Ideas for Club Leaders

Getting Started
Select someone to be responsible for Shalom Readers Club in your congregation. This person--the club leader--should love children, peace, and reading, and possess some organizational skills.  Ideally, this selection or appointment should be done at the start of the school year.  At the Central Plains Mennonite Conference annual meeting in June, each congregation receives an envelope of materials related to Shalom Readers Club.  These materials should be given to the club leader as soon as possible so that he or she can begin the program when other children's programming is beginning.  The envelope contains everything necessary to get started, as well as ideas for adapting the program to fit your particular setting.

Please email or write the name of your church's club leader to your regional coordinator, preferably by October 1. ( See addresses on sidebar on the SRC home page.)

Promoting your Shalom Readers Club

1.  Download and make copies of the brochure.  Put one in every church mailbox to introduce the Shalom Readers Club to the families of your congregation.

2.  Read one of the books during children’s time at a Sunday morning worship service, to a group of children before Sunday School classes, as a part of Sunday School Classes, before choir practice, or as part of a children’s program.

3. Start a children’s program promoting peace and justice by reading books, playing cooperative games and doing service activities.  Or, incorporate Shalom Readers Club into your existing mid-week program.
 
4. Set up a procedure for signing up to participate in Shalom Readers Club. Collect a list of names, addresses (or use the church address) and ages of participants. Then mail or email these to Janelle or Ellen.

5. Help children find books to read in their age group and make a theme banner for library, hallway, etc.  The visual (see brochure) is a pleasant path and the theme is "Jesus is the Path to Peace."  Designate a special Shalom Readers Club shelf in your library, or highlight the SRC books with a brightly colored sticky dot.

6. Some congregations have used this program successfully as an outreach to community children; for example, an after school reading hour or mid-week club activity.

7. Participants are to give two reports or projects to your church club leader and the name of the book he or she has chosen to receive as a gift.  The projects are not limited to a written report.  See the back of the cover letter and the brochure for ideas.  The club leader will mail your child's name and the book you want to the club coordinator for your state.

8. You may want to have the book sent to the church address and make a presentation during the worship service or Sunday School opening, as a way to encourage others to join the fun and earn a book, or to complete the goal that has been started.

9. Each congregation is unique.  Be creative and do what works for YOUR congregation.

Help the children of your church learn about Peace, Love, and Justice!