about harvest day

Just like praying weeks before the last Saturday of October, start taking their prayer requests earlier in the month. Also, be creative!  Don’t be shy about the different ways you can invite others to share their needs.  I wore a plastic name badge the size of my hand attached to my orange Harvest Day tee shirt and also posted harvest requests on my social media page for hundreds to see. The sooner you start displaying your invitation and the more places you show it, the better results you’ll get. The bottom line for successful marketing is not just what and how you say it but also EXPOSURE.  

Some Ideas

• A sign on your desk with a candy dish or plate of homemade goodies. 
• A badge or bracelet/necklace to wear with big, bold letters and colors.
• Treats left in the break room with a sign next to a box for them to place   request notes in. (It may be more comfortable for the shy ones.)
• A voicemail set up to take messages and posting your harvest request  phone number on your desk and possibly a community bulletin board(?)
• Networking with your employer’s Human Resources or Social Services department, (remember my former company’s chaplain!)
• Networking with neighborhood charities
• Getting word out on your social media platforms and having your fellow participants do a podcast or broadcast at your local radio station.
• Joining forces with fellow churches and have a brainstorming session for the many other ways you can get the word out about Harvest Day prayer request-taking. (Remember, getting to pray for others is what this whole holiday is about!)

Just like there are marathons for taking pledges for a charity; you can set aside a day or weekend (or longer!) to campaign for people to give prayer requests (or fellow Christians to donate prayer time for the requests given as I did on my radio program!) You can then follow up with the community by advertising your celebration events on the last Saturday of October that your church community might be having.