Download Mission Project Booklet

Mini Events

It is difficult for many churches to participate in our large, state-wide, or regional events like the Strawberry Festival, Branson Stars, Golfers for Kids Tournament, and the Bleak Midwinter Endurance Run. Many of those churches, however, would like to participate in an informational, fund-raising event for the benefit of Missouri Baptist Children’s Home or The LIGHT House.

  • Spaghetti or Taco Dinners
  • Trivia Nights
  • “Mini-Strawberry Festival” (local quilt and craft auctions)
  • Golf Tournaments
  • Volleyball Tournaments/Marathons
  • Community-wide Fun Runs or 5Ks
  • Church-wide Rummage Sales
  • Youth Service Auctions
  • MBCH Movie Nights with Love Offering
  • Bake Sale/Pie or Cake Silent Auctions

How it Works

  1. Establish a planning committee in your church to brainstorm possible events and then select one event to conduct in your church/community.
  2. Inform your Regional Representative about the type of event being planned and the anticipated date. Your Regional Representative can meet with the planning committee to give advice and provide information about the ministries of MBCH or The LIGHT House that you may wish to emphasize.
  3. Once planning is underway, you may need to get approval for the event by the appropriate church leadership. Once the event is approved, begin getting others involved in the planning and coordinating of the event.
  4. Begin early to publicize the event in your church and/or community. Explain the purpose of the event clearly. People will support the event if they understand that all funds raised will go to the ministries of MBCH (or The LIGHT House). Contact the Public Relations Office of MBCH to receive help in publicizing through the social media tools of MBCH.
  5. As the event date approaches, ensure you have enough volunteers to prepare and serve the food (where appropriate), welcome and greet people, provide parking assistance (where needed), and coordinate all aspects of the event.
  6. Invite your Regional Representative to be present to briefly share the importance of the event and how it will benefit the children, youth, and families of MBCH (or The LIGHT House).
  7. Take lots of pictures to post on social media during and after the event.

Then What?

  1. When the event is over, announce that donations can still be made even if people can’t participate directly in the event.
  2. Send a check for the proceeds to Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, 11300 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044, or arrange with your Regional Representative to pick up the check.
  3. Send a brief story and pictures of your activity to public.relations@mbch.org to be included in MBCH publicity.

Volunteer

Volunteers are a huge blessing to the ministry of MBCH and The LIGHT House. Most of the events run by MBCH would not be possible without the help of volunteers. Not only do we need help with our events but at our campus locations, as well. Most churches and small groups have members who enjoy being outdoors and would rather work in the yard or do repair work than do almost any other kind of volunteer project. A yard crew or spruce-up group can be a great time of fellowship where your members get to know each other and learn about the ministries of MBCH and The LIGHT House.

Volunteers can help with:

  • Event Planning
  • Registration
  • Parking
  • Serving Meals/Refreshments
  • Manning Water Stations
  • Soliciting Sponsors
  • Selling Tickets (AWTS)
  • Setting Up Tables, Chairs, etc.
  • Recording Quilt/Craft Sales (Strawberry Festival)
  • Greeting/Welcoming
  • Children’s Activities (Strawberry Festival)

Contact your Regional Representative for details on an event where you or your group can make a difference.

Quilts for Strawberry Festival

The Strawberry Festival is held annually on the first Saturday in June at First Baptist Church of Arnold. One of the most popular aspects of the Festival is the Quilt Auction of donated quilts. The Strawberry Festival could not be held without talented people who produce beautiful quilts and donate them to the auction.

Quilt and craft participants often ask for suggestions to maximize the amount that their donation brings to benefit the kids. The judges typically look for the same things as buyers. The following are some tips to help you as you create your labor of love.

  1. Color Selection – Color choice is a key factor that affects the value of any creation. Colors that were popular in earlier decades typically don’t sell as well. The most popular colors are the ones that you see frequently in retail stores. All of the fabrics should coordinate, even the fabric used for the back.
  2. Fabric Selection – Quilts tend to sell better when the fabrics used are coordinated. Multiple fabrics often look good together when they are complementary. The type of fabric also affects the overall beauty of a piece. For example, cotton or polyester fabric will be more appealing than heavy knits. The fabric should be prewashed and similar in weight and texture.
  3. Size – Bigger is better when it comes to quilts. Queen and king-size quilts bring the most money.
  4. Pattern – Quilts with painted or hand-drawn pictures or messages will not bring a high price at auction. In contrast, whole cloth quilts in white or cream in large sizes are very popular and sell extremely well.
  5. Edging – Finishing off the edges in an attractive way can make a difference to both judges and buyers. The binding should be firm and filled with all three layers of material with no pulls or ripples. Corners, points, and curves should be precisely done with no raw seams visible.
  6. Pencil Marks and soiled area – Quilts with visible marks do not sell well.
  7. Antique Quilts – Aged or antique quilts seldom bring as high a selling price as the donor would hope, nor are they included in the judging.
  8. Workmanship – Stitches should be even, small running stitches, and go through all three layers.
    1. Joining seams should be neat, straight, and flat
    2. No knots or backstitches should be visible
    3. Patchwork pieces should be cut with the grain
    4. Patchwork corners should meet evenly
    5. Patchwork pieces should be trimmed evenly and pressed toward the dark side of the seam
    6. Blocks should be uniform in size
    7. The finished article should be neat and clean and square when it lies flat
  9. All quilts must be delivered (or shipped) to MBCH, 11300 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044 at least 3 weeks before the Festival. You can also arrange with your Regional Representative to pick the quilts up from your church to deliver to MBCH for the Festival.

Koins4Kids

Kids helping kids! Get your children involved in helping other kids who are hurting and in need. Have your kids create their piggy banks to collect coins for MBCH and The LIGHT House.

Do this with your kids at home or a Sunday school class but take the opportunity to teach them what it means to give to those in need.

  1. Ask your children to help us! Kids love to get involved in this project and you may be surprised at how fast your Mission Friends, RAs, GAs, AWANAs, or VBS accumulate coins.
  2. Make piggy banks out of soda cans or jars.
  3. Have a “Koins4Kids Party” to launch the drive. Play games, provide refreshments, and apply the labels to your cans or jars.
  4. Ask the kids and their families to return their banks on a certain date (usually at least 30 days from distribution). You may have them bring them to the front of the church or a special collection display.
  5. Reward success. You may want to encourage competition between groups by weighing their coins or simply counting the money. Make it fun!
  6. Announce the results of your efforts and celebrate what the Lord has done through your church to touch the lives of children.
  7. Deposit the money at your local bank and send a check to MBCH, 11300 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044. Send a brief story and pictures of your activity to public.relations@mbch.org to be included in MBCH publicity.

Bible Bonanza

Every child and teenager in the care of Missouri Baptist Children’s Home and The LIGHT House is given a Bible. Clients are encouraged to participate in devotional times and attend a local church. Please help us provide a new Bible for each client.

How it Works

  1. Ask the members of your church and community to donate copies of “The Beginner’s Bible” for young kids; the “NIV Adventure Bible” for teens and the “New Women’s Devotional Bible” for ladies. For those who prefer to donate money, we would be happy to buy the needed Bibles for our clients.
  2. Put a box for donations in the sanctuary or other high-traffic areas of the church.
  3. It is a good idea to set a goal for your church to reach; you can make posters and post your progress for the church to see.

Then What?

  1. After the campaign, announce how many Bibles your church collected. Deliver the Bibles to any of our locations or call your Regional Representative to arrange for the Bibles to be picked up.
  2. Send a brief story and pictures of your activity to public.relations@mbch.org to be included in MBCH publicity.

Christmas in July

This is an early celebration of the birthday of Christ. This project may be used in July (or any month of your choosing) and will help children living on any of the campuses of MBCH, The LIGHT House or any MBCH foster home by providing them with toiletries and other personal items.

So instead of bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh, ask the members of your church, small group, or missions group to bring some of the following items (all new in original packaging):

  • Shampoo/Conditioner
  • Nail Polish
  • Shower Gel/Bar Soap
  • Hair Mousse/Gel
  • Toothpaste/Toothbrushes
  • Non-aerosol Hairspray
  • Lip Balm
  • “Spa” Baskets or Items
  • Dental Floss
  • Work Gloves
  • Antiperspirants (Non-aerosol)
  • Acne Medication
  • Hairbrushes/large combs/picks

How it Works

  1. Set a date to begin the project and begin publicizing it.
  2. Provide collection boxes for members to bring the items. Allow at least two or three weeks for the project.
  3. You may want to begin or end the project with a Christmas party or fellowship using Christmas decorations. Sing Christmas carols and serve refreshments.
  4. Deliver the items to one of our locations or call your Regional Representative to arrange for the items to be picked up.
  5. Send a brief story and pictures of your activity to public.relations@mbch.org to be included in MBCH publicity.

Whiteout Shower

A whiteout is a condition of heavily falling or blowing snow that makes everything appear white and visibility very poor. In a whiteout shower, all the gifts are white and are new, non-perishable items to be used in the cottages of Missouri Baptist Children’s Home and The LIGHT House.

  1. Set a date and publicize the event.
  2. Ask members of your church or group to bring new, non-perishable items for the cottages on the campuses of MBCH and The LIGHT House. The gifts could be anything that will assist in the operation of one of the cottages and should be white. Items might include:
    1. Paper Towels
    2. Dinner Napkins
    3. Facial Tissue
    4. Toilet Tissue
    5. Cotton Balls
    6. Q-Tips
    7. Kitchen Linens/Bath Linens
    8. Sheets and pillowcases (twin size)
    9. Laundry Soap
    10. Athletic Socks
    11. Copy Paper
    12. Be creative!
  3. You can have fun promoting this event with creative announcements and posters.
  4. You might plan a dessert fellowship where all the desserts are white. Ask those who attend to wear something white and give a prize to the most creative outfit.
  5. Provide collection boxes for the items and deliver them to one of our locations.
  6. Send a brief story and photos to public.relations@mbch.org to be used in MBCH publicity.

Baby Bottle Drive

It’s really simple. You distribute empty baby bottles to your congregation, mission group, or Sunday school class, and, then on an established date they are returned to the church – full of coins, currency, and checks. This project will help support the ministries of The LIGHT House (an affiliate of MBCH Children and Family Ministries) and will increase awareness of our pro-life message in your church and community. This is a simple and convenient way to involve families and individuals in your church and no extra meetings or time commitments are required of the participants.

How it Works

  1. Baby Bottle Boomerang can be effective any time, but many churches have been successful with the campaign during Sanctity of Human Life month in January and around Mother’s Day in May.
  2. Select a date to launch the campaign and publicize the campaign to inform the people about the ministries of The LIGHT House.
  3. Distribute baby bottles to your church, group, or family, and/or include a large baby bottle bank in your Sunday school classroom. You can contact your Reginal Representative and he will provide you with the number of fundraising baby bottles you need. They will also provide you with brochures or other promotional materials about this ministry.
  4. On a specific date, the bottles are returned to the church filled with coins, currency, and checks.

Then What?

  1. When the Baby Bottle Drive Campaign is completed, you can bring all the bottles together, count, and announce the amount your church raised.
  2. Deposit the money at your local bank and send a check to The LIGHT House, 11300 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044. Send a brief story and pictures of your activity to public.relations@mbch.org to be included in MBCH publicity.

Baby Showers of Blessing

Every new mom needs a little help getting all the things she needs to care for her baby. We want to provide the women who come to MBCH and The LIGHT House with all the things they need to show them how much God loves them and how wonderful it is that they chose life for their babies.

How it Works

  1. Just as you would host a church baby shower for a woman in your church, host a baby shower for the women that come to MBCH and The LIGHT House.
  2. Invite all the women in the church and ask them to bring non-perishable items that will help these new moms care for their new babies.
  3. Gender-neutral gifts are preferred, but gender-specific gifts are welcome as well.
  4. Things like lotion, creams, diapers (all sizes) and wipes, infant formula, infant bottles, bibs, educational baby toys, and baby clothing are needed. Other items that would be appreciated include: receiving blankets, bouncers, baby shampoo and powder, crib sets, educational toys, and diaper bags.
  5. Have fun with it! Have snacks and games just as you would at a church member’s shower! The more fun, the more people will come!

Then What?

  1. When the Baby Shower is over, announce that donations can still be made even if they couldn’t make it to the shower.
  2. The items can be brought to any MBCH or The LIGHT House location or your Regional Representative can arrange to pick up the items.
  3. Send a brief story and pictures of your activity to public.relations@mbch.org to be included in MBCH publicity.

Birthday Offering

The Birthday Offering is one of the most enduring traditions at Missouri Baptist Children’s Home. The Birthday Offering has been a part of MBCH since 1890 when William S. Crouch of First Baptist Church, Carrolton, donated a penny for each year of his life in celebration of his birthday.

Since that time, churches and individuals have used the celebration of birthdays to bless hurting children. This offering provides a way to recognize people on their birthdays and an opportunity to share in the ministry of MBCH by helping children and youth in care.

Many churches recognize those who have had birthdays during the past week in the announcement period of a worship service. Some recognize birthdays during the Sunday School Department time. Usually, people with birthdays are invited to come to the front in recognition of their celebration. This is an ideal time to present the person with an MBCH birthday pencil and/or birthday mug in exchange for their Birthday Offering.

Unfortunately, in many churches, the Birthday Offering disappeared with the Sunday School opening assembly. MBCH offers several ways to help breathe new life into your church’s birthday celebrations.

  1. House-shaped Birthday Offering Banks are available for churches, Sunday School classes, or mission groups to use in collecting the Birthday Offering.
  2. MBCH provides free birthday cards for you to send to members of your church or group.
  3. “Happy Birthday” pencils in rainbow colors are available as a token of appreciation from MBCH for those participating in the Birthday Offering. These pencils have traditionally been presented to children who give at least a penny for each year of their lives.
  4. Birthday Mugs are available as a token of appreciation to adults who participate in the Birthday Offering by giving a dollar for each year being celebrated. The design and color of the mug is changed yearly.
  5. Many churches have formed “Muggers Clubs” of people who support the Birthday Offering annually. MBCH Regional Representatives are available to come to the church to “mug” the pastor as a way of beginning such a club. Several individuals around Missouri have a complete collection of MBCH Birthday Mugs.
  6. It is often important to remind church members that MBCH is NOT selling Birthday Mugs to people for a dollar per year. The mug is a “thank you” gift to people for supporting the children of MBCH in this way.
  7. Birthday Offering envelopes are available for the donor’s convenience and can be included with the birthday greeting card.
  8. MBCH encourages churches to use the online order form on our website.
  9. Many churches will host an annual “Birthday Party” for all members of the church. Individual tables are labeled for each month of the year. Members whose birthday is celebrated in that month gather at their table for the party. We encourage you to have fun – play games, sing songs, and have a great birthday cake (either for the whole group or for each table). Then collect the Birthday Offering after briefly sharing some of the exciting ministries of MBCH. Birthday pencils and mugs can be distributed to those who participate in the offering.
  10. Send individual birthday checks (or one check from the church) to MBCH, 11300 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044. Send a brief story and pictures of your activity to public.relations@mbch.org to be included in MBCH publicity.