Shine a spotlight on your Pioneer Clubs program!    

            
This February 2 (or a date that fits your church), join churches across the country in celebrating Pioneer Clubs Sunday! By participating in this important event, you and your club members get the opportunity to:

  • show parents and church family what club is about
  • let kids in the congregation see how fun club is
  • help your congregation catch a vision for how Pioneer Clubs transforms young lives and teaches kids to put Christ in every aspect of life
  • provide your congregation with an opportunity to support your club
  • provide a missions opportunity for the kids of your club to support the work of the national ministry of Pioneer Clubs

Whether your club presentation takes the entire worship service or just five minutes to share some stories and details about club during a service, here are ideas to spark your creativity.

Worship Service Ideas

Ways to Participate
Have club members:

  • greet worshipers
  • read Scripture
  • usher
  • perform special music or a skit
  • show a video of club members in action
  • show a slide presentation of a typical club meeting
  • give a testimony of why they enjoy coming to club
  • collect the congregational love offering

Recognition
Order service pins (to purchase visit our online store) and present them to club leaders and other club volunteers during the church service. Make sure each club member has an official Pioneer Clubs T-shirt (to purchase visit our online store) to wear.
Message Ideas
Use the suggested theme verse for Scripture readings, the sermon or other presentations. Related verses: Matthew 5:14-15; Ephesians 5:8-10; Hebrews 10:24

Lead the congregation in a Bible Exploration from one of the Pioneer Clubs leader plan books to give them a taste of what kids learn in club. Choose a lesson that deals with letting our light shine in the world. Ideas:

  • Voyager Growing in Jesus, meeting 25, “Being a Light”
  • Pathfinder Discovering God’s Goodness, meeting 12, “Helping Others Join God’s Family”
  • Trailblazer Exploring New Trails, meeting 5, “Practicing Friendship”

Bulletins

Have club members design a bulletin cover for Pioneer Clubs Sunday to reflect this year’s theme: “Let your light shine before others.”

Have club members finish the sentence “This year at club I’ve learned to let my light shine for Jesus by ______________.” Print the answers in a special bulletin insert.

Print the names of club members and leaders in the bulletin, and ask the congregation to pray for these individuals.]

Testimonies

Ask “graduates” of Pioneer Clubs to share how club helped them be a light in a dark world.

Ask club leaders to tell how God has let them be lights for the Pioneer Clubs kids.

Ask someone who became a Christian through Pioneer Clubs to speak briefly.

Have those who attended Camp Cherith®, the camping ministry of Pioneer Clubs, share how camp helped them learn to make a difference for others.

Offering
Have club members take a special Pioneer Clubs offering for your club. Share a portion of your offering with the national ministry, so that what is happening at your church can be extended to other congregations.

Decorations
Let club members cut out light bulbs to post around the sanctuary walls. On each one, write an action or attitude that would shine our light: be kind, invite a friend to Pioneer Clubs, stand up for what’s right.

Designate a prominent bulletin board in your church. Make a title: “We’re Shining Our Light!” Put some light bulbs (above) on the board. Add club pictures to show what is happening at Pioneer Clubs.

Coordinator Presentation

Present the purpose and goals of Pioneer Clubs as described in the leader plan books.

Invite interested adults to consider serving as volunteers in the Pioneer Clubs ministry. Have a sign-up sheet available after the church service or include a response form in the bulletin.

Have a club leader share his or her story of how being part of Pioneer Clubs has provided a way to be a light for Jesus to kids.

Share a life-impact story of how Pioneer Clubs has changed the life of a child in your church or community. Be sure to get permission.

Prayer and Dedication

At some point during the service, have everyone involved in club stand or come forward.

Lead a prayer thanking Jesus for Pioneer Clubs members and leaders. Ask that they continue to be a light to others.

Have your pastor pray for Pioneer Clubs—both the local ministry and the national ministry as well. The national ministry has been shining its light for Jesus for over 75 years!

Have the kids lead the congregation in singing “This Little Light of Mine.”

Promoting Pioneer Clubs Sunday

  • Invite parents, grandparents, other relatives and friends by letting the children make invitations.
  • Use the downloadable Pioneer Clubs Sunday 2013-2014 logo to create promotional items.
  • Post announcements on your church’s website about Pioneer Clubs Sunday events.
  • Email reminders to church members to attend the special worship service. Ask them to pray for Pioneer Clubs Sunday.
  • Post flyers. If you are hosting a Pioneer Clubs Sunday special event, create flyers using a light bulb theme. Post the flyers throughout your community and schools to invite the public to learn about Pioneer Clubs. (Ask for permission from the business or organization.)
  • Distribute flyers to homes in your church’s neighborhood (if your community allows).
  • Send an announcement to your local cable access television station.
  • Ask members of your outreach ministry team to extend invitations to people they visit.
  • Send a news release to your local newspaper, cable TV station and radio station.

Sample News Release

[Name of Church] to Celebrate Pioneer Clubs Sunday

Pioneer Clubs members and leaders at [name of your church] in [location] will celebrate Pioneer Clubs Sunday on [date and time].We invite the community to see club kids and leaders [describe what they’ll be doing]. Refreshments will be served afterward, and admission is free.
Pioneer Clubs is a proven church-sponsored midweek club program for today’s kids, preschool through middle school. Each week this Christ-centered program integrates spiritual and personal development to help boys and girls build healthy relationships with caring Christian adults, peers and, most importantly, Christ.
Churches choose Pioneer Clubs for its application-oriented inductive Bible study, Scripture memory, life-skills development and emphasis on discipleship and outreach. Pioneer Clubs has been meeting the changing needs of children with an unchanging message since 1939.
For more information about Pioneer Clubs® at [Name of Church], contact [Name] at [phone number] or [email address].

Contribution Ideas

Special Fundraising Project

Do a “Shine Your Light” fundraising project during the club year. Let kids know their contributions will help other kids learn to know Jesus through Pioneer Clubs. Option: Make it a family fundraising project. Let families know their contributions to Pioneer Clubs headquarters will:

  • expand the Discovery program curriculum series to serve kids at smaller churches
  • allow Pioneer Clubs to provide curriculum at deeply reduced prices to churches that cannot afford to purchase the curriculum
  • provide club materials to Love One Another Ministries in India so needy kids can have Christian materials in English

To kick it off:                                   

  • Have kids or families come to a club meeting with flashlights.
  • Play Flashlight Tag. Take a hike through a darkened area of your church or around your church property.
  • Talk about the theme verse: Jesus is the Light of the world. When we know Him, we have His light and the people around us need to see it. We can show others Jesus’ love by doing good things for others and treating them the way Jesus treated people. Brainstorm ways to shine our light.
  • Explain that kids or families can help other kids learn about Jesus by collecting money to send to Pioneer Clubs headquarters to help more churches start club.

To do the project:

  • Print out can labels. Collect cans. Let each kid color a label and put it on a can.  They take the cans home. The kids or families watch for times when family members shine their light for Jesus and make a donation to the can. After a set number of weeks, they bring the cans in to club to count the money. Option: Have the cans brought in every week so kids can see the progress.
  • Decide how many weeks you want to continue. At the end of your campaign, send the funds to Pioneer Clubs, PO Box 788, Wheaton, IL 60187-0788, reminding club members of how their efforts will help other kids.

More Contribution Ideas

  • Let the congregation know of your Pioneer Clubs budget and ask them to support a portion of the cost.
  • Ask each adult member of the congregation to give $5 in support of club. If your church family is on a modest budget, ask for just $1 as a love offering to your Pioneer Clubs program.
  • Allow club members to collect a love offering from the congregation during your Pioneer Clubs Sunday service.
  • Make a special Pioneer Clubs collection box and place it in a common area (by the bulletin board, on a special table in the narthex, etc.) for people to drop in a love offering.
  • Encourage members of the congregation to give an honor gift or memorial gift in recognition of past and present club leaders who have helped children learn to trust God.
  • Let the children sell refreshments—donuts, hot chocolate, coffee, etc.—after the service as a way to raise money for club. (Always check your church policy before planning any fundraisers.)

For those who would wish to give directly to the Pioneer Clubs ministry headquarters, please let them know about the online giving option at www.pioneerclubs.org.