Although the international TEC family had been looking forward to gathering in Kansas City, KS, for Encounter 2020, the National Encounter Ministry Team determined that a virtual event would be the best course of action due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In about six weeks, the planning team designed a new, online event, unlike anything TEC had ever hosted before, to meet the needs of the communities and create a space where we could be together while apart.
From the comfort of their own homes, participants representing nearly 30 different TEC communities, past and present, logged on to Virtual Encounter 2020: Embrace Hope. TEC founder Fr. Matthew Fedewa led the group in prayer. Keynote speaker Sarah Hart delivered a beautiful presentation on Encounter’s theme of hope, sharing scripture and breaking open the worthy risks of hoping, living in the present while reaching for the future, and choosing to plant the seeds of evangelization even though we can’t see the fruit yet. She offered questions for breakout groups, including:
- How are you reaching out in hope?
- Who or what inspires you or gives you a sense of hope?
- How am I choosing to live in the hope of the resurrection?
Sarah's keynote speech is available for viewing in the link at the end of this post. After a break, participants attended virtual breakouts, choosing the online “breakout rooms” for discussions about TEC’s ministry during COVID-19, a young adult forum, prayer opportunities, and more. Following these presentations, participants were randomly assigned to new breakout rooms to meet others and share ideas and unique practices from their home TEC communities.
Virtual Encounter also included recognizing the 2020 Spirit of TEC Award winners, promoting the TEC Conference’s Partners in Ministry, and praying for the souls of those who have passed in the last year, including TEC Manual author Fr. James Brown, OAR, during the Memorare Circle prayer service. Executive Director Billy O’Regan delivered a State of the TEC Conference address to update and encourage the local TEC centers, and Associate Director Dcn. Kevin Fuller closed the day with a commissioning prayer. Some attendees returned in the evening to socialize in a virtual game night and jam session, playing and singing over Zoom with TEC friends from around the world.
We are truly grateful to the planning team for putting together such a successful event. We hope to be together again next year for Encounter 2021 in Kansas City from July 16-18, 2021! For those who could not attend this year’s Virtual Encounter, we are happy to share the recorded opening session here. If anyone would like to watch the recorded COVID-19 breakout facilitated by David Walker, please email erica@tecconference.org for the video link.
