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Your church or association can work together to hold a spring "Fun Day." This is similar to a block party for your community. A "Fun Day" creates an opportunity for the church to reach out to those in the community and spend time getting to know people. Even in very small, rural areas, a "Fun Day" provides a time for those who do not see each other regularly to come together in a relaxed atmosphere.

• Location
  Although your church may be centrally located in your community, consider selecting a location that is off the church property and accessible to those in your community. You might consider a local park. If you are trying to reach into an apartment complex, contact the apartment manager to schedule a Fun Day on the apartment property.
• Purpose
  The primary purpose of this "Fun Day" is to demonstrate your care for those in your community. By doing so, you are being the hands and feet of Christ. Your "Fun Day" can include music, puppets, and food, but be sure to offer ministry booths. Such booths include free immunizations for children (contact your local health department), free blood pressure screenings, free haircuts, free pet care, free oil changes, and school supplies giveaways. Create ministry booths that apply to both adults and children.
• Needs Assessment
  Take this opportunity to conduct a needs assessment for those in your community. Remember, you may think you know what those in your community need, but you will not really know until you ask them. So, ask!
• Building Bridges
  This "Fun Day" is an opportunity to share God's love with others. By making ourselves available to those in the community, by including relevant ministry booths, and by seeking to better understand and meet the needs of those who live in poverty, we are sharing God's love. Include a booth that makes Bibles and tracts available to those that attend. Be sure to follow-up on contacts that are made. This will be an opportunity to begin relationships that can lead to witnessing opportunities at another time.

Calendar

Organizing a "Fun Day" can seem overwhelming! Moving those in your church to poverty ministry can seem even more overwhelming! However, by taking one step at a time, in faith, it can be done. Make yourself available to God's Spirit, and see what God does.

First Month
Once God has laid it on your heart to reach out to those in poverty, begin by praying. Enlist your Women on Mission^® group or missions leaders to also pray with you. Contact your pastor to discuss plans with him. Be sure to point out that the goal is to expand a current ministry in the church, not to begin a new ministry.

Second Month
Develop a leadership team. Include your pastor or staff member, WMU director, Acteens^® leader or student leader, GA^® leader and Mission Friends^® leaders or children's leader. Consider including a WMU^® member and a deacon, as well as a teenager, a young woman, a young man, and senior adults. A good leadership team size is six-to-eight members. Be sure to share what God has laid on your heart. Share with them about what you know about poverty in your area.

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Month
Meet with your leadership team once each month.

• Prepare for the Cast the Vision Sunday service.
• Explore possible locations for the "Fun Day."
• Select a location, date, and time for the "Fun Day." Be sure to reserve the location, if necessary.
• Create a list of potential booths for the "Fun Day."
• Pray for the rising up of volunteers within the church.

Sixth Month
Cast the Vision

Sunday! In the days following the service, enlist additional volunteers to assist with ministry booths, including food and needs assessments.

• Assign one booth to a leadership team member and a volunteer. They will be responsible for setting the booth up, enlisting the appropriate workers, and obtaining supplies, if needed.
• Remember to use those in your area to assist. Include the following: health department, hairdressers, mechanics, veterinarians, nurses, etc. Be sure to share with them that the goal is to better understand the needs in the community so that the church can reach out to those people. Let them know you are seeking to minister to those who live in poverty.

Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Months

Depending on when you set the date for your "Fun Day," meet monthly with the leadership team.

• Prepare flyers and posters to distribute around town. Be sure to use the children and teenagers in your church to help with this! Be specific about what ministry booths will be offered.
• Place advertisements in local newspapers.
• Work with local apartment managers to place flyers and notices around the property.
• Make visits to those in the area.
• Send flyers to local schools to send home with the children.
• Contact local radio stations and TV news stations to place your information on their community calendars.

Two Weeks Before "Fun Day"

Meet with all those involved to discuss plans. Be sure everything is ready to go. Discuss placement on the location and times to be ready. Pray for those you are seeking to reach. Ask God to move on their hearts to attend.

After the "Fun Day"
Enlist your leadership team, volunteers, deacons, WMU group, children, and pray-ers to assist with the following:

• Send thank-you notes to all who assisted. Remember to include any local businesses or agencies that assisted.
• Follow-up with contacts made during the Fun Day.
• Compile Needs Assessment responses.
• Meet with your leadership team to make recommendations to the pastor on how to use an existing ministry to include one or two families who are living in poverty.
• Begin making those contacts related to the expanded ministry.
• Email us at projecthelp@wmu.org to share your stories and pictures!