www.creativeladiesministry.com

[Prov31wannabe]

When our ladies decided to nix the Secr. Sis. program, I submitted the following ideas to replace it (we did try one of them and it worked well).

The overall idea involves ONE gift exhange. This one gift serves as a visual reminder of your secret sister so you remember to pray for her and encouragement is limited to cards/notes and food gifts.

#1: Tea-cup (or mug) exchange.
On a designated day, instruct the ladies to bring in a teacup or mug. They will then fill out a questionnaire about themselves. Your cup and info sheet will be placed in a brown paper bag for anonymity. If you bring in a cup, you will take a cup.
Every time you use or see this cup, you promise to pray for your sister.
Could return the cups at a "reveal" luncheon----or make it clear from the beginning that the cups will not be returned or someone will inevitably give away a family heirloom.

#2: Angel exchange.
Same idea as the teacup exchange only the ladies will bring an angel. Anything goes---it can be a figurine, an ornament, a picture, a magnet. As long as it's an angel...it works.
Again, fill out a questionnaire and place the angels into bags. Anyone who brought an angel will take one and the angel will remind you to pray for your sister (and remind you that someone is acting as your "angel" too).


#3: Seeds of encouragement.
This one requires more cost and "homework".
The ladies bring in a small flower pot and the ministry group will provide soil and seeds. (or could just provide the seeds and have the ladies be responsible for getting their own soil)
Again, the pots will be placed in bags and if you brought one, you take one home and promise to tend the seeds.
As you care for your growing plant, you remember to care for and encourage your sister.
At the end, the sisters could present the plant/flower to her sister at a "reveal" luncheon.

Hope these all make sense..... Just some ways to add a little something to the secret prayer partner idea.
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Colossians 1:27 ...."Christ in you, the hope of glory."

[Prov31wannabe]

Forgot to add...
We limited our prayer partner programs to 3 months time so newcomers only had to wait a few weeks for the next one to start.
That way, no one felt left out for too long.
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Colossians 1:27 ...."Christ in you, the hope of glory."

[Bethany]

I really like your idea with the flower pot. There's just one problem - I'm one of those people who kill plants! It would be really embarrassing to have to admit at the reveal luncheon that I "killed" my secret sister!
Those all are great ideas. Personally, I think they are much better than the typical secret sister program. Thanks for sharing!
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Sharing Jesus' love with you,
Bethany

[gloworm]

At our last meeting, we also decided that we would not draw names between our group for the Secret Sister program this year.

Our new church year begins in September and after that begins, we are going to try to get the names, addresses, birthdays, etc. of the senior adult class. Because of health, etc., it's not often that they are able to participate in activities other than regular church services.

After we get this information, we will begin treating them with the cards to remind them that they are loved and that they were thought of and prayed for.

We've never done this before and hopes this will work and be a form of encouragement for them.
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Love in Christ,
Gloworm

[Guest]

I love the flower pot one! Although I am ashamed to admit
that like Bethany, I too may "kill" my secret sister!
I might have to replace her with a silk flower at revealing time.

How do you know who brought which plant?

[Prov31wannabe]

When we did this, we had the ladies bring only a small pot (up to 4 inches).
Some just got a simple plastic pot from the dollar store, others hand-painted a clay pot.
It didn't matter...it just needed to be something you could grow a couple seeds in---
Then, we (the mininstry leaders) bought a couple bags of potting soil and a few seed packets.
The ladies put their pots and info sheets into paper bags and we added a large baggie full of soil and a little baggie with about 5 or 6 flower seeds.
I think we bought marigold or nasturtium seeds.....can't remember.
Then we handed them out randomly.

A couple ladies came and asked for a few new seeds because theirs didn't sprout.
We did this from late March till mid-May so the flowers that survived could then be planted outdoors.
The plan was to donate them all to the chapel to beautify the grounds but we never were able to do it.....
long story...
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Colossians 1:27 ...."Christ in you, the hope of glory."

[Combatbride]

I am in the process of getting a secret sister alternative started for our ladies. What exaclty do you ask in the information sheet and what do you do with it?
Combatbride
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For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Timothy 1:7

[kristen]

Make up a small questionnare for each woman. It should have Name, Address, Phone (optional), B-Day, Ann (if married) Favorite Color, Favorite Flower, Favorite Bible Verse, Hobbies and/or Interests, Favorite Dessert. This information can be used if the secret sister wants to recognize a birthday or just give a small gift once in a while.
After all ladies have passed them back in to a designated area then you have a non participant pick two at a time and give them to the appropriate individuals. (Ex. He picks up Sue and Jane, Jane gets Sue and Sue gets Jane) Caution everyone not to lose their info or you can have a master copy just in case someone does misplace theirs.
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I enjoy this sight so much. I look at it daily

[Prov31wannabe]

In addition to the suggestions Kristen shared, we added "What is the most pressing challenge in your life right now?" AND "What areas of your spiritual life are you seeking to improve?"
We also stated that the info was to help your Secr. Sis focus her prayers on specifics.
Only the name and address were mandatory...all other questions were optional.

Oh...another favorite--favorite hymn/praise song.
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Colossians 1:27 ...."Christ in you, the hope of glory."

[Combatbride]

Thank you lovely ladies,
That is going to help me tremendously in getting sisters of encouragement off the ground. I pray it will be successful.

Combatbride
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For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Timothy 1:7

[glen]

Hello There Ladies;
I introduced the idea of exchanging angels in some form, last week and most seemed interested. I thought I would get brown bags and hand them out for each one to put their angel and information in before the exchange. It will probally be at our Sept. meeting, ( the one I asked for help with).
Do you think this will work? God Bless You, glen.

[Startrek]

I'm new to the boards and am just reading this post - forgive me.
But I LOVE the ideas on here. We've tried the SS thing in the past and it always seemed like a miserable failure - w/ the exception of a few faithful ones. So this yr I did not even mention it. No one seems to miss it! LOL
But these alternatives sound like something that might fly! I'm excited to try the teacup exchange! I'm afraid the flower one would be disastrous! I'd be the biggest culprit too! LOL I love to tend them outside, but in a pot indoors? Forget it!
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"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD forever, for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength." Isaiah 26:3, 4

[Guest]

Our Association got the area ladies together at a retreat. We got prayer partners. We all received a book with what we were going to do and when. The back page of the book had a questionaire on it. Name; address; and all of the other pertinate information. The back cover had a number on it. The ones that had the same number, exchanged books. This is one alternative.

What our ladies group does is take one of our shut-ins and visit, send cards or call them. Whatever you prefere. But you have to do something to let them know that they are NOT forgotten. Some of them (in nursing facilities) don't know they get mail, but their families do. And it is important to them that their loved one is not forgotten.