How To Get WyldLife Kids To Camp
Your middle school friends may be excited about going to camp this summer, but unless their parents are excited too, those kids won’t be on the bus with you. That means you’ve got to get camp information in the hands of parents. Start by handing fliers to parents when they pick up their kids after club. A flier handed to a kid may never make it to his or her parents.
Another great way to communicate with parents is to host a camp phone-a-thon with your leaders. Pick a weekday evening or a weekend afternoon and gather your leaders in one location. Order pizza and have club lists ready with the names of every kid who has attended club this year, along with parent names and parent phone numbers.
Provide a script so that high school students and other young leaders can make these calls with confidence. It might start something like this:
“Hi, my name is ________________ and I’ve gotten to know your daughter ______________ at WyldLife club. I’m calling about our WyldLife camp trip this summer, and I’d love for her to come with us. Have you heard about our camp trip?”
Give your leaders a detailed Q/A sheet so they are prepared to answer questions about:
- Departure and arrival dates and times
- Location (distance is important to many middle school parents)
- Cost (includes transportation, food, activities, housing, etc.)
- Financial options (payment plans, scholarships, fundraisers, etc.)
- Transportation (bus company, drivers, etc.)
- Camp activities
- Typical day at camp
- Ratio of kids to leaders on trip
- Housing
If parents are interested, leaders can tell them how to register – or even offer to pick up the deposit and registration form (a great way to meet parents they haven’t already met!) If parents say “no”, find out why. Schedule conflict? Cost? Child’s friends not going? Maybe there are ways to overcome those obstacles.
End the evening with prayer. Pray for every kid on your lists – that God will provide a way for those who need to hear the Gospel at camp to be on that trip with you.
