Every year, our high school youth put on the Pasta Night as a fundraiser to raise money for both the High School Mission Trip and Montreat Youth Conference. This money is absolutely crucial for our summer programming here at Unity.
Dollar Bills, y'all
Here are a few ways that money is needed for our summer trips:
High School Mission Trip
Budget:
$2,000
Transportation:
To transport our youth to and from the trips, we need to rent vehicles, usually vehicles with a capacity to hold 8-12 kids. To rent a van for one week costs around $1,000. To fuel that van for one week, costs around $400.
Food
To feed kids, we are able to do it relatively inexpensively, aiming for about $8 per day per kid ($64 per kid for the week). This is not including foods for food allergies, meals out, or any emergency food situations.
Lodging
To stay at a church or facility, the charge is usually around $20 per kid per night ($140 per kid per week).
Materials
While some thing we ask youth to bring with them, we often find ourselves purchasing hammers and nails, safety goggles, water bottles, gloves, handkerchiefs, etc.
Chaperones
While we charge each youth $250 to attend the Mission Trip, we are so grateful of chaperones giving of their valuable time, that we do not charge them for their week. This means we have to account for transportation, food, lodging, and materials for chaperones as well.
If we take, for example, 15 youth and 5 chaperones (a likely estimate), the cost per student would be $525 per person (a total cost of $7,880). Pasta Night helps us to bring that total cost down.
Montreat Youth Conference
Budget:
$3,000
Transportation:
To transport youth to and from, we need to either rent vehicles or ask adults to drive their vehicles, in which case we would need to reimburse for gas and mileage. We also need to ensure that enough seats exist in our vehicles throughout the week for all of our youth in case of an emergency and for our trip down the mountain. This costs between $1,400 and $2,800.
Camp Fees
The registration fee for Montreat is $325 per person; the housing and meals cost $300 per person. This means that Montreat actually charges us $625 per person.
Chaperones:
We do have a chaperone budget of $1400. As our numbers increase for this event, we need more and more chaperones to help out. Our lowest possible cost for chaperones is $2,150.
If we take for example 25 youth and 5 chaperones (a reasonable estimate), the total cost would be $18, 425, cost per student: $561. Again, Pasta Night helps us to bring that total cost down.
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So yeah, we won't sugar coat it, we need money to make these ministries possible. But is that the only reason we do Pasta Night? By no means...
Showing up
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another...
Hebrews 10.24-25
I'm not sure anyone who has spent any length of time in our congregation would deny that a crucial part of the DNA of our congregation is meeting together and enjoying one another's company. Just a few weeks ago, as we ordained Deacons and Elders, the greeting and fellowship that followed delayed worship for several minutes. This, my friends, is a gift and a call from God. When we gather for Congregational Breakfasts, when we meet for Sunday Night Live dinners, when we attend the Lunch Bunch or the Men's Breakfast, or the Mother-Daughter-Sister-Friend Luncheon (or many other things), we participate in the love of God through the communion of the Holy Spirit. We are a part of God's family; we rejoice in God's presence in our community.
Our high school youth want to provide an opportunity for this joy and fellowship through Pasta Night. Pasta Night is for all of us, young and old, men and women, members and non-members, all. of. us. to come together and enjoy each other and enjoy God.
Servers
Of course, we always have the youth serve our guests by bringing them food and beverages, by showing them to their tables, by preparing the meal, but it is more than that. This church has stretched itself in a variety of ways to provide for the upbringing of its teenagers. We are not unaware of the many dollars donated, hours sacrificed, prayers offered, rooms cleaned, and work done so that we can meet on Sundays and bond as a youth group. We are extremely grateful for your love, and we want to remind you that Youth Ministry is not a ministry that hides from the congregation who loves it so dearly; rather Youth Ministry stands boldly and humbly as members of the congregation who love this church and want to know more its people and its history. This is a chance for us to give back to you.
Showing Off
As a highly competitive person, the youth pastor wouldn't be satisfied without bragging on her teenagers. It is far too often that we see teenagers on TV as addicts, criminals, lewd, angry, rebellious, and selfish. I am sure that any adult who help with youth group can attest for you that our teenagers exemplify excellent moral character, unfailing kindness, and loving selflessness. Pasta Night is a chance for us to show off how absolutely wonderful our youth are here at Unity Presbyterian Church. It's a chance for you to be blessed by getting to know them in a new and perhaps unexpected way.
So...is it too late?
The deadline has passed for Pasta Night, but we do have about 50 spots left for reservations. Pasta Night is Saturday, February 11 (THIS SATURDAY), seatings at 5:00 and 6:30 pm or TO-GO; menu options: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Chicken Alfredo, and Pasta Primavera. The cost is $12 for adults/youth and $6 for kids. Please email Lindsay before Thursday at 5:00 to make your reservation (lwhite@unityfortmill.org).
Remember! There will be a Silent Auction and fantastic entertainment along with scrumptious Italian food. Don't miss it!
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