Two-By-Two
Those of you who have volunteered at the LUTHERAN LAYMEN’S LEAGUE booth at the Iowa State Fair know how much fun it can be. Our booth has been a joint venture between the LCMS East and West Iowa districts for many years.
This year, the congregations of Iowa East were invited to make thousands of Jesus or Salvation Bracelets to give away to children as they pass in front of the booth. Each bracelet was a potential “point of contact” and an opportunity to talk to thousands of families at the Fair. Because this was the first year that Iowa East had been asked to make them, we can be proud of our participation and fellowship in keeping ABLAZE our efforts to ask people to “Come And Worship With Us.” Several IDE congregations made 300 bracelets.
The biggest challenge in having a booth at the Fair is attracting attention. Since exhibitors are not allowed to give away items in the main aisles, how do you get people’s attention from twenty feet away when there is so much to look at? If you just sit in your booth and visit, waiting for fair-goers to come to you, the people will be polite, not interrupt your conversation, and continue to walk on by unconcerned.
You want to know our secret in drawing attention to our booth? The secret is working in pairs. We have found that two people working together can give a bracelet to almost every child walking past our booth. The first person chirps and whistles like a little bird to catch little children’s attention. When a child looks up and sees that they can have a free bracelet, they will often pull their parents right over to our booth. Then a second person hands them the bracelet and explains its meaning to the parents and the child. Meanwhile, the first person is back attracting another family over to the booth. Pretty simple.
We have learned that if our Fair booth is active the fair-goers passing by will be drawn to us. It also helps when people leave our booth with a smile on their faces. Often, when a child has missed seeing our booth and then spots other children with their bracelets they will look back, see us, and return with their family for theirs.
Please join the fair booth movement that is such a simple way to say LCMS Lutherans would like you to “Come and worship with us.”
Pictured: Marlyn Grunder, League Services Zone 3; Keith Schmidt, District President of Intl. LLL Iowa East; David Grantz, IDE Intl. LLL Ambassador of the Year for 2006 from Zone 3; and Shirley Grunder, Treasurer for the Intl LLL District board. This year, Marlyn scroll-sawed over 300 wooden fish with “Jesus” cut into the side. Half of the fish were sent to the Mississippi Valley Fair, and the other half went to the Iowa State Fair. There are many “labors of love” and ways to tell un-churched families you care in Iowa District East. If you know of one, share it on the IDE blogspot.com
Those of you who have volunteered at the LUTHERAN LAYMEN’S LEAGUE booth at the Iowa State Fair know how much fun it can be. Our booth has been a joint venture between the LCMS East and West Iowa districts for many years.
This year, the congregations of Iowa East were invited to make thousands of Jesus or Salvation Bracelets to give away to children as they pass in front of the booth. Each bracelet was a potential “point of contact” and an opportunity to talk to thousands of families at the Fair. Because this was the first year that Iowa East had been asked to make them, we can be proud of our participation and fellowship in keeping ABLAZE our efforts to ask people to “Come And Worship With Us.” Several IDE congregations made 300 bracelets.
The biggest challenge in having a booth at the Fair is attracting attention. Since exhibitors are not allowed to give away items in the main aisles, how do you get people’s attention from twenty feet away when there is so much to look at? If you just sit in your booth and visit, waiting for fair-goers to come to you, the people will be polite, not interrupt your conversation, and continue to walk on by unconcerned.
You want to know our secret in drawing attention to our booth? The secret is working in pairs. We have found that two people working together can give a bracelet to almost every child walking past our booth. The first person chirps and whistles like a little bird to catch little children’s attention. When a child looks up and sees that they can have a free bracelet, they will often pull their parents right over to our booth. Then a second person hands them the bracelet and explains its meaning to the parents and the child. Meanwhile, the first person is back attracting another family over to the booth. Pretty simple.
We have learned that if our Fair booth is active the fair-goers passing by will be drawn to us. It also helps when people leave our booth with a smile on their faces. Often, when a child has missed seeing our booth and then spots other children with their bracelets they will look back, see us, and return with their family for theirs.
Please join the fair booth movement that is such a simple way to say LCMS Lutherans would like you to “Come and worship with us.”
Pictured: Marlyn Grunder, League Services Zone 3; Keith Schmidt, District President of Intl. LLL Iowa East; David Grantz, IDE Intl. LLL Ambassador of the Year for 2006 from Zone 3; and Shirley Grunder, Treasurer for the Intl LLL District board. This year, Marlyn scroll-sawed over 300 wooden fish with “Jesus” cut into the side. Half of the fish were sent to the Mississippi Valley Fair, and the other half went to the Iowa State Fair. There are many “labors of love” and ways to tell un-churched families you care in Iowa District East. If you know of one, share it on the IDE blogspot.com
