Most dads don’t know how to talk about stuff that matters with their daughters. This event can help. Get dads and their daughters dressed up for a nice dinner and give them a fun craft to work on together. Then, send them home with the task of doing a 3 -week series (see below for preview) designed just for Dads and daughters, but you can use any series you want from pursueGODkids.org.
Downloads:
Slide (Canva)
Flyer (Canva)
Promo Video (mp3)
Before the Event:
Form a leadership team to determine the date and the menu that fits with your budget for the event. Also, order the necklace supplies in advance, here and here. One month before the event, start promoting it at church and on social media with the slide and promo video. For everyone who signs up, send a series of emails to start prepping them for this event, one immediately after sign up and a second just a day or two before the event (see samples below).
During the Event:
Here’s a basic agenda you can use for this event. Feel free to customize as needed:
- Welcome and opener. Greet fathers and daughters as they come in, like they’re arriving at a special restaurant and seat them at one of the tables. Be sure to have some nice music playing during this time to help create a fun atmosphere.
- Serve dinner, whether you have people acting as servers or set it up like a buffet. While they eat, every few minutes, throw out a question for Dads and daughters to discuss. This will help dads to get a conversation going with their daughter. Try these:
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
- If you could be any animal in the world, which one would you be?
- If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
- Show the event video. While the video is playing, set out the supplies for making the necklaces. Once the video is over, have dads and daughters grab the supplies they need for their necklace and have them return to their seats.
- Before they start making the necklace, explain to dads that there will be a special ceremony where they will put the necklace on their daughter once it’s completed. So make sure they don’t let their daughter put it on before the ceremony. Play music and allow the time for the dads and daughters to create a special necklace together.
- Once everyone has completed making their necklace, begin the ceremony. Have dads and daughters stand with dad holding the necklace. Then have them repeat the following message, “You are my special princess. There is no one like you. I’m proud of you. I can’t wait to see what God does in your life.I love you. I will always protect you. Wear this necklace to remember how special you are to me.”
- Serve cupcakes and hand out the invite cards to dads inviting them to do the Dads and Daughters series at home with his daughter. And be sure to highlight the other topics that can be found on pursueGODkids.org.
After the Event:
Follow up is important for this event. Be sure to reach out to the fathers with at least one more email that encourages them to make a habit of talking with their daughters. If you have another event on the schedule, this is a good time to plug it.