8 – S. S. PROMO & CONTEST IDEAS
Churches all over America have found that promotion coupled with Bible based evangelism means progress. It means boys and girls hearing about God who otherwise would not. It means setting new goals and records. It means a mass outreach effort to get the crowds assembled so we can give them the word of God.
Promotion does mean success and progress for the Lord, if a few rules are followed:
1. PLAN every detail of the promotion. It is too late if we wait until the big Sunday to decide who will drive to town for the hamburgers or how you are going to fill up 200 water guns before church is over. Things will be confused enough with the extra people attending, don’t add to the confusion by being uncertain of how the promotion is to be run.
2. BE SURE you have the items or materials you need before you start to publicize.
3. BE CERTAIN you have ample supply of the items you need.
4. START PUBLICITY 2-4 weeks before the set date.
5. HAVE FLYERS (handbills, handouts) for each promotion. All printed material used in promotion should be; a. attractive, b. simple in message & easy for children to understand, c. include church name, location, and telephone number, d. contain all appropriate information, ei. An invitation to come to church and bring others.
6. INFORM all necessary church workers and excite all Sunday School teachers.
7. PRAY, that God will use the promotion to win souls and get others excited about winning the lost.
8. WORK. When this is done, the promotion becomes only a little something extra. The people will come because God will bless our efforts.
9. REMEMBER, a church cannot be perpetuated on contest, gimmicks, and give-aways. Our ministry must be maintained through faithful prayer, sacrificial efforts and faithful visitation.
SUNDAY SHOPPER
Sunday School Promotional Contest
Materials Needed:
Crape Paper
Sale posters
Envelope for each child
Items to supply a store
Paper money printed with church name and address on back.
Sunday Shop
Set up a store in a spare room. The store front can be decorated with crape paper and streamers. Sale signs should be put up inside and everything should look like a real store.
Items in store could be:
Candy bars or life savors $ 4.00
bubble blow 10.00
Fancy pens and pencils 5.00
Small jackknives 10.00
Combs 5.00
Stickers 1.00
Stuffed Animals 50.00
Small cars and trucks 20.00
Plastic men 5.00
Candles 5.00
Markers 10.00
Color Books 10.00
Crayons 5.00
Paper dolls 5.00
Battery operated toys 50.00
Salary for Children:
Bring a friend 5.00
For coming 3.00
Learning a memory verse 3.00
Bringing a Bible 3.00
Bringing an offering (opt.) 2.00
Promotional
Give flyers to Sunday School Children two weeks in advance.
One week before contest starts, have store all set up for children to see what they will be able to buy. Many times small items that are found on the counter of a store are items they would like but are not able to get. Then make sure each student knows what he/she has to do to earn money to spend.
Giving out money in S.S.
When student first gets to S.S., have a point sheet to be filled out before Sunday School even starts. These sheets go in with the Sunday School Offering and the Superintendent (or another specified person) counts the points and puts the proper amount of money in each envelope.
Shopping
The store will open about 15 mn. before Sunday School is usually out, Nursery class can go first and do their shopping. Every five mn. a new class will get to go to the store.
Money can be accumulated so that at the end a student may buy some large item. The price could be figured by multiplying by 10.
SUNDAY SCHOOL PROMOTIONS
HOT DOG SUNDAY: The rule is simple everyone that comes to Sunday School receives a free hot dog. Promote for at least three weeks before the big day of Hot Dog Sunday. Have the hot dogs individually
wrapped and placed in an insulated container. (ice cream cones or hamburgers can also be used)
KITE SUNDAY: Everyone who comes for three weeks receives a kite. If they bring a visitor they receive a ball of string. Show the kite to the kids every week and promote the excitement of flying the kite.
CANDY STORE: Build a candy store by attaching upright supports for an overhead awning above a small table or specially built stand. The awning above the candy counter as well as the enclosing skirting
around the legs may be made from corrugated construction paper. Candy displays using boxes and jars may be set up on the candy counter. An attendant dressed in typical candystore garb waits on the customers and may even have a Play cash register to ring up sales. Play money is awarded to those who bring friends. Face value of play currency and also prices on items in store may altar to fit ones Sunday School budget. Children may spend their “earnings” the same day as they bring their friends or may save up for a larger, more expensive treat.
NO ABSENTEE DAY: Each person enrolled in Sunday School is given a letter “T” which is to be brought to Sunday School in return for a treat. Be sure the handouts read: Bring this “T” with you Sunday. Let’s not have one absentee!! You will be surprised at the great results of this simple promotion.
PENNY JAR: One grab in the “Pentecostal Penny Jar” for each first time visitor brought.
C.C. SUNDAY: This is a Mystery Sunday, that no one knows what a C.C. is. The excitement gets the regulars to bring visitors. The kids can’t wait to find out what a C.C. is. What is it? Cup Cakes!
SMILE SUNDAY: You can use many different items for this day: smile pendants, smile rings, smile balloons, smile badges, etc. We can guarantee that when they leave Sunday School they will have a smile!
BALLOON SUNDAY: Everyone receives a balloon, fill them with helium. Each balloon has a string with a card attached. The card has the church name and address printed on it. On the back it reads: “If you find this card and are the first to return it, you will get a new Bible and the person below (child’s name) will receive a special prize. You need to fill the balloons the day they are used. This promotion can include a prize for the balloon going the fartherest location, everyone who brings a visitor gets to take a balloon home, etc.
(The original publisher of the above material is unknown.)
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