Girls Weekend

This is a weekend full of laughter, new friendships, pouring into students, & THE BEACH! This weekend is also one of the more planned-in-advance & thought out events- but definitely worth it!

First we found & booked the hotel & transportation (obviously contracts were drawn up & LOTS of phone calls were made).

TIPS FOR BOOKING & TRANSPORTATION:

1. Make sure the hotel can accommodate the number of girls you anticipate on having, there's a place to hold a worship sessions, they have roll-away beds, etc. 2. School busses are cheaper than Martz buses, even though they are less comfortable, I recommend them. 3. Does your hotel have meal-time options? If not, can they provide a large room to feed girls out of? 
4. Know your budget, approximately how many girls & leaders plan on coming, and PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

 The next thing we did was pick a theme. Your theme should include your promotion graphics & decor, and also include what your speakers will be teaching your girls about in group sessions, in their quiet time booklets, and small groups. Our theme was "Hope is...", as we studied all about Hannah & what it means to be a woman of God. Our decor and promotional items were very girly & rustic, full of mason jars, flowers, wooden pallets, & chalk boards (super cheap!)

After that we decided on speakers & who would do our worship. My advice is to utilize your woman's ministry. I'm more than positive there are lots of woman who would love to pour into your girls!
We also made sure to have multiple booklets and information packets. Parents received information packets which informed them where their child would be going, what each day would look like, pick-up & drop-off information, "what to pack" list, emergency contact information, etc.; leaders manual's included leader guidelines, "what to do if...", prompt questions for small groups, etc.; Students received a booklet with a daily devotional, rules, a letter from the girls minister, daily schedule, etc.
 
Remember that if your budget doesn't allow you to do all of this, that it is still possible! Try spending the night at different leaders' houses and then coming back to your church for group sessions.