Logo Design And Approval
For any significant event, the first step in getting the word out is creating a unique logo for the event. In the case of Kids’ Camp, the logo is essential. We print t-shirts for volunteers serving at the event and for the kids attending the event. The kids get their t-shirts on Sunday (Kids’ Camp Sunday) following camp. This “free” t-shirt giveaway is one of the major draws to get the kids and their parents to church on that Sunday in the middle of summer!
For Kids’ Camp, work on the logo begins right after the theme is decided upon, usually early to mid-April (three months ahead of the event). It usually takes about three weeks to get the logo designed and approved.
Promotion
Before I cover the event’s promotion, I want to share one of the main reasons the church does events. Obviously, an “outreach event” is designed to do exactly that … reach out. But there’s another fundamental reason for these events. Teaching the church to serve is probably the second biggest reason for doing major events. People in the church need to understand the church’s mission and how they can be personally involved in making it happen. I was once talking to a church leader about doing a Kids’ Camp. I was surprised to hear them push back a little on doing the event, at least how I was describing it. He said he didn’t think they would get the volunteers needed to pull off such a large event. I’m like, “What? Dude! ‘If you build it, he will come!’ You have to put the date out there along with a compelling vision, and people will step up. It’s like ‘the cart before the horse.'” People need to serve, and a big event is a great way to give people an opportunity to “try it out” before committing to a longer-term Sunday serving experience.
Anyway, promotion begins in a big way with an appeal from our senior pastor from the stage on Sunday morning with a “response card” in the program. We’ll usually do a promotional video to go along with it. The purpose is to get the word out about the event and to begin to recruit volunteers.
Of course, the promotion also includes press releases, step stake signs, banners, door hangers, etc.