Several years back, in a conversation between our youth ministry leader and I, we wanted to offer a way to involve the women of our church with the youth ladies of our church. We also wanted to connect my 5th grade girls with the girls of the youth group since they’d be headed that way in just a few short months. And we wanted to initiate a culture of invitation so that when we had a future event, our folks would be more apt to invite new folks and not just insiders. That conversation birthed our annual spring Chick Night.

We begin promoting it several months out at a registration rate set on a ‘per couple’ basis to encourage inviting new ladies to participate.  Registration must be for at least two..no singles…and you must be in 5th grade or older.  The 6:30pm-9:30pm event includes dinner, games, game prizes, a message, and a take home t-shirt at a cost of $35/couple.

Last year’s theme was based on Breakfast at Tiffany’s with breakfast food, black dresses and pearls, games involving jewelry, and a message on pearls of wisdom for women of faith by one of our very own ladies’ bible study teachers. Oh, and the Tiffany blue punch with sweetened condensed milk was divine!

This year’s theme was based on the movie ‘Steel Magnolias’ with a southern garden party theme, hats/flowers/fascinators/head bands, simple magnolia table decorations, and we called it, “A Night of Blush and Bashful at Wesley Chapel.” Food included chicken salad, raw veggies and ranch dressing, dill-cucumber and pimento cheese sandwiches, deviled eggs, pink cupcakes, and fuzzy pink lemonade. White table cloths, white Christmas lights, white and pink paper products along with magnolia leaf centerpieces with Steel Magnolia table conversation tents made of cardstock folded into tents with various quotes from the movie.

Games included a Steel Magnolia People Bingo game I came up with after watching the movie for the upteenth time for folks to mix and mingle and get to know one another. Two rolls of toilet paper and a roll of tape for each table to come up with a Project Runway wedding dress to be worn by a model at each table (ended up not having time for this one, but gotta have backup games just in case), a Pink Party Ring-A-Bell search list (the person who is wearing the darkest pink nail polish, wearng the most pink accessories, and the most letters of the word ‘pink’ in their name.)  And no evening is ever complete without the pocket-book scavenger hunt.

The message was presented by a precious woman of faith born and raised in the Atlanta area, known by our youth ministry leader raising four girls to whom we paid an honorarium.  My favorite line of the evening: “Southern women know how to show up…in life’s highs…and in life’s lows. Love one another well.” ~ Paige Knudsen

Once we set the theme, put it on the calendar, and set the scripture for the night, we split the responsibilities.  I take care of the marketing, the money, the registrations, the tshirt sizes, the table assignments, the tshirt tags, and the games.  Our uber creative youth ministry leader takes care of the registration form, table and room decorations, arranges for the food, designs the tshirt, and secures game prizes.

How do you connect your girls with your Titus 2 women?

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11