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In a book that would be helpful for all advisors, Doug
Fields lists five purposes within youth ministry: Evangelism,
Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, and Ministry.
Not listed, you notice, is "fund raising." Yet when it
comes to NYC, raising the cash to send our young people to
Colorado becomes a purpose in and of itself. I believe that one
reason some youth groups fall apart after NYC, instead of being
energized by it, is that we have allowed fund raising to occupy
too large a space. The five purposes listed above have taken a
back-burner.
How can we change this and still realistically face the daunting
task of helping our youth afford this mountaintop experience? Good
question! The below is intended to give details about what is
needed financially. Two cautions: 1) don't allow the
"$$$$" to overwhelm you. God will provide a way, though
we need to do the walking down the path. 2) Start early. Don't
wait until the last minute to face into the task. One more thing,
ask yourself "what is the purpose of NYC?" Is it the
culmination of all your work as a youth group, or is it like a pep
rally along the way of a larger journey upon which you and your
youth are traveling? Get clear about your purpose. Okay, let's
talk details.
NYC 2002 is history, but
NYC 2006 is not far around the bend.
Finding the funds for youth and advisors
to travel to conference isn't easy. Registration
in 2002 was $350
per person,
which included all programs, lodging and food while at NYC. A $150
deposit was due when registering (which began January 1, 2002), with
the balance of $200 due by April 1. A late fee of $50
was assessed to
payments postmarked after April 1. Get the point? - April 1 was the
big date!
Transportation to Colorado and
back is the next biggie. Our district arranged for three
flights roundtrip out of BWI and Dulles airports to Denver, with bus transport to Ft.
Collins. The cost was $360 each. The total was due by April 30, with a deposit of
$75 of that amount expected by February 28. Thus,
if you do the math, the above figured out to $710 per person.
For more info on district arrangements in 2002, check out the district
transportation page.
It remains to be decided whether the district will handle
transportation this way in 2006. If we do, however, you can always
come up with your own transportation
options, which may turn out less. Go for it! Note that the above
amounts did not figure in incidentals (food en route, recreation
options, etc.), but it's a good figure to shoot for in planning
for 2006. Add in for inflation. Furthermore, remember to
include adults. The "official" 2002 NYC webpage
said, "please send one
advisor for every seven youth, in proportion to the gender of the
youth." Try to send your best mentors. Aren't our
youth worth it?
We need to work together, especially since our congregations come
in all sizes and shapes. One means of cooperation is to share
ideas. What have you tried when it came to fundraising - something
that worked for you? Tickle your brain with these suggestions from
the brethren.org resources
pages. Or seek out ideas on the Youth Specialties
website. Next step, share your ideas with us (click
on the "e-mail" below) and we'll post them here. Include
your name and your congregation, and enough info to help the rest
of us figure it out.
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