Hey, you’re back for more, huh? Unless this is your first time here and you are coming in on the middle of this series, which is perfectly fine, each of these posts cover an important point in calendar development. If you want the full experience, head over to the first post and work your way through the first 4 steps of Before You Put It On The Calendar.
Do I Have the Budget or Do My Students Have the Money?
Realistic Budget
As I write this I am in the midst of a very busy holiday season. On my docket:
Purchase food for Friends-giving
Purchase tickets for A Christmas Story at historic theaters (Christmas movies are our holiday traditions)
Christmas Party at Laser Tag/Bowling (if you need a free Christmas Party planner, get signed up here)
Planning January One Day Retreat
So, I’ll answer the first question, yes, I have the budget. I put these events on the calendar because I know that the church will help me out with free tickets, etc. for the kids if they cannot afford it or if they bring a guest and we can say, “Your event is free”.
To answer the second question, yes, our kids can afford these activities. I have a small youth group and I know two of the students are working and the other students have participated in events like this before without issue.
In calendar development, you can’t assume anything. Double check your budget and see where your church families are economically.
Fundraising Options
Explore fundraising opportunities or cost-saving measures.
Most youth events, like the ones I am planning above do not require a fundraiser but there are events that do such as, Mission Trips, Youth Camps and Youth Retreats.
Planning fundraisers is its own animal. I hate fundraisers. In fact, the only fundraisers I do are for missions (both to go on trips and support missionaries) and for youth camp. Fundraising for everything can be a drain on the congregation, so
Ask a few questions before putting a fundraiser on the calendar
am I competing with any other ministries for the same church dollar?
is this event worth of a fundraiser?
is this fundraiser in house (like this M&M fundraiser) or is it a community fundraiser like a car wash or selling candy?
These questions matter because it can take time and budget for a fundraiser and a failed fundraiser only puts you deeper in the hole and crunches your time to make the money you need.
Your calendar is your best friend when it comes to fundraising
How can we make money during Football Season? (serve concessions, parking cars, etc.)
How can we make money during the holidays? (selling baked goods, wrapping presents, raking leaves, etc.)
How can we make money during summer? (car washes, selling sunscreen, etc.)
Before you put it one the calendar, think through the questions I’ve given you and you will come out with a much more satisfying, stress free calendar.
Student Participation
If students are expected to contribute financially, ensure it’s feasible for their families.
I’ve covered some of this above through budget but allow me to offer a few more suggestion. As I said, you cannot (nor should you have to) fundraise for everything.
Ask,
What are the most important events that no kid can afford to miss?
Write down the 2-3 events you do every year that give you the most bang for your buck and then decide how you will make sure every kid will get to go.
For me, the event every kids need to go on every year is camp. I make sure, starting early, I have put my camp dates down on the calendar and start announcing it in February or March. Behind the scenes, I am talking to my Pastor and others about who might need a camp scholarship this coming year.
(By the way, if you’re looking for a great guide to planning camp, check this out)
Scholarships are a great way, for those in your church who have the means, to write a check for one or even two kids to go to camp.
Another way to make sure students attend your most important events is to create student accounts and bank any left over money from your fundraisers to those student you think will need in the coming year and/or put it in a general scholarship fund any family can access.
Kids going on events, coming to know the Lord is not accidental but intentional. It starts with you making important decisions about what goes on your calendar and what does not. My hope is that this lesson, and the others, will help you develop a youth calendar that makes sense and is packed with all the right things.
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