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Care in Congregations®: Activity Examples

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Some Care in Congregations activities are elaborate, while others are quite simple. Here's a few examples of Care in Congregations activities conducted by congregational service teams:

• Community Jammin’ Special Offering. During its community’s summer concerts in the park, a congregational service team handed out balloons, provided face painting and took pictures of families to post on the congregation’s website. The families can visit the congregation’s Web site to download their pictures and learn about the congregation.
  
  
• Pencil Scholarship Fund. For a two-month period, pencils with a Christian message as well as a bright paper flag with a Bible verse and a request for a donation to the preschool scholarship fund were handed out by Thrivent Financial members at worship services, the preschool and other community activities held at the church.
  
  
• Road Rally. A congregational service team developed a road rally to raise funds to help its Health Ministry. Entry fees are used to purchase life-saving equipment. After the race, participants meet at a local restaurant to relax and enjoy fellowship.
  
  
• Encouragement Eggs. A youth group sold plastic eggs to congregational members asking them to place a note of encouragement and candy in the eggs and hang them on an Easter tree. The youth then distributed the eggs and used the funds raised to cover their costs for a summer work camp and to support the social ministry outreach program.
  
  
• Nail-a-thon. Members of one congregation and its community pledged funds in support of a congregational mission trip to help Katrina victims in Mississippi. For each dollar pledged, a nail was hammered into large boards spelling out the word HOPE.
  
  
• Knit-Wits. Thrivent Financial members and other volunteers met once a week to learn to knit, meditate and pray together. Their projects have included several prayer shawls, 35 chemo caps and more than 300 newborn hats.
  
  
• Jazz Service. Professional musicians were joined by congregational members to lead a special jazz service. Funds then were used to support evangelism programs.

• Toy Sale. Gently used toys were donated by parents of children attending a Lutheran preschool. The toys were sold to the community, and the profits were used for minor repairs at the preschool.

• Crystal Ball. Fund-raiser where youth members prepared and served a fancy dinner to "formal" adult diners and then hosted a dance. The evening consisted of appetizers, dinner, dessert and entertainment.

• Recycled Relics. A special sale of used items.

• Floor Tile Party. Thrivent Financial members and congregational members installed new floor tile in the church fellowship hall. This hands-on service activity included pulling up old carpet, preparing floor, applying glue and placing tile.

• Taste of Trinity. Samples of different types of food were sold to congregational members after Sunday church service.

• Stained-Glass Crosses. In celebration of a 125th congregational anniversary, stained-glass crosses were made from the stained glass windows that were salvaged from a tornado that destroyed the church. The crosses were sold on Easter Sunday to members of the congregation and then offered for sale to the public.

• Homemade Ice Cream Social. Youth of the church prepared and hand-cranked homemade ice cream. Funds were used for Sunday school materials and youth activities.

• Movie and Dinner Fund-raiser. Members provided a dinner and then a movie. Funds were put toward new handicap-accessible construction.

• Consignment Sale. Consignment sale was held to benefit the preschool. Funds were used to help pay for playground equipment.

• Hosta Sale. Congregational and Thrivent Financial volunteers potted thousands of hostas and sold them to the community.

• Living Beyond. As a hands-on service activity, members of Thrivent Financial and the congregation did painting, yard work and small construction projects for people not from the congregation.