Planning a Program at Grace?  This guide will help you....

If you are developing a program for Grace Church, please use the following steps as a guide to schedule and promote your event:
Six months out

1. Develop/create your program content.  
   

How does it relate to our mission focus: “Celebrating that Christ is all and in all by Seeking, Inviting, Belonging, Serving, & Reverencing God’s Creation”?

1. Contact and confirm those people who need to be involved.  
   

Be mindful of the gifts and talents of those who are newer to the community.  Are there some folks who might be willing to be involved if they are asked directly? 

1. If there will be expenses, be sure to contact the appropriate Standing Committee to let them know what to expect.  They will confirm if their budget can/cannot support the proposed program.
   

1. If a meal or refreshments are part of the program, be sure to recruit a kitchen team that will setup and cleanup. 
   

Be sure to ask someone who is knowledgeable about using the sterilizer to be on the team.

Five Months out

1. Have several possible dates in mind.  
   

Does this program fit particularly well in a season of the Church Year, such as Advent (preparation, waiting, beginnings / endings), Christmas (God made flesh), Epiphany (revelation of Christ to the world), Lent (preparation for new life in Christ through baptism, recognizing blocks that prohibit the abundant life God wants for us), Eastertide (new life, new creation, defeat of death), Pentecost and Ordinary Time (forming and sustaining community focused on following Jesus, discipleship in daily life, the long green growing time and creation care)?

1. Check the church calendar for any conflicting activities already scheduled and to see what spaces are already booked.   
   

The calendar is available on the front-page of our website (www.gracewaynesville.com) near the bottom under Quick Links.

1. Consult with Parish Programs Standing Committee for feedback and assistance with scheduling.  Upon the consent and support of the SC, ask the Grace office to schedule event on the Grace calendar.  
   

Parish Programs will add to the Planning Calendar.

Two months out

1. Send Grace office a short blurb/paragraph to be used to promote your event; be sure to include any information on if RSVPs are needed and who to contact to keep RSVP list; photos/illustrations; etc. We tend to publicize things about a month out.  Primarily we publicize through bulletin announcements and weekly eNews.  
   

1. Keep in mind these programming deadlines for the most important seasons of the Church Year:  
   

By Sept 1, we have planned Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
By Dec 1, we have planned Lent and Easter.
By April 1, we have planned the summer.
By June 1, we have planned the fall.

After the conclusion of the program/event

1. Anyone who made purchases for the event must submit their receipts to be reimbursed.  Fill out a “Check Request/Reimbursement Form,” staple receipts to the back, and turn into the church Administrator. Forms can be found in a file folder, located in the plastic mail box on the wall, to the left of the office window.   
   

Or use the online form available here:  https://www.gracewaynesville.com/check-request-reimbursement-form.html

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