| October 2006 Vol. 1, No. 3 |
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Welcome!  
Last week, I was in California teaching several
training workshops. As always, it’s a joy to interact
on a first-person level with Pioneer Clubs
coordinators and leaders. The quality of Pioneer
Clubs volunteer leadership and the sense of
enthusiasm displayed are indeed exciting. It’s
encouraging to see so many with a passion for
helping kids come to faith and then develop that
faith.
In this issue of the Leadership eNewsletter you’ll learn ways to tap into your hidden helpers— parents. Parents can be one of your greatest resources. Also, check out the tips on how to manage your time during a meeting— because those minutes always go by too quickly! The feedback we’ve received on our new Leadership eNewsletter is overwhelmingly positive. We want this to be a tool you value and look forward to each month. Let us know how we’re doing by dropping us an e-mail. Finally, I encourage you to forward a copy of this newsletter to a Pioneer Clubs volunteer who might not be receiving it. That way they can become a subscriber, too. Blessings!  Judy Bryson President, Pioneer Clubs Jean Cunningham of Southern Hills Evangelical
Free Church in Hot Springs, South Dakota, shared
this idea on “golden” incentives: We started giving out “pioneer gold” as an incentive for club members to do their memory, wear their T- shirts and bring their Bibles to club. The “gold” was paper bills the kids could then spend on items in a stronghold box—things like lollipops, toys, pencils and jewelry. The kids especially liked the jewelry around Mother’s Day because they could buy their mom a gift. If you have ideas that you’d like to share, please send them to us at newsletter@pioneerclubs.org. 
Bibles are being studied. Club members are busy with
activities. Awards are are being earned. Kids are
laughing and making new friends. That’s because
around the world, Pioneer Clubs are up and running!
But don’t keep the fun to yourself! Share your ideas
and fun with other Pioneer Clubs. To send us your
stories
and digital photos,
click here. This month’s featured photos are from the Pathfinder club at North Point Free Will Baptist Church in Conroe, Texas. Pioneer Clubs started at this church in January 2006. From the looks of it, the Pathfinder girls are well on their way to filling up their award sashes. Club members proudly display the tool boxes they completed for their Carpentry Activity Award. For more pictures of what’s going on at club, click here. Pioneer Clubs weekly units are designed to work best
with a 1 ½ hour time frame. But even with that
amount of time, it can be a challenge to keep
everything running smoothly and on time. Here are
some tips on how to manage those minutes.
Starting and closing with ease.
Nature Match-It Before playing, collect objects that can be found in a limited area (tree leaves, pieces of fern, pine cone, feather, flower, etc.). Hold up a specimen, such as a maple leaf, and call out, “Match it!” Each player to return gets a point; award two points if the players also names it correctly. Variation: With a large group, divide into teams, each with one “runner.” After you display an object, the entire team searches for it, but they give it to their runner to bring to you, while the team returns to home base. Ask parents to help. Don’t be shy. Let
parents know about your needs. Most will
be willing to help if asked.
Have parents share their skills and talents. Send a survey home asking about parents’ abilities, hobbies, and skills. Then match those abilities with the activityawards you will be working on. A woodworker, for example, could help with abuilding project. A nurse or doctor could assist with an award on health. Get parents involved in other aspects of club. Parents who arrive early can help set up a room. Some may be willing to stay late to clean up and store supplies.They could glue awards to banners at home between meetings, or they may be able to help with transportation needs. Autumn Kids for Kids Hike Join us this fall for the Autumn Kids for Kids Hike! An autumn hike makes a sensational kickoff for your club year. It’s also a great way to increase your club’s visibility and to get unchurched kids involved early. Our official autumn hike date is October 14, 2006, but you may choose whatever date best suits your club. Click here for all the information you need to have a successful and fun hike. Or call 800-694-2582 and ask for the development department. If the autumn hike doesn’t work well for your church, then consider the spring hike on April 21, 2007. Fall Phonathon In late September, you might have received a call from a Pioneer Clubs representative to thank you for your past giving, to let you know what’s going on at Pioneer Clubs, and to ask for your continued support. We are thankful for the many who pledged to continue supporting the Pioneer Clubs ministry. 
Register today for a Pioneer Clubs training
teleconference. Whether you’ve been leading
club for a number of years or are new to Pioneer
Clubs this year, this convenient
training is right for you. The following sessions are scheduled for October: Basic Training (Click here to register.) Learn what every leader needs to know to run a fun and effective Pioneer Clubs ministry! You will need plan books and handbooks for this session. Monday, October 9, 2006 7:00 p.m. (CST) Group Discipline (Click here to register.) Learn how to identify unacceptable behavior, encourage positive behavior, set standards appropriate for the age level, and establish rules for your group. Saturday, October 21, 2006 10:00 a.m. (CST) The registration fee for each session is only $20 per telephone line. Call Randy Gauthier at 800-694-2582 (CLUB) ext. 5749 to register today! Once you’re registered, we’ll e-mail you instructions on how to dial in from any location. |
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| Copyright (c) 2006 Pioneer Clubs All rights reserved. PO Box 788 Wheaton IL 60189-0788 | ||||||||||||
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