Meeting Pals
Pal Pix
In October we hold a special event to Pals and club members can get acquainted. Pals receive a picture of their club member, which serves as a constant reminder to pray for him or her.
-Club Leader in Minnesota
College Partners
Club members at our church are given a college prayer partner at the beginning of the club year. Then at the Fall Festival, they get to meet their prayer partner. To find out who their partner is, kids have to conduct a scavenger hunt.
At the beginning of the evening, the prayer partners write down on index cards what they look like and what they are wearing. Cards are given to the appropriate club members, and they begin the hunt for their prayer partner.
-Club Leader in Pennsylvania
Service Party
At our Pal Get-Acquainted Party, Pals and club members made holiday try favors (decorations for food trays) for our local hospital and veterans nursing home.
-Club Leader in Maine
Pal Parties
Campfire
Our club members enjoy a special annual event with their Pals – our “Pioneer/Pal campfire.”
-Club Leader in Michigan
Strike!
Our club members enjoyed a bowling outing with their Pioneer Clubs Pals.
-Club Leader in Pennsylvania
Circular Party
Everything at our party had to do with circles. The invitations were round, the games were circle games, songs were rounds, and awards were Lifesavers. Prizes were given to people wearing the most circles or polka dots. The speaker was a missionary to another country – “around the world.”
-Club Leader in New York
Care and Share Night
Our Pal program eliminates the need for Pals to come up with their own ideas for getting together with their club members. Once a month, during the last half hour of club, Pals and kids get together for sharing thoughts, enjoying one another’s company, joining in a special feature activity, and enjoying a snack.
Especially for the older Pals with limited strength, resources, or mobility. ‘Care and Share’ times are ideal.
These times are wildly successful! Both Pals and club members look forward to them with great anticipation.
-Club Leader in Ontario
Palosauras Party
Try a dinosaur theme for a great Pal party. Our church decorated the room with dinosaurs and stenciled them on place mats. Pals and club members used homemade play dough to sculpt dinosaurs. Dinosaur word games and a Christian film relating to the party theme added to the fun. Hot dogs were provided, and guests brought salads to share – even pasta salad made with dinosaur-shaped noodles.
Dessert was dinosaur cookies and ice cream topped with dinosaur candy.
-Club Leader in New York
Pals & Prayer
Scrapbook
Our Pals keep a scrapbook of all events they attend with their club members. They also write any prayer requests right in the scrapbook. As prayers are answered, Pals log them in. In the process, the children see that God answers their prayers.
-Club Leader in New Hampshire
Prayer for No-Shows
Our church organized a Pal program early in the fall to pray for club members who didn’t return for the new club year. It became a great way to show personal interest and support in former club members, and it was a great way to trust the Lord for positive answers to prayer.
-Club Leader in Ontario
Church Pray-ers
At our church, senior citizen prayer warriors take seven club members’ names each week and then pray for one child each day.
-Club Leader in Ontario
Types of Pals
Club Grandmas
The Grandmother Program is our version of the Pal Program. Each club has one or two “Grandmothers” (we’ve had volunteers from their late 40s to mid-70s). They come for special events and help with projects, and club members have responded very positively.
Before each special event, the Grandmothers receive a letter asking them to be ready to talk briefly about certain topics.
For the get-acquainted meeting, they were asked to bring photos from childhood and talk about:
- Where they were born, size of their family, family members
- Something interesting about their school years
- Something special about their home life
For Christmas, topics included:
- Special Christmas memories
- Winter memories
- What Christmas means to them (a word of testimony)
-Club Leader in Pennsylvania
Adopt-a-Grandparent
Adopt-a-Grandparent is a project where club members receive as much as they give. Plan one or two activities during a unit on understanding others, or continue during the whole club year.
To begin the project, club leaders invited senior citizens from the congregation to attend a hobby night. Club members displayed and explained their hobbies, and then each one officially “adopted” a “grandparent.” Events during the year included baking and wrapping boxes of cookies for the grandparents, holding a table-game party, and going caroling at the seniors’ homes. The seniors were also invited to the awards ceremony.
“Club members have grown to love their adopted grandparents, and the seniors have shown them that growing older is a time of beauty.”
-Club Leader in British Columbia
Teens as Pals
Don’t overlook the teens in your church as possible Pals. All the 1st-2nd graders at our church were assigned teen Pals. They loved it!
-Club Leader in Pennsylvania
Secret Pals
At the beginning of the club year, assign Pals, but keep them secret for a designated period of time. Adult Pals can send anonymous notes or small goodies to club members during this time. This keeps club members from feeling obligated to reciprocate right away, provides a sense of excitement and anticipation, and helps members feel as though someone really cares.
-Club Leader in Illinois
Role Models
The Pal program at our church pairs club members not only with an adult but also with a high schooler. The goal for adult Pals is twofold: develop relationships with kids and be role models. Spiritual maturity is an important qualification. High schoolers are used as duplicate Pals because kids relate to teens on a different level.
At Christmas, adult Pals are urged to give gifts of “time” rather than presents to avoid problems. If they wish to give a present, they are encouraged to give the Daily Watch devotional books or other gifts that help the child’s spiritual growth.
-Club Leader in Illinois
Secret Pals
At our club, each kid and leader is assigned a “Secret Pal.” Pictures are taken of each club member at the beginning of the club year. These are put on a prayer card and given to the adult Pal with an information sheet completed by each club member.
Pals are encouraged to send notes (no gifts). A mailbox is set up for each club member to send and receive Pal mail. Photos of Secret Pals are put on a bulletin board to build interest until February when the Pals meet face to face. Then the rest of the year they are able to do things together.
-Club Leader in Saskatchewan
