Pioneer Clubs leader eNewsletter Print–Use special events to reach more kids

March 2006

Dear Pioneer Clubs Leader,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Pioneer Clubs^® Leader’s eNewsletter, where we provide resources to help you build your Pioneer Clubs ministry. This month we would like to give you ideas for using special events to reach more kids—and their parents.

Using Special Events as Outreach

As spring arrives, Easter projects and award presentations probably figure into your club’s plans. You can also use these and other special meetings as outreach events by encouraging your club members to bring family members and their friends to join the fun.

Inviting family members and friends of your club members to take part in special events clearly follows the Pioneer Clubs philosophy of enabling children to develop healthy relationships within their families as well as with peers. Including club members’ families in a club event helps club members connect their families with the fun they have in club. Parents get to meet club friends and see club leaders in action. Families gain shared good memories to talk about.

But is this outreach? Yes, it is. Particularly for families of club members who do not attend any church, the idea of going to a church service may make them uncomfortable or nervous—but special club events let them get to know your church in a fun way. By taking part in their child’s club at a special meeting, they can:

learn more about what goes on in club
get to know their children’s leaders better
find out that the people at your church want to welcome them

Make time to introduce yourself to as many visitors as you can at special events. Find out how the adults are related to your club members. If club members bring friends, invite them to come again. Visitors will feel welcomed by your attention to them.

Encourage visitors to write down their address and phone number by having a door-prize drawing, or offer to mail them an attractive but inexpensive gift, such as a Pioneer Clubs theme verse bookmark (Catalog #6692). This gives you the information you need to make those essential follow-up contacts. Order at the following link: http://www.shoppioneerclubs.org/store/product.asp?ItemID=903&CategoryID=47&HeaderCategoryId=51&returnUrl=&RandomSeed=E6EL8.

Ask someone to take pictures of the event, including shots of club members with their family and guests. You could also get an inexpensive disposable camera and let your club members take pictures of each other. After they're developed, you can post these on a wall or bulletin board near your club meeting rooms so that, when parents drop off and pick up club members, they can see how their presence was appreciated.

A key to successful outreach is in the follow-through. For parents of club members, you can find contact information in your registration materials; for others, use information gathered at the event. Call or send a Pioneer Clubs “Glad You Came” postcard (Catalog #6728) saying, “Thanks for coming to our __________ meeting!” Order postcards at the following link: http://www.shoppioneerclubs.org/store/product.asp?ItemID=940&CategoryID=56&HeaderCategoryId=51&returnUrl=&RandomSeed=E6EL8. Include invitations to upcoming events such as a church picnic or vacation Bible school. Or use photos taken at your event to make special thank-you cards. If visitors came for whom you did not gather contact information—a grandparent, cousin or neighbor, for instance—send your notes or postcards home with the appropriate club members.

This extra contact from you, a week or two after the event, serves to assure your visitors that your interest was more than just politeness at the party. You were genuinely glad to see them come to support their club members and friends, and would be happy to see them again.

Action Ideas for March

Have information available on Camp Cherith^® opportunities. If any of your club members have attended Camp Cherith before, ask them to tell the others what they enjoyed most. For more Camp Cherith information visit: http://www.pioneerclubs.org/campcherith.htm.
Communicate to parents regularly. If you are a Trailblazer leader, use the Parent Pages in the back of the new Trailblazer plan books. If you lead a different age-group, ask a Trailblazer leader for a look, to get ideas about the kinds of information to send home with club members at the beginning of each unit.
Include specific invitations for parents to respond in notes you send home. Ask what growth or changes they have seen—or would like to see—in their club members. Ask how they think your club could help with issues their kids are facing.

Changed Lives

“A few years ago, we started finding a fairly big project for the whole Club to take on as a Mission. This year we thought we'd visit a nearby Seniors’ home, maybe teach them some crafts and games. When we discovered that they had 80 residents who really wanted the kids to Perform something, we ‘bit the bullet’ and thought up some Bible story presentations. It was a hit of course, with the activity room at Shepherd Village packed with about 180 people. We filled up the time at the beginning and the end with old-time Sunday School songs ... and the old folks loved it, remembering days long ago. You know, it’s times like these that I say to myself, “I think I’ll do this FOREVER!” — Cathie Proulx, Good Shepherd Community Church, Scarborough, ON, Canada

Today’s Kids...

...benefit from caring relationships with trustworthy adults.

Be available to talk with kids privately about their concerns—but always be sure another adult is in sight, for safety considerations.
Listen with full attention and compassion when kids tell you about things that interest or concern them.

Pioneer Clubs Announcements

Pioneer Clubs Sunday 2006: “Walk in His Ways”

Many thanks to all the clubs that participated in Pioneer Clubs Sunday on February 12! We’d like to know how your club celebrated. Please jot a note telling us about your Pioneer Clubs Sunday activities and e-mail it to Connie at cpowers@pioneerclubs.org. Or, write it on the form that accompanies your church’s gift to the national work of Pioneer Clubs. Remember, if you haven’t celebrated Pioneer Clubs Sunday yet this year, it’s not too late! You can celebrate on any date that works well for your church.

Kids for Kids Hike Countdown

The springtime Kids for Kids Hike is just around the corner: Saturday, April 22. Here are planning steps for this month:

Prepare adult hiker packets (see Kids for Kids Hike page at www.pioneerclubs.org) and give them to your adult helpers.
Arrange for someone to take photographs on hike day.
Prepare a first aid kit to take along.

Annual Phonathon

We are grateful to all who responded to our Annual Phonathon last month. Thank you for your generous support! We will continue to contact our current leaders during the month of March to thank you for all you do for your own club and to invite you to reach kids for Christ beyond your community through a personal gift to the national Pioneer Clubs ministry. Please prayerfully consider a generous gift when we call.

Join us for a Pioneer Clubs^® training teleconference!

You may participate in these sessions from any location that has a telephone for only $20 per telephone line. These teleconferences are scheduled throughout the year. Upcoming topics are:

Basic Training
Evaluating Your Club Program
Leader Recruitment and Retention

Pioneer Clubs training teleconferences will benefit every club coordinator and leader—and it’s easy to register today! Visit http://www.pioneerclubs.org/trainingwork.htm for the complete schedule and online registration forms. We hope you can join us!

Reflections
In which of your kids have you seen significant growth so far this year? Who still needs specific guidance and prayer about problem areas—and how can you help?

Lighter Side
A mother and 6-year-old child needed to dash from a building to their car during a raging thunderstorm. However, at every lighting flash the child stopped, turning with a big smile to look. Finally, the mother asked, “Why do you keep stopping?” The child’s answer: “God keeps taking pictures of me!”