Forming a congregation TEAM is a great way of keeping the church connected during the summer months of 2022 and at the very same time it's a huge help to Calumet! There were about 70 Congregation TEAMs in 2021 and Calumet got a total ton of great feedback. So, we're boldly encouraging congregations to decide to form their own Walk the Walk TEAMs for 2022. It's wick easy:

1. Decide as a congregation that you will have a TEAM. Spread the word among the members and friends of your church that, starting May 15 (and continuing throughout the summer), people can register for the Walk and join the Congregation TEAM.

2. Identify one person from the congregation to be the TEAM Captain. Scroll down below to see the "TEAM Captain job description."

3. Throughout the spring and summer, build your TEAM roster by encouraging members and friends to sign up for the Walk. A registrant pays $25 to be part of the Walk and that money goes directly to the Annual Fund, Calumet's most importand charitable fund. Though Walk the Walk begins on July 1, people can sign up anytime before the walk ends (on Aubust 31) and then report their mileage retroactively.

4. Walk the Walkers are not just walkers, by the way. People can run, and swim, and bike, and hike. All that matters is that we log miles and keep active. Participants report their miles four times throughout the summer to their TEAM Captain. All summer long, the Mileage Ticker on Calumet's website will grow and grow and grow. The hope is that by September 1, 2022 -- Calumet Nation will hit the 350,000 miles mark.

5. Some congregations will decide to make their TEAM's Walk the Walk efforts a key emphasis on their church Facebook page. Awesome! Just a note that such a thing is different from the Walk the Walk Facebook page which exists for all of the 2,500 Walk the Walk'ers out there. Calumet's Walk the Walk Facebook page will have daily devotions, fun contests, photo sharing, and more as a way of building community.

6. Last thing: When your congregation participates in Walk the Walk, your TEAM is helping Calumet hit the $150,000 goal. We are raising this money through the registration fees, through Angel Donors, through Leveraging Donors, and through people and/or TEAMs collecting sponsorships. If every participant gets just one small, $10 sponsorship from someone they know, it'll help Calumet hit the big $150,000 goal.

Questions? Contact Knute.

TEAM Captain Job Description:

Collect your TEAM's mileage and report progress using a simple online reporting mechanism four times throughout the summer. You will be asked to report miles on July 16 (for miles from July 1-15), on August 1 (for miles from July 16-31), on August 16 (for miles from August 1-15), and finally on the evening of August 31 (for miles from August 16-31). There will be an orientation for TEAM Captains during the month of June on Zoom during which TEAM Captains will learn all the ins & outs and will have the chance to ask questions.

TEAM Captains are people who are good at sending and receiving emails ... TEAM Captains are able to access Calumet's website ... TEAM Captains are able to record mileage from their TEAM members which -- for some -- will be in an email. But others will come via a phone call, or during a conversation at supper. Someone with a bit of organization skills can be a big help. Some TEAM Captains use a piece of lined papaer, some use an excel spreadsheet, and some create their own Google form which TEAM members can access at their convenience. Here at Calumet, we have no interest in micro-managing *how* the miles are collected. We only care *that* the miles are collected -- and reported to Calumet.

Lastly, TEAM Captains are GRACE people. Some TEAM members reporting mileage will be using a timeline of their very own thatt they made up in their heads -- and such might cause a TEAM Captain to get stressed. Relax. Breathe. No worries. It's all good.

TEAM Captains will identify themselves as such when they register for Walk the Walk 2022!