Nickel Things

April Relief Society Activity: Are you on PAR with your ministering?

My mom’s Relief Society (church ladies 18+ organization) had been wanting to do an activity related to ministering (in our church you’re assigned fellow ladies to minister to–care for, help, look out for, befriend, etc.), and somehow between finding the church’s article on What is Ministering?, the fact the PGA Masters Tournament takes place in April, and our family’s love of mini golf, my mom had the idea of combining a golf “on par” theme, with ministering. The event, Are you on PAR with your ministering?, provided ladies a chance to get together and find out exactly who it is they’re assigned to minister to, and then take part in different activities (6 different holes) to motivate and prepare them to minister to their fellow Relief Society ladies. Each participant left with a reassured knowledge of who they’re ministering to, and materials to aide them in their ministering (or at the very least to make it cuter/more fun)!

Event Flyer

First we got the news out with some Canva created flyers (printed and physically passed out to the ladies in the ward, and the digital image was also added to the ward program, Relief Society Newsletter, email reminders, and more).

If you’d like to create your own copy of the invite above, below is a template link–you will need to sign into Canva (creating an account is free, or if you’re an educator you can even get a premium account for free), then you’ll be able to make your own copy of the template provided to edit for your event.

Decorations & Event Setup

Rather than creating one long list of ALL the materials we used for this event, I’m going to break it down by each “hole” (table with a different activity on it) that participants visited. After Hole 1 and finding out who they minister to, participants could visit any other hole in any order they wanted. Though each hole had a different activity, we used the same decorations throughout the event space.

• Space for the activity (reserved ward cultural hall)
• 6 round tables & 7 chairs per table (having only 7 at a table allowed for elbow room while participants worked on that hole’s activity, but also the flexibility to add or take away chairs if needed)
• 2 long tables (for “Clubhouse” refreshments and card/crafting table)
• Dollar Tree tablecloths (not only should EVERY table ALWAYS have some type of tablecloth for classiness, but it also protects the tables–we did pink to stick with our pink and green golf theme)
• Golf ball placemats (one per each chair/spot, so we had 7 placemats per table, plus we used extra placemats as decorations along the walls)
• Table centerpieces (consisted of the following materials we put together)
  • Artificial grass squares (one per table, the foundation of our centerpieces)
  • Dollar Tree mini buckets (one per table, will hold the flag, we did all pink buckets to stick with our pink and green golf theme)
  • Dollar Tree styrofoam squares (one per bucket/table, to secure the flag inside the bucket)
  • Small white rocks (about two handfuls per bucket/table, to further secore the flag inside the bucket and to hide the styrofoam)
  • Dowel sticks (one per bucket/table, bought from Home Depot and cut to the height we wanted (or can leave height as is), and painted white for aesthetics, make sure the dowel sticks you buy are the correct width to fit inside your mini golf flags–we highly recommend purchasing your mini golf flags first and taking one with you to Home Depot for width measurement of dowel sticks)
  • Mini golf flags (one per bucket/table, we did white so our colored iron on numbers and titles would pop)
  • Cricut Cutting Machine, Cricut iron on, Cricut Auto Press (totally optional, but I used my Cricut to cut out pink and green iron on material denoting each hole/table number, as well as summary of that hole/table’s goal/theme so participants knew which hole/table/activity they were at)
  • Best Lady by Par Designs (we just so happened to find pink and green golf themed Mother’s Day gift bags as Dollar Tree when we were preparing for our event, so we bought some gift bags, and detached the “Best Lady by Par” part to just add for fun to the bucket, totally optional)
  • Customized golf balls (totally optional to get customized golf balls, you can get any fun colored golf balls to add for fun to your tables, but we had customized ones that read “Love & Serve” and each participant took one home at the end of the night, I’ve linked the company we used)

Some attempts at close up photos of our table decorations before diving into the break down of each hole/table/activity.

Caddy Table

Committed to the theme the moment participants walk in, participants were greeted by a caddy (dad in this case), and provided a golf ball themed bag with a printout on the front listing out each hole/table/activity, along with a golf putter pen they could use to cross out the holes they visited/completed. Not only were the bags, printout, and pens adorable and on theme, but it made it easier for participants to carry around and take home their print-outs, keepsakes, and take-homes from the event, plus it helped participants keep track of where they were on the ministering greens!

• Golf bags (enough for one per participant)
• Golf pens (enough for one per bag/participant)
• Ministering on Par bag print-out cover (enough to glue one on each bag)

Hole 1, Make Contact

Make contact with those to whom you have been assigned to minister. This can be done in a variety of ways. Reach out to them in person; by phone, text message, or social media; or even with a letter. – What is Ministering?

At Hole 1, Make Contact, participants found out/reconfirmed who their ministering sisters are (who they minister to) and who they report to. Additionally, participants at this hole, filled out a little card with this new/reconfirmed information for them to take home and keep as a handy reminder!

Hole 1, Make Contact, needed materials:

• Updated records/lists of who everyone should be ministering to
• Table sign holder (makes it so much easier for participants to see the direction cards)
• Hole (Table) Direction Cards (printed out and placed in table sign holder at each hole/table, which made it so much easier for participants to be independent and know exactly what they’re doing at each hole/table)
• Ministering Assignment Cards (a bunch printed and cut out at the table for participants to fill out)

Hole 2, Make Contact

Get to know them. Learn about their lives, relationships, and circumstances. By doing so, you’ll be able to anticipate their needs and either meet those needs yourself or call on your ward leadership to access additional resources. – What is Ministering?

At Hole 2, Get to Know Them, participants filled out a “Ministering Let’s Get to Know You!” paper all about themselves, and then turned them into a bin on the table. Then at a later date, the Relief Society presidency helped get those filled out papers to the Relief Society lady (sister) that is assigned to minister to them. By filling out a “Ministering Let’s Get to Know You!” paper, participants helped those that are ministering/supposed to be ministering to them, get to know them better!

Hole 2, Get to Know Them, needed materials:

• Table sign holder (makes it so much easier for participants to see the direction cards)
• Hole (Table) Direction Cards (printed out and placed in table sign holder at each hole/table, which made it so much easier for participants to be independent and know exactly what they’re doing at each hole/table)
• “Ministering Let’s Get to Know You!” papers (a bunch on the table for participants to fill out–there’s tons of versions on Etsy (linked the one we used), or you can create you own)
• Bin (some type of bin or box for participants to easily turn in their filled out paper)

Hole 3, Become a Friend

Become a friend by letting them know that you care. Make the effort to be the kind of friend that they need. – What is Ministering?

At Hole 3, Become a Friend, participants were invited to create cards for the ladies they minister to, with the intention of starting/continuing their befriending them. Some card ideas include birthday, thinking of you, missing you, just saying hi, and more. The goal of this hole was for participants to be able to make cards and have them ready to hand personally to the ladies they minister to, or address and mail, or we offered to stamp and mail cards for participants too–whatever worked best for participants to actively work on befriending those they minister to.

Hole 3, Become a Friend, needed materials:

• Table sign holder (makes it so much easier for participants to see the direction cards)
• Hole (Table) Direction Cards (printed out and placed in table sign holder at each hole/table, which made it so much easier for participants to be independent and know exactly what they’re doing at each hole/table)
• Card making materials (up to you what you are able/would like to provide, we provided 8.5×11 cardstock paper as the basis for cards, markers, crayons, color pencils, glue sticks, and a bunch of pre-cut out by Cricut card embellishments/designs)
• Greeting card envelopes (to make it easier for participants to give or mail their cards)

Hole 4, Prayer & Guidance

Pray for them and for guidance. Nobody knows the needs of those you are assigned to minister to better than Heavenly Father. Seek His help and pray for inspiration to serve them in the best way—His way. Finding inspired answers to questions you have and using all available methods for making contact are key to inspired ministering. – What is Ministering?

At Hole 4, Prayer & Guidance, participants filled out “Hello my names is…and I am your ministering sister” cards with their name and ways to be contacted, with the option of adding a favorite scripture on the back. Then participants were encouraged to take them home and give them to the ladies they minister to, so those ladies would know and have different ways to get ahold of them. Through the creation and sharing of these contact cards, Relief Society ladies would know who they could reach out to when they need it.

Hole 4, Prayer & Guidance, needed materials:

• Table sign holder (makes it so much easier for participants to see the direction cards)
• Hole (Table) Direction Cards (printed out and placed in table sign holder at each hole/table, which made it so much easier for participants to be independent and know exactly what they’re doing at each hole/table)
• Hello My Name is Contact Card (a bunch printed and cut out at the table for participants to fill out)

Hole 5, Minister to Them

Minister to them in ways that are individualized and customized to fit their needs. – What is Ministering?

At Hole 5, Minister to Them, we had printed out flyers of upcoming church events, such as our Stake’s Women’s Conference, Youth Camp Fundraiser, and more, along with envelopes and post-it notes for participants to put together and either personally give or mail to the ladies they minister to, in order to invite them to upcoming activities and events. By participants reaching out to the ladies they minister to, it’s a continual effort to invite and include the ladies they minister to.

Hole 5, Minister to Them, needed materials:

• Table sign holder (makes it so much easier for participants to see the direction cards)
• Hole (Table) Direction Cards (printed out and placed in table sign holder at each hole/table, which made it so much easier for participants to be independent and know exactly what they’re doing at each hole/table)
• Printed out flyers of upcoming events (for participants to share with the ladies they minister to)
• Post-its or other small notes (for participants to add to the flyers to invite and explain to the ladies they minister to)
• Small envelopes (for participants to put their flyers and/or notes in)

Hole 6, Maintain the Relationship

Maintain the relationship. Life can change quickly for people. Regularly touch base with those to whom you minister, and you’ll be better prepared to help and serve them when needs arise. – What is Ministering?

At Hole 6, Maintain the Relationship, participants were provided a year at a glance calendar (the remaining moths in the year, May to December), to set goals/pars for themselves to maintain the relationship with the ladies they minister to. For example, participants could set goals to call those they minister to each week, get together for a meal every other month, gift a little treat, etc., and then plan them out on the provided calendar. This Hole 6, was all about maintaining and keeping up the momentum that was started or continued at this event.

Hole 6, Maintain the Relationship, needed materials:

• Table sign holder (makes it so much easier for participants to see the direction cards)
• Hole (Table) Direction Cards (printed out and placed in table sign holder at each hole/table, which made it so much easier for participants to be independent and know exactly what they’re doing at each hole/table)
• My 2024 Ministering Pars Printouts (printed out for participants to fill out and keep to remind themselves throughout the year)

Clubhouse (Refreshments)

So inspired and excited by our golf theme, we admittedly went a little overboard on the refreshments–too many awesome puns we just couldn’t bare to leave out!

Clubhouse, suggested refreshments:

• Punny food labels (linked is the Etsy product we used to pick and choose and match our refreshments with punny titles)
• Water Hazard, mini water bottles
• Club Sandwiches, mini club sandwiches
• Donut Hole in One, white powdered donut holes
• Chip Shot, bags of chips
• Melon Slices, sliced watermelon

I’ll be honest, I might not get ALL the golf puns/references (even after Googling them), but whether you’re a golfer or not, they just go too well with the golf theme to pass up!

An on PAR event!

Thanks to the amazing energy, willingness to participate, and commitment to their ministering sisters of our participants, I’d say this event was just on par, but also a hole in one!