Planning Our New Family Info Night: A Peek Behind the Curtain
Ah, summertime. 🌞 The season of flip flops, fresh fruit, and family road trips. But if you’re anything like me, it also stirs a different kind of excitement—one filled with anticipation and prayer over the new season ahead with our American Heritage Girls troop.
While the world may be on vacation mode, our hearts and minds are already looking ahead. We’re thinking about which families are staying, who God may be calling elsewhere, and who He might be preparing to join our little sisterhood of grace and grit. Every year, as part of our rhythm, we host a New Family Info Night in late June or early July. It’s become such a sweet tradition—a chance to extend open arms to new families and share the mission that has captured all of our hearts.
Before you begin, head over to grab my handy planner that will make this process even more smooth- https://flourishtroopco.com/product/new-family-info-night-planner-notion-template/
Step One: Outreach with Purpose
We close troop registration each fall to help maintain a sense of stability and consistency throughout our year. So for us, now is the time to gather in anyone who’s been waiting on the sidelines!
The first thing I do is head over to AHGFamily.org and reach out to every person I’ve set a reminder to follow up with. These are the families who asked about our troop earlier in the year but weren’t quite ready to jump in.
When I reach out, I send them a personal message like this:
You’re Invited – AHG New Family Info Night is Tomorrow!
đź“… Date: Tuesday, June 24
🕡 Time: 6:30 PM
đź“Ť Location: Peace Baptist Church (320 Military Cutoff Rd, Wilmington)Come learn what makes American Heritage Girls such a special experience for girls and families. You’ll meet our leadership team, hear our mission, and discover the joy of faith, service, and sisterhood in AHG!
We’ll have fun activities for the girls while parents learn more about our troop. Bring a friend!
Step Two: Share the Facts
Next, I update our Troop Fact Sheet to reflect any changes for the coming year. It’s a simple one-pager that answers the most common questions new families ask—like meeting times, costs, uniforms, and leadership.
Want one for your own troop? You can grab a customizable version here:
👉 AHG Troop Quick Facts Sheet
Once it’s updated, I post it in our troop’s Slack channel so existing members can easily share it with friends. This step takes 30 seconds but multiplies the reach of our invitation tenfold.
Step Three: Get the Fun Ready!
After that, I update our info night slideshow to reflect current troop facts and make sure our charter church is reserved for the event.
Then comes the fun part: planning activities for the visiting girls! Each year, when I get to the “boring grown-up stuff” like troop fees and Q&A, I dismiss the girls to go have fun with a few of our AHG leaders and older girls.
Last year, we had a big playground and coloring tables. This year, with our new church home not having a playground, we’re getting creative and tapping into our stash of leftover badge supplies! ✂️✨
Our girls will lead visiting girls in making pony bead friendship bracelets or doing some plastic canvas sewing. It’s a great way to engage the girls, make them feel welcome, and show what AHG sisterhood is all about.
Building Friendship with Fun Questions
To help our girls break the ice and start real conversations, I’m printing out a fun “20 Questions” sheet they can use with visiting girls. Here’s a peek at what’s on it:
- What’s your favorite color?
- Do you have any pets?
- What’s your favorite thing to do outside?
- If you could be any animal, which one would you be?
- What’s your favorite food?
- What’s your favorite book or movie?
- Do you like crafts or games more?
- Have you ever been camping?
- What’s something silly that makes you laugh?
- Do you like swimming or biking more?
- What’s your favorite holiday?
- Have you ever had a nickname?
- What’s your favorite snack?
- What’s one thing you’re really good at?
- What’s your dream job when you grow up?
- What’s your favorite Bible story?
- Do you like to sing, dance, or act?
- Do you have siblings?
- What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?
- Why do you think it’s fun to be part of a girls’ group?
It’s such a simple way to help our girls be leaders and welcomers. 🩷
Final Touches
To finish our prep, I pack a few copies of our Handbooks and last year’s Yearbooks for new families to flip through. It’s always fun to see how our year is filled with Christ-centered adventures!
We wrap the evening by inviting families to sign up on the spot—either by texting me or registering directly at AHGFamily.org. We pray over each name and trust God to bring just the right families to our troop.
Whether your troop is large or just starting, I hope this behind-the-scenes peek encourages you as you prepare for your own New Family Info Night. May God guide every detail as you welcome new families with joy and purpose.
Let’s step into the new season with VISION—not just what we can see, but what God sees in each of these precious girls and their families.