The economy is as bad as it has ever been, and this is affecting ministry. Parents struggle to send students to camp, all nighters, conferences, and other random stuff that student ministry brings. They desire to send their students, but can they afford it? This is where fund raisers come in. Fund raising used to have this dark cloud over it, but now, it is essential in my opinion to help your families be more involved in your student ministry. Here are a few fund raiser ideas for you:
- Teen Cafe– This is something that we have done in the past, and it has worked really well. We will serve a meal to the church on a Sunday night after church. We have served hot dogs, burgers, and other things at these meals. We have the students attending the event that you are raising money for serving the people. We take orders, serve drinks, and clean tables. It is like a restaurant. We always throw a theme in there that we dress accordingly too. You do this by donations only.
- Church Wide fellowship Meal– This is very similar to the Teen Cafe, but you serve a Wednesday meal before youth group/main service to your church people and the community, and you take donations. The students serve the meal and clean up afterward.
- Appleby’s Flapjack Fund Raiser– This is a new one, but it sounds legit. We have one scheduled, and I am super stoked about it. Appleby’s opens their restaurant on Saturday mornings for you to serve breakfast to people. You sell tickets ahead of time to know the number to prepare for. The students will host, serve, deliver food, bus tables, and clean dishes. You sell the tickets for as much as you like, and Appleby’s require about $3 per person for the food. They give you 3 pancakes, 2 sausage patties, unlimited drinks.
- Krispy Kreme Cards– These are cards for discounts on a dozen krispy kreme donuts. Everyone loves krispy kreme so this is a huge success every time!
- Car Wash– I am shocked at how many people love getting their cars washed from students. This is always a huge success for us, and this year, we are hoping to do 2 different locations. You do this by donations, and you will be shocked at how many you get.
I would encourage you to plan ahead (even though this is against a student pastor’s job description), and spread these out for great results. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me by sending me a direct email or by commenting below:
