Im sitting here recapping on how last nights Harvest party went at our Church last night...It was well just plan awful! first let me tell you what I had planned then ill tell you why it was so awful.
I attend the Bethel Nazarene Church and I work with the teens. We decided to put on a Harvest party and make it more like a safe trick or treating spot for children ages 1-12. We Had the church set up so that no one entered the sanctuary because thats just hard to clean. So, they come through the front door and get a goodie bag which has a track, pumpkin poop, a few pieces of candy and a couple of toys. Then they get their picture taken and head down stairs to do a craft which where magnets and bookmarks with pumpkins and crosses on them. then they go across the hall to throw balls at pumpkin cans and they get a treat if they win or loose. Then its up the back stairs to the kitchen for a duck game, bobbing for apples and donut on a string! The duck game gets a prize according to what color was picked and the apple and the donuts where the prizes for those games. A teen was at each station to hand out candy and to help with the game. I worked in the craft room and my mom was the photographer with help from a church lady to get address for each kid...
Here is how it went...
Dawning is our only child in the church and since shes mine she was the first! Though we took her picture first we waited on the games. We opened our doors at 4pm and waited...kids started coming around 4:30ish. And the two that came I babysit for and they came from West Paris to have a fun time. I took them through the church along with Dawning knowing she would love to play with her friends. when they left another little girl came in she didnt want a picture so we went to the craft room. All the while her mommy was telling her that they should really get going if they wanted to go to other houses. Needless to say they only made it to the craft room. Her mom took her out of there like the church was on fire! After that the kids started pouring down the streets. A big group came to the church and we told them we had games and treats and pictures they wouldnt even come to the door. After 10min of people just going by we decided to just hand out the goodie bags and bring the duck game and the bobbing for apples outside. No one bobbed and I dont think people picked ducks. There where some people that wouldnt even come up and get the bags we had to bring the bags to them.
I was hopping to have lots of kids and so much fun! I was hopping to run out of goodie bags and know that next year I needed to plan for more then 70 kids...Now I know that I need to plan for not inviting people into the church rather bringing everything to the door. What I dont get is how the people in my little town have come to see the church as something to run from. This tells me we do not go into the community enough to know that we are safe and friendly. I just need to figure out how to do all that. I do have to say that I was very disappointed at how last night turned out. Being pregnant on little sleep and very emotional I was crushed! On the bright side though 70 children including my own walked away with a piece of God from the tracks we put in the bags and the little toys that were in them as well. They also know we are there.
