World Renew Gift Catalog 2020: Creative Ideas for Churches During COVID-19

The pandemic has really thrown a wrench into church planning including how to coordinate congregational giving, particularly for special campaigns such as the Gift Catalog.

Looking for creative ideas for implementing the Gift Catalog campaign with your congregation this year with the different restrictions in place? World Renew has crowd sourced this list from various staff and church leaders across North America already thinking about what they will do.

• Coordinate Advent packages for church families that include a copy of the Gift Catalog or a Giving Project ornament (order here). Share our Gift Catalogue video (available here) during a worship service or on social media.
• Your church could give the gift of friendship in honour of the seniors in your congregation this Christmas by donating the Friendship Pack, a collection of one goat and three chickens. Mail thank you cards (download here) to each senior to show your church is thinking about them.
• Push baaack poverty with a special offering for Goats—if your church isn’t holding in-person gatherings, encourage members to donate online. 
• See how many Ducks your congregation can buy with a “You’ve been ducked!” campaign. Congregation members can print a duck, tape it to a popsicle stick, and put it in someone’s yard to make a donation in their honour.
• Encourage your church members to choose something sweet to “fast” from, such as your daily latte or a monthly subscription, and contribute that money to purchase Beehives for communities where World Renew works.
• Families or individuals could do odd jobs (raking leaves, shoveling show, etc) in exchange for a donation to the "Clean-up After a Disaster" Gift Catalog item.
• Host a virtual church rummage sale or bazaar using Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji. Use the money earned to donate Bicycles to provide transportation to people living in rural areas.
• Encourage your church children’s and youth ministry to join together and fundraise for "Emergency Food for a Month" which qualifies for a 4:1 match in Canada. Contact us for a customized pledge form your group can use.
• Encourage your small groups to host watch party games where you choose your favorite show and pledge to buy one Chicken every time you laugh out loud!
• Host a congregational-wide virtual talent show with donations accepted for “The First 1,000 Days” providing health training for children during the critical window from conception to age 2.
• Encourage your church to spread kindness by paying it forward locally and overseas with a “Coffee and Chickens” campaign. Ask members to pay for someone’s coffee AND donate a Chicken. Use our thermometer poster (download here) and track how many coffees and chickens are being purchased!
• Host a small group virtual scavenger hunt or trivia night with donations accepted for one Farm Team that includes a goat, pig, cow, duck, chicken and set of 25 ducklings!

Have an idea not listed here? Add it to the comments below. Would you like some help getting equipped for your fundraiser? Give us a call or email us. We’d love to hear from you.

US: Vanessa Alvarez | 1-888-WRLD-RNW ext 4288 or [email protected]
Canada: Maria Oliveira | 1-888-WRLD-RNW ext 4319 or [email protected]

Let’s spread the hope of Jesus this Christmas!