishopric**.

"Caitlin! I'm so glad I ran into you. Can we talk downstairs?"

...........................................

When a member of the bishopric asks you to talk downstairs, you may as well count on getting sustained as something new during sacrament meeting.

"Sure, sounds great!" I cheerily replied knowing full-well what was in store.

So we clamored down the stairs to the bottom floor of the church building--the YSA meets in a three  story building, it's so crazy--and sat down to chat.

Less than five minutes later, I had accepted the calling of dinner groups co-chair***. So exciting! I was actually thrilled when the idea was pitched to me because I LOVE dinner groups.

Love. Dinner.Groups.

When I was living in Davis two summers ago, I had just started going back to church and didn't know many people. Luckily, the Relief Society president in the ward was uh-maiz-ing and immediately came up to me with a proposition: did I want to come to sign up for dinner groups?! Uhhhhhh sure? And so I went, out of sheer curiosity, and it ended up being the way I made all my friends in that ward.

If I've ever written you an email, you know I like to list things out for both easy reading and efficiency. Here's why I heart dinner groups, bulleted out.

They're a church activity, but not really. Sure, they are organized by two members of the RS and Elder's Quorum; but after that, they are basically turned over to the members to decide what they want to have and who is bringing what, where. It helps those who love to plan do their thang, and those who love to just come and support, do what they do best. It's organized chaos at its best.

You get to know new people. If you're like me and sometimes get paralyzed by the fear of being in an awkward social situation, have no fear--dinner groups to the rescue. Since the groups are chosen for you, there's absolutely no risk you'll be left out or chosen last or left sans a partner in crime. Everyone is at the mercy of the co-chairs, and so you become forced to get outside your comfort zone and :GASP!: speak to new people, who may even sit on a different side of the chapel than you...what the WHAT?!

There's a great chance you'll get put in a group with your crush. This is obviously the best reason for dinner groups. Single's wards can be tough for a lot of reasons, but one of the hardest things I've found is this: say a really cute member of the opposite sex gives a talk, lesson, walks by, etc and you're like WHO IS THAT ABSOLUTE FOX?! You then sit in sacrament meeting wondering how to semi-organically become friends with that hottie with the eyes and end up just going home and eating a giant burrito.

I mean, what?

Anyway, dinner groups provide you with some good odds that the cutie with the hair is going to be bringing a salad to your soiree, and the forced mingling can begin.

They reinforce the bonds of your church f(r)amily: I'll never forget the day I stopped putting my mom as my emergency contact on all those forms you fill out for like, everything. I put my best friend at the time (well, he's still my best friend), and thought to myself: wow, how weird. He'll be the one to call my parents and let them know that I am _______*insert catastrophic emergency situation here.*

My point is, as singletons, we need our besties. We need the men and women that we text when things go right and when things go wrong. We need the people with whom we share our greatest triumphs and our most tragic failures. You can never have too many people that love you, and understand you in the unique way that other members of the church can. And how do you make those friends?

By having dinner together on Sundays.

Long story short (too late, always), I believe in dinner groups.

xoxo

Author's Note: I am also a ward missionary. I know, right?

*So, the Mormon church is VERY organized. Freakishly so. Most of the members are asked to volunteer their time and talent in various positions that serve the needs of the ward and stake. These volunteer positions are called callings.

**Have I told you what the bishopric is? It's the group of men that preside over the ward.

***In case you're like, what the HAIL is a dinner group: It's where members of the ward are divided up into groups of like 8-10 and they all get together and have dinner every like, 5 weeks. So, basically exactly what it sounds like.