Organising an event
You are interested in the healthy living work of Parish Nursing Ministries and want to organise an event to inspire and involve others. If no Parish Nurse or PNMUK representative is available for your date, this sheet tells you how you can organise something yourself. Creating an event can be educational and inspiring just as much for you as for everyone else - and remember, you have lots of great information at your fingertips!
A few easy steps
When the idea pops up gather a small planning group and appoint the key organiser. Have no more than 3 meetings in total - most of the work can be done by delegation and outside the context of meetings.
We hope your involvement will encourage and inspire all the members of your church.
DO HAVE FUN!!
You are interested in the healthy living work of Parish Nursing Ministries and want to organise an event to inspire and involve others. If no Parish Nurse or PNMUK representative is available for your date, this sheet tells you how you can organise something yourself. Creating an event can be educational and inspiring just as much for you as for everyone else - and remember, you have lots of great information at your fingertips!
A few easy steps
When the idea pops up gather a small planning group and appoint the key organiser. Have no more than 3 meetings in total - most of the work can be done by delegation and outside the context of meetings.
- Make three basic decisions …
(a) What kind of event you want to hold: Evening meeting/supper with a speaker; Coffee morning; Sunday service; All–day workshop; Outdoor fun-day; Barbeque.
(b) Who the event is for: Your church / group of churches / diocese or region; Children or youth; the whole church; a special interest group; people outside the church; families.
(c) What you hope to achieve: Raising funds; raising general awareness; profiling and raising support for a Parish Nurse project; launching a lifestyle campaign, project or specific health focus. - Set a date for the event not less than eight weeks ahead and give it an attractive title.
- Choose a suitable venue, not necessarily a ‘churchy’ one. Give plenty of thought to the layout, lighting, decoration and ambience - make sure it is warm and welcoming. Avoid the deadening ‘lecture theatre’ scenario.
- Share out the tasks: registration process (if an estimate of numbers is required), legal requirements (child protection, health and safety), technical requirements (power, equipment), parking, publicity, catering, communication, setting up, clearing up.
- Involve volunteers, encourage them to research and gather material and displays.
- Publicise the event – church magazine, local/regional papers, email cascade, personal invitations, church website, tickets/fliers/posters. Brief the speaker clearly in a letter (date, time, venue, timing, programme, directions/map, expenses, purpose, equipment requirements).
- Invite people to pray for the event and for those who will attend.
- Include the following elements in the programme:
(a) Welcome, icebreaker (a lighthearted quiz), presentation/input, group activities and discussion (maximise these), worship and prayer, music/images/visuals, closing comments and thanks, offering.
(b) Food and drink – simple refreshments or a meal/buffet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables - all healthy things.
(c) Give everyone something to go away with – a card, info pack – and something to do as a follow-up to the event. - Afterwards, thank everyone for their involvement, prayer, and any money raised. Send contributions to Parish Nursing Ministries UK.
- Then get together one more time with your small planning group and give thanks to the Lord for the event and any evident fruits. Evaluate each of the above steps and, if there were any snags, decide how they could be overcome next time.
Parish Nursing uses professional nursing skills in a Christian context and works across the UK with and through the church and its local community promoting whole-person health.Thanks for your interest in life, health, and Parish Nursing Ministries.
Rooted in a church community, a Parish Nurse combines the benefits of health and care services, community resources, and Christian faith. Parish Nursing has a strong foundation in Christian faith and is offered unconditionally to people of any faith.
We hope your involvement will encourage and inspire all the members of your church.
DO HAVE FUN!!
