Food Fundraising
International Food Fair
Schedule a time for an International Food Fair with appropriate church staff. (This would be a good variation on Wednesday night suppers.) At least a month in advance of the event, pass a sign-up sheet for volunteers who have a specialty ethnic or international appetizer, entree or dessert they like to cook. Try to secure several recipes that represent the country where your youth team plans to serve. Promote the event through church media outlets, alerting members that the small fee they pay to enter will go toward your international mission project. The day or evening of the fair, set each cook up at his or her own station where they will offer a sample - not a serving - of their dish. Charge $1 admission for each person as they enter, or charge 50 cents to $1 for each food tasted. For efficiency's sake, you may wish to have plates, flatware, glasses and pitchers of drinks at tables for members to serve themselves. Members also can provide information about the country where their dish originated. Information about International Mission Board missionaries who serve in that country can be found at the IMB's Web site, www.imb.org/missionaries
Week of Restaurant Fasting
Designate a week for church members to save the money they would spend eating at sit-down and fast food restaurants and donate it to your international mission project. Promote the "Week of Restaurant Fasting" through church media outlets including bulletin and pulpit announcements. Provide pledge cards in pews for members to fill out and place in offering plates, pledging to participate. At the end of the fasting week, have a church-wide potluck dinner; or, have a popular local restaurant cater a meal into the church. If your church is small enough, you can book a banquet room at a restaurant. At this meal, collect the proceeds from members and announce the accumulated amount.
Pie auction and pie-eating fellowship
Church members of all ages bring pies to a social after a church function. Each pie is auctioned to the highest bidder. If there is only one pie of a favorite flavor, the price can get quite high. After the pies are auctioned, people tend to share, creating a great social event. One church raised from $50 to $250 a pie! The auction money goes toward your international mission project. |
