There's a whole lot of socializing - and strategizing - happening in the fellowship hall of The Alliance Church of Elizabethtown. Alliance Game Night is held twice a month at the church, 425 Cloverleaf Road, and it's open to anyone who loves board games.

"We really enjoy this hobby of playing games," said Jordan Lehman, who helped to organize the group. "You don't always know who's into games, and it's hard to meet people who like to play." In fact, when Jordan first thought of the idea of a community game night, he reached out to his friend and fellow Alliance Church member Erik Eberz, not realizing Eberz was also a gamer. "I was surprised to find out he liked to play games, too," Lehman said. "We were like, 'It shouldn't be a thing that we're going to the same church, and we didn't even know this about each other.'"

The pair started talking and soon decided to start a game night for others from the congregation. "We felt it on our hearts that we wanted to start something to bring people together," Lehman recalled. "At first, we wanted to invite others from our church, but then we thought, 'Hey, we've got this big space to play, and we've got all these games. Let's open it up to whoever would like to come."

They held their first game night in May of 2023, and the group has been going strong ever since. Not everyone attends every session, and that's OK, Eberz said. People may bring their own games or use games at the church. The fellowship hall makes a perfect setting for the game nights, with lots of room for tables and an adjoining kitchen to serve drinks and snacks.

Game nights begin at 6:30 p.m. on the second Friday and the fourth Thursday of the month, with some exceptions due to holidays or other previously scheduled events at the church. "We play everything from the basic games everyone has played before, like Sorry, Clue and Monopoly, to things that people might not have heard of," Lehman shared. "We're here to cater to everybody and everyone's interests."

He emphasized that he and Eberz, as leaders, will hang back and help if people need assistance or invite people to join a game. "You can come with friends, but you don't need to," he remarked. "We have people who show up solo."

Both Lehman and Eberz noted that they love gaming because it brings out their competitive sides while also providing opportunities for social interaction. Along with board games, Eberz also enjoys pingpong, and there are tables set up for that during the game nights as well.

The guys invite anyone who is interested in joining them for their next game night. "There's just something about getting together with other people, having an actual, real, tangible interaction with them, that you can't find anywhere else," Lehman said. "It's just fun."

More information, including a complete list of upcoming Alliance Game Nights through December, can be found by searching for "Alliance Game Night" on Facebook.