Children's Books for Growing Up in God

Children's Books for Growing Up in God

Callie Grant, a great friend of YoungLives in Austin, TX has written a series of children's books that help parents teach their children about God. Check them out: http://www.grahamblanchard.com/books/

These would make good gifts for your mamas and babies this Christmas! 

Christmas Thank-You

Check out this incredible Christmas video created by a teen mom in YoungLives North Hills, Pennsylvania! Perfect for sharing with volunteers and donors.

Christmas Thank You

This is a video that we put together last Christmas for donors. We burned the video to DVDs and mailed them in Christmas cards. Feel free to use it and do the same or take the idea and make it your own!


Quick how to:

• Make signs with paper and markers with what you want to say 
• Hand them to girls and get short shots (about 5-10 seconds each) at your YoungLives events
• Use a simple video camera or digital camera that does video
• If you have a Mac with iMovie or a PC with Windows Movie Maker you can upload your videos and compile all of these shots into a short video. 
• Save the file and burn to a blank DVD.

If you like the idea of this, but it seems overwhelming... cry out to a friend who is "techy" and gets this stuff and ask them to help you!

Photos with Santa!

[Even the leaders jumped in for a pic with Mr. Claus himself!]

This month at our Christmas Club we invited Santa Claus. As the girls arrived they took pictures with their children and Santa. Our area had a Santa costume (your may too, if not see if a local costume shop will donate one!).

We asked a local photographer to volunteer and take photos for the first 30 minutes of club. You can get Santa hats and reindeer ears from the dollar store to add to the fun.

We're having the photos printed and will hand them out at our next meeting before Christmas.

Shared by Tallahassee YoungLives

Gifts for Mentors + Volunteers

Looking for ideas for your mentors, committee, girls or childcare volunteers for Christmas?

Photo gifts are quick and easy and a wonderful keepsake!

Now through Monday Kodak is offering 40% off of all photo gifts and free shipping. Just use the link HERE to activate the discount.

Shared by Lisa Brown

Year-End Appeals

Did you know that around 30% of giving to Young Life comes in December? Check out this helpful guide from Field Development for tips on year-end appeals, and don't miss this great season of giving!

• In October/early November secure a Matching Gift that can be used at Year End.
• Look to current top 20% donors.
• Look for a donor that might give a larger gift if they knew they were seeding a match.
• Look to Committee/TDS Team to consider going in together to set up the match. One idea is to have each person write the amount they would give or raise towards a match on a piece of paper and secretly give it to you. Add up the total and make that the match.
• Develop PPL/List of who will be approached at year end and how they will be approached.
• Who has the capacity to give a large year end gift? These people should be met with Face-to-Face for a year end update and ask. A letter informing them of the year end opportunity may come before the meeting but the letter should not make the ask but let them know that you would like to meet and will be calling them.
• For the rest of the PPL/list decide on a strategy:
• Letter to everyone with no follow up (Good but not Great).
• Letter to everyone and followed up with a phone call (Much Better).
• Blended strategy – those with moderate potential get a letter and a phone call and those with limited capacity/lower likeliness to give just receive the letter for efficiency.
• In October/November write/revise letters and prep all necessary materials.
• Letters should be received the Monday after Thanksgiving.
• Don’t wait until mid or late December – you will miss it and it is hard to ask a donor to give attention to your appeal at Christmas! They may have already given somewhere else.
• This is a good time to include a gift (i.e. Young Life Calendar) as a Thank You.
• Do a special thank you and update to donors at Year End. Share the story. Give them inspiration to make a year end gift! Make Young Life stand out.
• Involve the Committee in writing year end Thank You’s to donors and visiting donors at year end.
• Make sure at year end that all potential donors that have not given in the current calendar year get contacted and have a chance to give a gift. For those who have just forgotten or gotten missed this can make a big difference.
  
• A year end appeal should be a part of a larger yearlong fundraising plan (TDS Financial Master Plan). If you are just organizing your plan, go after the year end appeal hard and then sit down in January and lay out the year long plan.

Pumpkin Pie in a Cup!

Need an easy craft/dessert to make with your girls for Thanksgiving?! This one's a great one, and only 6 steps!

Step 1: Crush graham crackers into little pieces.

Step 2: Mix vanilla flavored pudding with 1 can of pumpkin pie filling.

Step 3: Place a small portion of graham crackers at the bottom of cup.

Step 4: Add pumpkin pie mixture.

Step 5: Top with whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg.

Step 6: Enjoy with a spoon!

Makes enough for 8 adults!

Shared by Erin Kennedy- Chicago, IL.

Campaigners lesson for Christmas/Advent-5 weeks

Below is an explanation of the Season of Advent (I got it from my daughter's Preschool, so it is easy to comprehend and interact with).

It can be used for the basis of a 5 week Christmas Campaigners (or Advent) or all used in one lesson. You can even bring some candles to use that as a visual or a tradition that the girls might want to use at home to celebrate the arrival of our Lord!

Feel free to adapt it as needed!

Advent or arrival, especially of something extremely important~

In Christian life, it is a four-week time of preparation and anticipation. We celebrate Jesus’ first coming when he was born a human baby on Christmas Eve and later became our teacher and Savior. We also anticipate Jesus’ promised second coming when He will rule the world.

Making an Advent wreath is a great way to prepare the mind and hearts of your family members for Jesus’ birthday celebration!

First Sunday of Advent—purple “Candle of Hope” Sunday, November 29, 2009

We can have hope because God is faithful and will keep the promises he made to us. Our hope comes from God.

And the prophet Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hopes on him.” So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:12-13)

Second Sunday of Advent—purple “Candle of Peace” Sunday, December 6, 2009

Preparation means to get ready and with preparation comes peace. “Help us to be ready to welcome YOU, O GOD!”

This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. (Mark 1:4)

May grace and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. (Ephesians 1:2)

Third Sunday of Advent—pink “Candle of Joy” Sunday, December 13, 2009

The angels sang a message of Joy!

Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be overcome with joy and gladness. (Isaiah 35:10)

Fourth Sunday of Advent—purple “Candle of Love” Sunday, December 20, 2009

God sent his only Son to earth to save us, because he loves us!

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. (John 3:16-17)

Christmas Eve (after sunset)—white “Christ Candle” Thursday, December 24, 2009

The white candle reminds us that Jesus is the spotless Lamb of God, sent to wash away our sins! His birth was for his death; his death was for our birth! Jesus is the light of the world.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

IT'S A WRAP!!!!!!!!

Bring in a Little Christmas Cheer...

Here is a fun mixer for your Christmas club! Break your group up into teams and each team has to "wrap" up one of their teammates as a present. Give each team a bag of wrapping paper, tape, garland,

ribbon, bows, pretty much anything and play a fun Christmas song. As soon as the song is over line up the presents and have each team cheer for a winner. This can also be done with the girls being Christmas trees instead of presents. You can use ornaments, garland and Christmas lights - it's always hilarious when you plug all of the trees in for the final judging!

To take it up a notch, have the girls wrap mentors as presents and trees. Good laugh for everyone! Again, make sure Christmas music is on and loud while the decorating contest is going on! You can also have mentors "sell" the game dressed as elves, Santa, Mrs. Clause, crazy Christmas carolers, busy Christmas shoppers...get creative!

Celebrate Your Mentors and Volunteers This Holiday Season

• This year I'm doing a "why I'm thankful for you" letter to each of my mentors. They should get them between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Dusty Linn in Conway, AR.
• Last year we had one big Christmas meal with all the Young Life committee and leaders and all of the mentors in YoungLives. We don't get together with everyone very often and it was really nice. (Great way to build community with YL in your area!), Dusty Linn in Conway, AR
• Present a slideshow to your mentors and volunteers celebrating what all has happened through YoungLives in 2009.
• Give Christmas gifts/cards to all of your volunteers - tote bags, ornaments, stationary, blankets, t-shirts, fleeces, baked goods, books, calendars, coffee, on and on! It is not about the money, but the effort and thought...and we all LOVE getting a little treat! Make sure to enclose a personal letter of your thankfulness.
• Have the girls write Christmas letters to the volunteers telling them how thankful they are and what YLVS has meant to them...copy them all, tie them together with Christmas ribbon, and mail to each volunteer.
• Have a Christmas dinner for just your volunteers - this may be in place of your mentor meeting for the month of December. Go around and have everyone share how they have seen Jesus work in 2009. Have the tissues ready!!!

The Mother of Jesus was a Teen Mom

Dusty Linn in Conway, AR brings Christmas alive...

For Christmas, I dress up as Mary and come in on a very serious note. I looked up info on her hometown on google and then described the "scene" to the girls from her eyes. Every year two or three girls end up crying b/c they identify with her so much. I talk about how she is looked at and how alone she feels... Then when I change and we have a dessert and discussion time we ask what part of Mary's story they identify with the most.

And in Georgia...

I also had the chance to visit Linda Norman's club last year in Griffin, GA. When she gave her club talk, she talked from Mary's perspective. She revealed the fact that Mary was a teen mom, how she was judged because she was not married and pregnant, how Joseph responded, and how shunned she was by the community. She talked through what her journey and birth experience truly would have been like. It was powerful. Then, she talked about how important and valuable she was...and what a chosen vessel of God she was!!!

THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!

CHRISTMAS CAROL CHALLENGE!!!

Like a scavenger hunt, but much more fun during the holidays! Have a mentor or two in each car. Call some people ahead of time to let them know you will be dropping by to perform...and also do some surprise drop-ins. If you can go to the homes of people on your committee or donors, it can be very effective. You can also video tape or take pictures at each house, and then head back to watch together and enjoy some Christmas snacks! This works best if you provide childcare and only take mentors and girls on the challenge.

Materials:
books of carols

Directions:
Divide into teams and give each team a set of instructions. Send each team in different directions. The group completing the most items wins. Go to various houses and sing a different carol (only one) at each house. Get someone to put his or her initials on the list below next to the appropriate item. Do as many as possible in the hour time limit:

1. Sing all the verses of a carol in reverse order.
2. Sing a carol while sitting cross-legged (Indian style) on the front porch.
3. Sing a carol opera-style.
4. Sing a carol to someone who is 5-years-old or younger.
5. Form a human pyramid and then sing a carol.
6. Sing a carol in someone's kitchen.
7. Sing a carol to someone who is 60 years old or older.
8. Sing a carol around someone's Christmas tree.
9. Act out a carol while singing all the verses.

Christmas Craft: Decorating Stockings

If you are looking for an idea to do with your girls this holiday season, decorating Christmas stockings for their kids is a great and easy craft! Simply buy the plain stockings (like the one in the picture) and all the supplies to decorate (get creative!) It is a fantastic time for mentors to get to visit with girls. Encourage your mentors to sit at the tables with the girls and talk, talk, talk! Play Christmas music in the background, drink hot cocoa, and eat Christmas cookies. Girls LOVE it!!! Every year I had a few girls comment that their child had never had a stocking before and would not have had one this year without this event...sweet mommies.

Snow Club

For those of us that don't get snow on a regular basis, but might have a mountain within driving distance... this club is for you! Every winter I have girls tell me that they wish there was snow nearby to play in. So, for a theme club, we bring the snow to them! On the day of club have two or three men drive to a nearby snow covered hill and shovel a truck bed full with snow. While the girls are still in club, the guys are outside dropping the snow off in the parking lot. Then, a mentor comes in with a snowball in hand and says "It's snowing!" Our girls ran outside, so excited to play in the snow!

Make sure to okay snow in the parking lot with the facility that you use, ahead of time!

Santa Claus is Coming to Club!

For Christmas every year we have a $10 Target Gift Card Drive. In November I send out an email letting people know that we are accepting $10 Target Gift Cards to help purchase toys and gifts for all of the kids and moms. After we collect the donated cards I make a trip to Target and purchase a toy for every child who is going to attend club. Then we divide up the leftover gift cards evenly between the moms attending. This way they can go get themselves something special for Christmas. Why Target? They don't sell cigarettes or alcohol (unlike Wal-Mart).

Then our committee chair dresses up as Santa and delivers the toys to each child. He loves this club because he gets to have direct contact with the girls and their kids! It's so rewarding for everyone... can you say warm fuzzies?!

Shared by Erin Kennedy-- Chicago, IL.

Frame a Thank You!

This is a great idea for a little Mentor Appreciation! Find some inexpensive light colored matte board frames. Have girls decorate and write little love notes to their mentors on them. They can even put their babies hand prints on them! Then spend the next month finding great pictures of your mentors with their girls! Frame and wrap them as a Thank You or Christmas gifts! Guaranteed tear jerker.

Shared by Erin Kennedy-- Chicago, IL.

Christmas Club Blizzard

Collect newspapers from recycle bins. You will need newspapers and masking tape...love cheap ideas! The newspaper serves as “snow” for the blizzard that will hit your club!

1) Divide girls into two teams; divide newspapers evenly to both teams. When music starts (Christmas, of course), the first team lay down flat on their backs and cover themselves completely in newspaper (head to toe) wins. Everyone on the team must be covered, which means the last few people are trying hard to cover themselves. All girls and mentors play. The blizzard has come and the snow is freshly covering the ground.
And what do you do after a fresh snow??? Snow ball fight!!!

2) Have everyone stay in their teams. Draw a line down the middle of the room with tape. Each team must stay on their side of the tape. Again, divide newspapers evenly among both teams. When music starts, the teams must crumble up all their newspaper into snowballs and start throwing them onto the other team’s side. They cannot cross the line, but as snowballs come across to their side, they can pick them up and throw them back over. Stop the music after a few minutes. The team with the least amount of snow on their team wins!
Christmas candy is a great prize for the whole team.

Shared by Lindsey Patchell-The Woodlands, TX

Christmas Ornaments

Last year we had an interior design student come in and help us decorate Christmas ornaments during December. She brought all the supplies and it was really neat. The girls loved it.

Shared by Dusty Linn-Conway, AR