The following are ways local churches and ministries can help us:
- Prayer – We need to be covered in prayer.
- Financial Support – Our costs include the price to rent tents, chairs, tables, the main stage, sound equipment, generators, and other miscellaneous items. We also purchase other evangelism-related materials as well as cups for our free water distribution. Our budget, in recent years, has been around $18,000.00 to cover these costs.
- Donations – We often receive some donated materials from area churches and ministries. Some donations are given to us outright, such as Bibles/literature, or the cups of water we give out at the fest to passer-by. Other donations include equipment that will be used by a specific team for the duration of the event (such as face painting or children’s ministry-related supplies). The ministry can take all donated or borrowed materials at the end of the day when event concludes.
- Volunteers – The following are different serving areas where we will need team-help:
- Set-Up Team – For the main event on July 4th, the rental equipment company arrives on July 3rd to set up the stage and the tents. After the stage is set up, we need a group of people who can help set up the stage area. During the early morning of July 4th, we need help to put out tables and chairs at the various tents, hang up banners/signs, and put out materials that will be used at each table.
- Break-Down Team – At the end of the main event on July 4th, we need people to remove all the tables, chairs, materials, and banners from each tent, as well as help out with removing the sound equipment from the stage. The tents and stage will be handled by the rental equipment the following day, but we also need a few people on the 5th to help clean up the area to ensure that nothing is left behind and all trash is removed.
- Promotion Team – These are people who help us promote the event with churches and ministries, within the DC Metro area or elsewhere. These people will share the vision of this evangelistic outreach and encourage financial donations by directing individuals to the website.
- Children’s Ministry Team – These individuals will be involved in the programs and activities for children. For security reasons, all volunteers in this area must either work in their church’s children’s ministry or in a profession such as a daycare provider or teacher. All volunteers must have gone through background screening. If a church or ministry is interested in providing a team of volunteers, they should arrange to have one person coordinate this team and conduct the background checks in order to ensure the safety of the children with whom we will interact. Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to conduct background screenings as a ministry.
- Security Team – We have individuals who provide overnight security of the area where we are serving, as required by the National Park Service. We need individuals on the night of July 3rd, but may also need help on the night of July 4th. During the day of the event, we will need a team of individuals to serve on the security team around the perimeter of the stage.
- Stage/Production Team – Volunteers will assist with setting up instruments and microphones and work with the sound company.
- Evangelism Team. This is the largest team since we have the potential to reach out to over 100,000 people. Volunteers will work at individual tents or will be sent out in teams of two or more to share the Gospel in other parts of the National Mall using tracts and one-on-one conversations. If a church or ministry is interested in obtaining training on different ways to share the Gospel, we can schedule a time to do this before the event.
- Prayer Team – We will have a tent that is specifically dedicated for prayer needs of anyone passing by. Also, those who make a decision to make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior can also visit for prayer.
- Follow-Up Team – We need a lot of help to ensure that those individuals who come to Christ and provide their contact information have proper follow-up and are connected with a solid church in their hometown area.
- Bands/Performers – Anyone who is interested in performing at the event should contact me directly. We like to have a variety of music styles in order to reach out to the wide variety of people who are at the National Mall. Music should be mostly upbeat, as we have found that this has the most positive effect. Performers are pre-screened to determine if they are the right fit for this event.
All event information can be found @ FreedomFestDC.com
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for your interest!