Parents Night Out at Bethany Lutheran Church
Parents Night Out is a simple concept. However, to be successful the concept requires a dedicated leader and a number of ideas which have led us to a point where we can claim success. We hold Parents Night Out four times per year and sell out over 60 spots in less than 24 hours. Parents have come to us stating that our price is too low! I will address more about this later. Here are the facts and examples of how this program grew.
• We looked for key dates when parents might need time for each other or for pressures in their schedule. Pre-Christmas and near Valentine’s Day proved to be great for parents. We then opened one date earlier in the Fall and one date later in the Spring of each year. We have considered opening more dates, but there are staff limitations which will become clear as we progress.
• The program runs from 5:30 P.M. until 8:30 P.M. on a Saturday evening. The lead staff member often begins set up the day before or earlier in the afternoon on the Saturday. Goodie bags and crafts are prepared earlier. She also prepared the sign in sheets, reserves the entertainment, confirms all helpers, handles registration (mostly online and online payment), confirms with volunteers, shops for food and pre-orders food to be delivered.
• The basic program consists of games, crafts and videos in age segmented and age-appropriate groups. Currently we allow children ages 1-10 to participate. We are able to do this large age range because of the professions of our adults which range from preschool teachers to nurses. The cost for the night is $20 per child and $15 for siblings. We are considering raising the cost, but the price increase will be minimal.
• Entertainment is one of the most expensive items, but also differentiates our program from other similar programs. We utilize a variety of entertainers who typically are booked into schools, birthday parties and other events.
• Our helpers consist of three categories: Adults are paid $60 for the night. High School students are paid $40 per night and Children ages 11 up to high school age are paid $25 per night. Almost all of our helpers have either come through the program or are on staff at Bethany or are relatives of staff members.
• Dinner is kept simple. Pizza, vegetables, and drinks are always on the menu. We also provide healthy snacks. We have a number of dedicated church volunteers who come to help prepare and serve the food. The pizza is ordered from a local pizzeria.
• The children and helpers all wear name tags. The children all leave with a goodie bag of small toys, games and puzzles. Parents must sign children in and out of the program. All registration documents must be filled out prior to the night. Similarly all payments are made prior to the night. In this way, we can focus on the children rather than administrative tasks.
• We have enjoyed the donation of a church member who wanted to promote this program and who sponsors the program each year with a large donation. At this time we are close to breaking even, financially on the night. However, the large donation helps pay for the administrative and leadership time of the staff member who runs the program. If her time were included we would still be running a deficit. However, this program was started with the intention of providing a service to the community that would not necessarily break even financially.
If you have questions about Parents Night Out, we are happy to answer them.
Prayer Cards at Bella Vista Academy (St. Paul Lutheran Church) in Tracy, California
Bella Vista has individual prayer cards for each student and staff at the school. At the beginning of the school year these prayer cards are made with a name on each one. At staff devotions each morning, the staff leading devotions will introduce two students/staff prayer cards and then pray specifically for these two people at devotions. Then the prayer card with the person's name is given to that student or adult to let them know the teachers prayed for them. Many parents are touched that the teachers prayed for their child and family when they receive these prayer cards. It is such a simple practice, but it makes a significant impact on the families that the school serves. Here is a template of their Prayer Card. These Prayer cards are designed and edited on Avery.com using template #5164.
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