Ladies: Big Ideas for Big Events!
Alex Schauer
I had the opportunity to sit down with Debbie Lindell, host for the Designed for Life annual women’s conference, which attracts several thousand attendees. Here are a few ideas that I gleaned from our conversation about planning big events:
* Don’t be afraid to be girly-shout, sing loud, wear frills, cheer! That’s right, release your inner cheerleader! Debbie and her team came up with a cheer that engaged women of all ages, kept the energy up, and created a fun atmosphere. Keeping it “girly” attracted 1000 women under the age of 25 to this year’s event. After the evening services, women stayed for free cupcakes, Zumba, BINGO, a carnival, the pampering room, singing, and time to talk and laugh with new friends!
* Give gifts-no matter how small or large! They will be appreciated. Girls like stuff! It could be something small like a bag of cookies tied in a pink bow or fun watches with the theme printed on the band. Ask for donated gifts-there is no harm asking! You may be surprised at what you will receive.
* Small details make big impacts! Debbie designed a note that volunteers placed on each car during the last session, the team wrote fun words on bathroom mirrors with lipstick, colorful decorations were everywhere in the building, and outside. Small details tell the woman coming in, “I considered you!”
* Honor BIG! Consider different ways your guests can give. How do you cultivate a culture of giving? Demonstrate it! Debbie and her team created an award called “Be A Gift.” The award was given to two women who demonstrated godly character under adversity. And, the gifts included patio furniture, a new deck, a shopping spree, and even the cutest yellow Volkswagen bug! While giving a car away at your next event may not be in your budget, you could give groceries to a single mom or a gift certificate to a spa day. The point is not the size of the gift, but the obedience in giving. When you give, it creates an environment for others to give! During this year’s Designed for Life, the offering size for a women’s healing center was double what Debbie was believing for, 290 children were sponsored through a child sponsorship network, and women brought shoes for a “Shoe Shower” to bless many underserved women! As Debbie says, “Blessing someone inspires the whole!”
* Get everyone involved! It takes lots of volunteers to make a big event happen, but when everyone is included, the guests are taken care of and the vision is spread! Two weeks before the event, Designed for Life volunteer meetings helped women understand what their assignment for the conference would be. The meetings consisted of prayer, worship, an encouraging word from Debbie, and lots of fun and laughter. At the event, the volunteers were ready to show God’s love in a tangible way!
When planning your next big event, keep these ideas in mind! Debbie told me that when she is in planning stages, everything around her becomes inspiration-commercials, magazines, other conferences. Take notes of things you like that you may be able to use in your event. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to make someone feel loved, and that is, after all, the purpose of a big event!
This article “Ladies: Big Ideas for Big Events” by Alex Schauer was excerpted from: www.agladies.com web site. June 2010. It may be used for study & research purposes only.
This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”
