West Africa Night

To help raise money to promote the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® host a West Africa themed night. It’s a great way to get the whole churched involved. And at the end of the night have a place available for collecting donations for the offering.

Here are some ideas to help plan the event.

Before the West Africa Night ask the children's classes to make crafts to sell during the event. Set up decorated tables displaying the crafts, with all proceeds going to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Click here for craft ideas and instructions.

Also, have the children make drums where they can save money to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. At the end of the event ask the children to present their drums to the church and offer the drums for sale with the crafts.

Have the Women’s Missionary Union or your church's women’s group make West African recipes. Make several so there will be a wide variety of options for the group to purchase. Many dishes are made with rice and some kind of sauce; also include at least one African desert.

Arrange for people (youth group, older children, adults, or a mix) to act out a skit showing how the money given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering helps send missionaries to tell about Jesus to the people living in West Africa.

Crafts

African Necklace or Bracelet
Different ideas for making necklace or bracelets:

  • Purchase elastic thread and use different beads that can be purchased at a craft store.
  • Spray paint noodles different colors or purchase colored noodles and use those to make necklaces on thread.
  • Make your own beads using the following recipe.
  • Beads – Use 2 cups flour; 1 cup salt and a small amount of water to make dough. Knead the dough. Make circles and square shapes. Stick a small toothpick into the clay to make the hole. Bake in oven at 225 degrees for 1 hour. Once cool let the children use markers to decorate them. Then let the children string them into a necklace. You could make a bracelet using elastic thread.

African Hut
You’ll need:

  • Boxes, cylinder shaped
  • Earth-toned construction paper
  • Earth-toned tempera paint
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Clay
  • Small sticks and/or straw

How to make it:

  1. Cut the cylinder-shaped box in half. Then cut out a door. Paint it an earth-toned color.
  2. Make a cone for the roof out of the construction paper. Glue to the top of the box.
  3. Use the paint to decorate the roof. Glue straw or sticks to cover the cone.

African Doll
You’ll need:

  • 1 black or brown sock for every child
  • 2 dark beads per doll
  • Red paint pen
  • Dark yarn
  • Glue
  • Cotton
  • Dress or shirt for every doll
  • Scissors

How to make it:

  1. Stuff the sock with cotton and glue the bottom closed.
  2. Glue the yarn to the top as hair.
  3. Glue the two beads at the top for eyes.
  4. Take the red paint pen and draw lips.
  5. Put a dress or shirt on the doll.

Beaded Lizard Keychain
You’ll need per lizard:

  • 18 orange beads
  • 2 blue beads
  • 8 red beads
  • 20 yellow beads
  • 2 yards satin cord
  • 1 lanyard hook
  • Key chain

 

 

 

How to make it:

  1. Fold your cord in half to find the center.
  2. Use a half hitch to secure to lanyard hook.
  3. Lace beads using pattern as a guide.
  4. Finish by tying off with a double knot.





Lizard