Sigma Phi Lambda President 2016-‐2017 “Jesus

“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” Mark 10:42-­‐45 Sigma Phi Lambda President 2016-­‐2017 Romans 15:5-­‐6 Sigma Phi Lambda President Packet CHAPTERS: 1.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS President Responsibilities and Duties Weekly Officer Meetings Weekly Chapter Meetings Appointed Officers Potential New Member Introductions Big/Little Sis New Member Education Ceremonies Page 2 2 4 4 5 7 7 11 Chapter 1 PRESIDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES •
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Oversee chapter operations and the duties of all officer positions. Serve as an ambassador on behalf of the chapter to the university, Phi Lamb leadership, and the community. Supervise the appointed officer positions of: New Member Educator, Alumnae Representative, and other appointed officer positions – as appropriate for your chapter. Coordinate and direct weekly officer meetings, weekly chapter meetings, informational meetings and initiation. Ensure communication takes place between the officers and the AC, RD, and the faculty advisor. The president has very few specific duties because of the nature of her position. She is responsible for overseeing the entire chapter and helping make sure that each officer has the support she needs to get her job done. The president is the example to the rest of the sorority and should lead as a servant just as Jesus Christ led. At times the president may be called on to act as a mediator, facilitator, representative of the sorority, decision maker or even to help with the responsibilities of other officers when someone is unsure or overwhelmed. The president must know her officers well so she can see how they are really doing at any given moment. Most importantly, the president must be connected to the leadership of Christ. The officers, the sorority, the campus, and the community will look to the president as the representative of Christ and she must be above reproach. Chapter 2 WEEKLY OFFICER MEETINGS As president, you should spend time before each officer meeting with the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to guide the meeting, as He is the ultimate president of Phi Lamb. Be obedient to Him and serving to others. Be humble before the other officers and the Lord. Your officer meetings should be held for an hour and a half at the same time each week. Begin and end each meeting with prayer. Consider having the officers write down their prayer requests prior to the meeting to keep focus and encourage a well thought out prayer list. Then you can begin the meeting by praying for one another and pray for upcoming events, chapter needs, the Lord’s guidance concerning decision making, conflict etc. It is a good practice to regularly review your Officer Covenant and check in with one another regarding spiritual health and accountability with all elements of the covenant. We also recommend beginning the meeting by reviewing the Group Norms that you will establish at retreat in August. If there is conflict or a lack of communication within the officer group, it is your © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 2 job to address this at your weekly officer meeting to protect the unity among the five of you. Discussions and conflict resolution that are founded in love and God’s Word are necessary for the overall health of the officer group and chapter. You should also make sure that your Regional Director and Alumnae Council are aware of any ongoing issues or conflict with individual officers or the officer group, so they can give wise counsel for how to address it. Plan your meeting agenda beforehand to avoid distractions and stay focused on immediate needs. Have the agenda ready before the meeting, and email it to the other officers, so they will be fully prepared. If you hold the expectation that each officer comes to the meeting prepared to discuss business relevant to her office, she is likely to fulfill that expectation. During the meeting, the secretary will take minutes (using the agenda as a starting point) that will include: who is present, start time, end time, and discussion on each item. After each officer meeting, the secretary will email the minutes to the other officers, your Regional Director, and Alumnae Council members (if you have them). During the business portion of the meeting, each officer should have an opportunity to present/discuss updates, needs, and other matters specific to their position. Then, there should be a time of planning for the next chapter meeting and any upcoming events. Stick to the agenda as best you can. While you want to grow closer to your officers, conversation can be made after business is complete. Keep in mind you may also want to schedule other times to hang out as officers, so that you do not solely have business relationships with one another. Sample Agenda
Sigma Phi Lambda-Officer Meeting
September 1st
I. Share Highs/Lows of the week and/or prayer requests
a. Pray in small groups for:
i. Officer’s prayer requests
ii. Recruitment events
iii. Unity of chapter
iv. Incoming new members
II. Review Officer Covenant and Group Norms and discuss for accountability
III. Business
a. Vice President
i. Share recruitment plans
ii. Discussion: Where should we hold our recruitment party?
b. Chaplain
i. Share plans for this week’s devo
ii. Retreat planning update
c. Secretary
i. Points Update
ii. Liability waiver/enrollment verification update
iii. Upcoming service projects
d. Treasurer
i. Plans for philanthropy event
ii. Check budget for upcoming events
e. Discuss calendar changes, updates, etc.
f. Discuss communication from AC, RD, etc.
IV. Create agenda for this week’s chapter meeting
V. Miscellaneous
VI. Close in prayer
© Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 3 WEEKLY CHAPTER MEETINGS From the Constitution: Article VI Meetings: Chapter meetings, new member meetings, and officer meetings will be held weekly for one and a half hours. An officer may call special meetings as the need arises. The procedure of regular meetings is based upon Col 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Meetings should include worship, prayer, a short devotional, and a time of business. The devotional is a time for New Member and active members of Phi Lamb to share what God has been doing in their lives. Occasionally, an alumna may be asked to share a devotional. With approval from the Alumnae Council, or Regional Director if an Alumnae Council does not exist, an outside woman may be asked to give a devotional. Chapters may choose to incorporate small group time. The spiritual focus of the meeting should always take first priority. The president is responsible for directing chapter meetings in a timely and organized manner. It is wise to establish norms for your chapter meetings and revisit them with the chapter on a regular basis. These norms will help to ensure that your members are fully participating in meetings, not talking or on their phones, and being respectful to whoever is speaking. Not only should you share these norms with the chapter, but hold your members accountable for upholding them. This will best set your chapter up for successful meetings that are both productive and glorifying to God. All outside announcements, such as from another organization, need to be pre-­‐approved by the President before the chapter meeting. These outside announcements, even if being made by a member of Phi Lamb, should occur at the very beginning of chapter, so as to keep the focus of the rest of the meeting on Phi Lamb. Chapter 4 APPOINTED OFFICERS The position of the president will oversee the following appointed officers: • New Member Educators – The New Member Educator(s) are responsible for organizing the requirements of new membership including New Member meetings, New Member retreat, and the integration of the New Member into the goals and body of Sigma Phi Lambda. Please see Chapter 7 – New Member Educators and the New Member Education Packet for more information. • Alumnae Representative -­‐ The alumnae representative is responsible for communication with alumnae, planning an annual alumnae event, and coordinating/communicating with nationals. Please see below for further explanation of responsibilities. • Others as appropriate to the unique needs of your chapter *Note: A copy of these responsibilities and duties should be given to the Alumnae Representative. If the appointed office has not yet been created at your chapter, the President is responsible for these duties. Alumnae Representative Responsibilities: Sisterhood in Phi Lamb does not end when women graduate. Communication and annual alumnae events are a great way to keep alumnae connected and involved, build a network of alumnae across the world, and raise support for your chapter. The appointed officer of Alumnae Representative has the responsibility to communicate and plan for events with your © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 4 chapter’s alumnae. All graduating members of Sigma Phi Lambda should register with the Sigma Phi Lambda Alumnae Association at www.sigmaphilambda.org. 1) Publish Newsletters It is suggested that each chapter publish three letters a year: September, January, and May. However, this is between the alumnae representative and the current officers. Things to include might be event photos and highlights, introductions of the new officers, exciting developments in the life of your chapter, active member profiles, announcements of upcoming events, and more! Please include a copy of your chapter’s newsletter to other chapters to inform them of your activities and updates. Also, please send a copy of your newsletter to the Alumnae Council, Regional Director, and Executive Director for their convenience. You can get these addresses from the Leadership Manual or the national website. 2) Plan and Host an Annual Alumnae Event a) Notice, notice, notice – Please provide as much advance notice as possible (several months notice is ideal). Save the date e-­‐mails, cards, or other marketing may be helpful, even if not all of the details are worked out yet. b) Host it on a convenient weekend – when it's likely a number of alumnae are already planning to be in town (i.e. for a football game or other school event that attracts alumnae). Consider what other events are happening that alumnae might be in town for (festivals, BYX Island Party or alumnae golf tournament, concerts, university alumnae events, etc.). Many “chapters traditionally host February events, but this is not required. c) Seek out alumnae perspectives/ask for help – To gain alumnae perspective and help coordinating the event, consider inviting alumnae to give ideas or help you plan things. This can ·∙ Give you an alumnae perspective ·∙ Provide additional help in planning the event ·∙ Create excitement around the event ·∙ Increase attendance by tapping into different committee members’ alumnae friend networks Another idea for gaining alumnae perspective (and this also acts to build interest in an upcoming event), is to have the committee design a small survey using Google Docs Forms, SurveyMonkey, or another online tool and send it out to all chapter alumnae to find out what they would like to see at an alumnae event. Conduct a similar survey each year after the event to find out what attendees want to see more or less of in the future. d) Give alumnae a variety of ways in which they can get involved. Chapter 5 POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS Purpose: For a Potential New Member to personally meet with the officers, ask questions about Phi Lamb and make an official decision to join Phi Lamb. This also is a crucial time for the officers to hear each new member’s personal testimony of a belief in God and His Son Jesus Christ. •Begin introductions the Friday and Saturday of recruitment week. If you have a large number of PNMs, you may want to schedule some introductions for immediately after recruitment for the last few nights. You may have to make special arrangements for some girls who cannot make any of the scheduled times – be flexible. •Introductions with Potential New Members should be very casual. Never interrogate them. Make them feel welcome. The only people that should be at introductions are the five officers (New Member Educators can be used to sit with PNMs while © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 5 they wait to go into their introductions). No one else. There should be no exceptions to this. Information shared by the Potential New Members should be kept confidential. •Be very open, clear and honest with the Potential New Member. Do not let her leave with unanswered questions or confusion. •Encourage the officers to interject, but remember you only have 10-­‐15 minutes. Predetermine what questions each officer is going to ask the Potential New Members. Select one officer to keep things on track. •Smile a lot. The Introduction • All of the officers should introduce themselves to the Potential New Member. • The president (or another officer) should open with: We are going to ask you some questions just to get to know a little more about you. Try to relax. Don’t worry; there are no right or wrong answers. You will also have an opportunity to ask any questions of us that you may have. • Then ask the PNM some basic, easy questions to help her feel comfortable, like hometown, major, year in school, favorite candy, etc. These questions may also help with pairing her with a Big Sis later. • The chaplain (or another officer) should ask the PNM: Can you tell us a little about how you became a Christian and something God is teaching you or doing in your life right now? Remember since we are an inter-­‐denominational organization, we have a wide variety of denominations represented. Each denomination has its own terminology, and we do not want to intimidate or confuse anyone in discussing a relationship with Christ. Another challenge is that often times the Potential New Member feels very nervous and uncomfortable, so she doesn’t fully answer the question. Feel free to ask some questions to clarify if her answers are unclear. If she leaves out key things like Jesus Christ, ask her how He fits into her faith and understanding of God. Remember that it is not our place to judge her spiritual journey or how she chooses to communicate it. Something you will likely realize in introductions is that some women choose to join Phi Lamb who do not yet have a personal relationship with Christ. They often come to Phi Lamb because they are spiritual seekers, and during their time in Phi Lamb, they truly learn what it means to follow Christ. When this happens, it is helpful to share this with her New Member Educators and/or her Big Sis who can play key roles in a new member’s spiritual journey. We want to help guide her to a relationship with Christ, but please do not feel pressured to do all of that during her short introduction. • The secretary (or another officer) should remind the PNM of the membership requirements for new members of Phi Lamb, and ask if she has any questions about those requirements. • The vice president (or another officer) should then ask: Do you have any other questions for us? Have you made a decision? Do you want to join Phi Lamb? She says yes, and then all the officers said: YAYYYY!!! Welcome to Phi Lamb!!! Occasionally you will have a girl come to her introduction not yet ready to commit to joining Phi Lamb. It is fine to give her a bit more time, but before she leaves her introduction, let her know when the firm deadline is for when we need to know about her final decision. © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 6 •
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The secretary should have a handout with important dates, times and locations on it to give to the Potential New Member when she leaves the introduction. This would include her first New Member meeting, New Member Retreat, induction, etc. We should also provide the Potential New Member with contact information for the New Member Educations or officers, in case she has any additional questions. If they do not have any more questions, they are dismissed. It is a best practice to make a few quick notes immediately after each introduction about the New Member and the important things you just learned about her. It is also beneficial for the officer team to brainstorm a quick list of potential Big Sisters for each PNM before starting the next introduction. This will make pairing Bigs and Littles much easier Chapter 6 BIG SIS/LITTLE SIS Purpose: To pair new members of Phi Lamb with active members of Phi Lamb so that they will feel more integrated into the group. Big/Little Sis is a mentor program where active members guide and direct their Little Sisters as they adjust to Phi Lamb. • When to set up: Big Sisters and Little Sisters should be set up at the beginning of each New Member class and should be revealed no later than two weeks after the end of recruitment. The officers should work to pair girls with others who would likely be a good fit; New Member Educators may also help if it is a really large group. Prayerfully take into consideration Big/Little Sis relationships that would best care for the spiritual/emotional needs of the New Member and take into account how the Little Sis’ personality would fit with the potential Big Sis. The officers should take note of expressed spiritual/emotional needs and personalities during introductions in order to make good choices. New Member/Active Member information sheets are also a great resource in pairing. Please do not accept preferences about pairing from actives or new members. Since our highest priority is the spiritual needs of the new member, this should be the focus. Allowing preferences creates unnecessary hurt and drama over unmet expectations. If you need additional guidance for this process, please discuss it with your Regional Director. • What is a Big Sis? When a Big Sister is chosen she must be an active member of Phi Lamb. She must be willing and able to pour into her Little Sis by giving of time, encouragement, prayer, etc. • What is a Little Sis? A Little Sister is a New Phi Lamb Member. After the New Member semester is over a Little Sis still has her Big Sis but is now eligible to have a Little Sis of her own. • What are twins? Twins occur when an active member has two little sisters. This is often necessary with a large new member class. © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 7 Chapter 7 NEW MEMBER EDUCATION A. New Member Folders and Packets Each new member should receive a New Member Packet including the following: 1) Chapter Specific Information – Rosters for New Members and actives, calendars, many chapters also include a new member verse (if it has already been chosen, sometimes the New Members vote on theirs), chapter specific history information, bylaws, etc. 2) Sigma Phi Lambda Constitution 3) Letter from the New Member Educators welcoming the ladies, telling them how excited they are to be their New Member educators, what has been planned, and a message letting the New Members know they are available to them all semester to answer questions, be a confidant, etc. Include contact information, and sign each one personally. 4) A list of all attendance requirements for attendance and a copy of the New Member Attendance Agreement. 5) New Member Notes Pages where they record all information they need to know for their New Member Test and any extra pages the girls might enjoy such as a poem, biblical references, fun facts about Phi Lamb, etc. Remember that the purpose of this folder is to help the New Members feel informed and welcome in Phi Lamb. B. New Member Meeting Structure Overview It is our goal to standardize the New Member experience for the women at each of our chapters. We recognize that our many chapters are different sizes and exist within different cultural contexts and have unique attributes at each campus. Although we value this kind of uniqueness, we also desire to have a sense of unity in the midst of our diversity. We want each member of Sigma Phi Lambda to have a similar New Member experience and learn the same type of things about Phi Lamb and glorifying God, both individually and as an organization, regardless of which chapter she joins. This packet will guide you through our expectations for weekly meetings for New Members. It will give you not only the content that we would like covered, but also the structure we expect for New Member meetings. Before we get into the specifics for each week, there are some elements of the weekly meetings that we want to talk through in order to help you better understand the heart behind each element and why we expect these to be part of your weekly meetings. First, we have prayerfully considered that as New Member Educators (NMEs) for your chapter, you have been called to the task of both teaching New Members about the specifics of Phi Lamb and helping point them toward Jesus in your time together; we all believe that these two elements are interconnected. To help communicate the connection, we have established a vision for New Members, as well as a sequence of teaching New Members about who Phi Lamb is in Christ, so that throughout your semester together, we might glorify God and make His name great. Please carefully read the descriptions of the elements of each week. If you have questions or need clarification on any of it, please ask your Regional Director, as needed. Also, please understand that each element needs to be included every week. Each week will be divided into two sections. First, all New Members and NMEs will meet together for: an icebreaker, vision casting, Phi Lamb traditions, and the Phi Lamb Foundation lesson, which contains material that will appear on the New Member Test at the end of the semester. These components are done as a large group to create a sense of unity among the whole New Member class. Then, after meeting together as a whole group, New Members will be evenly divided up into smaller groups with a single NME for: a brief devotional, review and application of the lesson, and 10-­‐minute Testimonies. These groups should be no © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 8 larger than 20 New Members per NME, and if you are in a larger chapter, we would prefer that this ratio be closer to 10 or 15 NMs to 1 NME. The same NME and small group of New Members will meet together each week and have an opportunity to develop closer relationships than can be accomplished in the whole group. The following is a more specific description of the elements of each weekly meeting: Whole Group Elements: Vision Sigma Phi Lambda’s vision for New Member Education is to equip each New Member to: • Embody the identity and purpose of Phi Lamb • Grow in their relationship with the Lord • Develop Christ-­‐like sisterhood Each week as a group, you will be focusing on one of these three elements. Use the time set aside for casting vision each week to remind New Members of the element being focused on and to share personal connections with that specific element of the vision as it pertains to that week’s material. The vision portion is to help New Members always know the why behind the activities in that week’s meeting. It is important that NMEs are aware that God has brought all kinds of women, each with her own story, together in Phi Lamb. This means that some New Members may have had very few conversations with others about Jesus, while others consider Christian community as a natural part of their heritage. Part of the calling of a NME is to be sensitive to the diverse experiences of your NMs, and casting a clear, Christ-­‐centered, God-­‐glorifying vision each week allows each NM to feel comfortable knowing exactly where our focus will be for that week, as well as the purpose for learning all the things she will be learning that week. Icebreaker Each week, all NMs and NMEs will participate in a fun icebreaker activity at the beginning of your time together. These activities will vary depending on how many NMs your chapter has, but the goal of this time is to make everyone feel comfortable. These icebreakers should happen in the whole group setting so that girls have the opportunity to interact in a low-­‐pressure situation with many of their fellow New Members, instead of just the few that they’ll be working with in their small groups during each meeting. It is also important as NMEs to lead by example and deliberately bring the excitement and fun to each icebreaker. If you are excited and having fun, NMs will be having fun too. If you act bored or “too cool” for icebreakers, your NMs will follow your lead, so please be mindful of your attitudes and actions. We have provided a list below of possible icebreaker activities for you to facilitate with your New Members. Please feel free to use any of the activities on this list, but know that you are not limited to these: • 2 Truths and a Lie • Minute-­‐to-­‐Win-­‐It Games • Bigger or Better (with items in purse or backpack) • Giants/Elves/Wizards • Candy Introductions • All My Friends • Desert Island Scenario You may Google for additional ideas or for a description of any of these with which you’re unfamiliar. A good resource is http://www.icebreakers.ws, which allows you to choose for your group size. Traditions During this time, you will share the traditions assigned to that specific week with your New Members. This is usually something that New Members really enjoy and is included each week because we want NMs to feel a connectedness to their chapter and to get an idea of the fun and meaningful things that help make Phi Lamb what it is. This is another great © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 9 opportunity each week to share a special connection with, or explain to NMs how those specific traditions help us know more about Phi Lamb, our sisters, and the Lord. Phi Lamb Foundation Lesson This time each week will be specifically devoted to elements of New Member training that are vital in understanding core elements of Phi Lamb. The goal of this time is to communicate the important information clearly and in a way that New Members will understand. The specific elements of the lesson will be included in each week’s plan, but it is vital that the NMEs of each chapter have a firm grasp on what information is being presented and to thoughtfully present it in a way that New Members can retain. This is another area where the presentation of material will depend on what is available to your chapter, but NMEs could consider: discussion, notes, PowerPoints, etc. as a method of presenting the lesson to the whole group each week. Many lessons will include these types of resources that are ready to use in your meetings. Small Group: Devo Once you are in small groups, this is an ideal time to connect the elements of the whole group time to scripture in a more intentional way. Specific passages or verses have been chosen for each week, and since each NME will be responsible for their own group of New Members, it is important to prepare for this part of the meetings each week. Each devo will have a focus and specific elements/talking points to discuss as a group. As the weeks go on, you will find that the girls in your group might be more willing to share and contribute during this time, allowing you to facilitate a discussion about scripture. Review & Application This part of your time together will look a little different each week, but essentially the purpose of this time together is to allow New Members to practice, review, and apply what they have learned that week during the Phi Lamb Foundation lesson or traditions. Different activities or discussion questions will be provided, so be sure to have a good idea of what this time consists of each week. 10-­‐Minute Testimonies As a way to grow closer to one another within your small group, and grow in your relationships with Christ, we have allotted a time each week for testimonies, for NMEs first, but then in the following weeks one or two New Members to share their testimonies with their small group before ending your time together. Use the information in the NME packet on “How to Write/Share Your Testimony” to help you and your NMs, which will hopefully take the stress off of a NM who is unsure of what to say and is unfamiliar with a testimony, as well as some guidelines for girls who may be tempted to overshare. C. New Member Meeting Schedule Week 1: Introduction to Phi Lamb Week 2: What We Believe I Week 3: What We Believe II Week 4: Who We Are Week 5: Fun and Fellowship Week 6: Membership Requirements Week 7: Elected and Appointed Officers Week 8: History Week 9: Review and Reflect Week 10: New Member Test and Celebration D. New Member Curriculum In the New member education curriculum, topics and lessons for each week of new member meetings are described. These lessons are to help you equip the New Members to embody the identity and purpose of Phi Lamb, grow in their relationship with the Lord, and develop Christ-­‐like sisterhood. These lessons should be followed exactly, but there is much flexibility within the structure of each week’s plans for the New Member Educators to customize for your own chapter. © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 10 The complete New Member Education curriculum is found in the New Member Educator packet. As president, please be familiar with this curriculum and help the NMEs at your chapter to stay on track with these lessons during New Membership. E. New Member Retreat Planning •
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Duration -­‐ Plan to hold New Member Retreat either as an overnight event or as a full Saturday. Location -­‐ Reserve a place early—considering the costs, available equipment, and kitchen facilities. Be creative! Some chapters have New Member Retreat at a local church. Others may have activities on campus or at a park, and then New Members go to homes or apartments in their small groups to sleep. If you have a really large New Member Class or difficulty finding somewhere to stay overnight, you might consider doing a full-­‐day retreat at a park or a church. Cost -­‐ Get your New Member Retreat budget from the Treasurer early so that you can plan ahead for expenses. Aim to come in UNDER budget so that you have some money left over for unexpected expenses. Food -­‐ With the help of your officers and NME group, you will choose a menu for retreat and be responsible for buying the necessary food. Officers have traditionally prepared and/or served one of the meals. Communication -­‐ Inform the retreat participants: you’ll want to make them aware about the information for their location, including special amenities or needs, create a sample packing list, and include a schedule so that they have an idea of the itinerary. Other important things to remember are emergency contact information for each woman attending, a first aid kit, and emergency information like phone numbers and maps to the nearest hospital, etc. Be sure to carefully plan the activities of New Member Retreat, so that it is a time for the New Member class to really get to know each other and have some fun together. This is perhaps the most important event in establishing a Christ-­‐like sisterhood early in the semester. Chapter 8 CEREMONIES New Member Induction Ceremony Induction is the formal ceremony where we recognize each girl’s commitment to officially become a new member, and all actives and new members should attend. If your new members receive some kind of new member pin, they would receive it during induction (this is different than what they receive at initiation). Historically, induction was used as Big/Lil Reveal for all chapters, and we would love to see this tradition maintained. Although induction is a distinct event, some chapters have induction just prior to or at the beginning of new member retreat. Induction should not be a part of chapter or new member meeting. 1. Put the new members in a circle in order of the last name of the big sister. Do not tell them why they are in this order. Have the actives circle up behind the new members, with new members in the inner circle and actives in the outer circle. Everyone is facing the center (the big sisters should not be behind their little sisters). 2. Officers will do the puzzle. Have each officer in charge of one piece of the puzzle. After each one reads the verse associated with that part of the puzzle, she will lay it in the center of the circle as it fits into the puzzle. You can make a puzzle with large pieces for your chapter to use year after year. © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 11 First Piece: Friendship: Ecclesiastes 4:9-­‐10 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Second Piece: Word: Hebrew 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-­‐edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (NIV) Third Piece: Song: Psalm 100:1 “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Fourth Piece: Encouragement: Hebrews 10:24-­‐25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-­‐ and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Fifth Piece: Prayer: James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” “Prayer is the last piece of the puzzle, and the piece that holds the puzzle all together. This sorority was founded on prayer and will continue to exist only through the continued devotion to prayer of each of its members. That is why it is so important that each of us be committed to pray for the sorority and the needs of its members.” 3. Have the new members close their eyes and remind them not to turn around for any reason until they are told to do so. © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 12 4. Active members will begin singing the song, "We are one in the Spirit" as they move around the circle. Once the song is finished, each active should be behind her little sis. 5. After the 2nd verse of the song, the big sisters will introduce themselves to their little sisters. If the new member receives a new member pin, this is an appropriate time to pin her. Ichthus pins were traditionally used with the earliest new member classes, which is why the Ichthus story is part of the initiation ceremony. Actives also usually give their little sisters a small gift or flowers. Initiation Ceremony Initiation is an extremely special night for soon-­‐to-­‐be active sisters. Remind the actives of their special night so that they will be ready to re-­‐create that feeling for the New Members. Encourage them to dress and behave appropriately. We recommend that actives and new members wear some combination of red, black, and white if they have it. Please do not ask your new members to wear white dresses; this is not a Phi Lamb national tradition. Preparations It is extremely important that the officers are prepared when the actives arrive. Have the officers come early and do a quick run-­‐through of the ceremony. Be sure everyone knows her task and that the officers can conduct the ceremony smoothly. Be sure to bring all the supplies. Check the Initiation Checklist to be sure you have everything. Include the sign-­‐in book, a pen, candles, a way to play music, Bonded Together, the President’s materials with all Initiation notes, flowers to give new officers (in the Spring semester only), Initiation Certificates, and the New Members’ pins. Decide which officer will do which task. Some jobs are predetermined, like devotionals. Some aren’t. Some things to keep in mind are: escorting new members, handing out candles, controlling the lights, playing the song, etc. Type up an agenda for the ceremony and have a copy ready for each officer and have each of them write their task on their agenda so that you won’t have to stand around and tell each of them what to do next. Have everything set up before the actives arrive. This means setting up the candles, the sign-­‐in book, the certificates and pins, the music, and the altar. Set the certificates in a row on the altar in alphabetical order with a pin on each one. Practice Ceremony Have the actives seated at least 30 minutes before the ceremony begins. This means they must arrive early so they can be situated in time to hear any pre-­‐Initiation comments or instructions, pray, and to participate in the practice ceremony. In other words, “Be seated at 6:30” does not mean, “Arrive at 6:30.” Be sure actives understand this. Have members fill in as New Members so that all the actives can run through the ceremony also. This way, everybody understands what should happen. Seating The first pew on the right side (when facing the altar) will be reserved for the current officers. The actives will be seated behind the officers. The Big Sisters will be seated alphabetically according to the New Members’ last names. When seating the Big Sisters, only seat half as many as you want in a single pew. This way there will be room for the New Members to join their Big Sisters as they are initiated. Behind the Big Sisters, the remainder of the actives are seated in any order. All of the actives should be given a candle. The officers will escort the New Members into the chapel individually. The officers will seat them alphabetically in pews corresponding to their Big Sisters. This is why the practice ceremony is so important. It gives you the opportunity to work out any kinks in the seating. It should work out so that the Big Sis can walk straight across the aisle, escort the new member to the front, then be reseated on the opposite end of the pew she was originally in. Escorting the New Members This is an easy and special task, but some quick reminders should be made. Be sure the New Members arrive in time to be lined up alphabetically and to pray with the New Member Educators. When the seating begins, the New Member Educators © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 13 will take turns escorting the New Members, individually, from their “area” to the door of the chapel. This is special because it is like giving away the bride. From the door of the chapel, two officers will escort the New Member to the sign-­‐in book. Each officer should hold a lit candle. Have the pages pre-­‐printed with their first, middle, and last name on the left column and a line for them to sign on the right column. Be sure to use a pretty font and include the semester, the year, and the officer’s titles and names on the first page. Have the box of candles at the sign-­‐in book so that the officers may hand the New Member her unlit candle. From there, the officer will take her down the aisle (it will be dark, so carry candles), seat her, and then go back for the next New Member. Again, a run-­‐through is helpful to be sure you have the seating in the right order. It can get tricky sometimes. Have instrumental music playing in the background as the New Members are seated. Remind the actives that this is a special moment. Sometimes this gets lengthy, but it is still very important. Encourage the actives, and the New Members, to spend this time with the Lord. Usually, Initiation falls right around finals and we can all use the extra time in prayer. When all the New Members are seated, the officers blow out their candles and walk to the front in darkness. Light Devotional The chaplain proceeds to the front to begin the ceremony with a devotional on light. At the given point in the devotional, the chaplain lights a candle on the altar, symbolizing Christ. From that one candle, she lights her own candle and then passes the light to one person on each side of the church. These girls continue passing the light until all candles are lit. The devotional ends with everyone raising her candles to form a brighter light. Candles are then blown out. This room is dark... It is hard to see anyone around you. In the darkness you feel like you are the only one there. Can you remember when you were a child, afraid of the dark? Did you feel small and vulnerable? Maybe your sister was across the room in her bed but you were still afraid because you couldn't see her. Did you ever call out her name just to reassure yourself? If she was sleeping and didn't answer, you still felt alone. Have you ever walked in the dark? Maybe to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Did you stumble into something because you couldn't see it? Maybe you even hurt yourself. (Light the big candle on the alter and your candle) Now think about light... Think about how safe you felt when your mom put a night light in the hallway outside your room. You were no longer afraid at night. This was because you could look over and see your sister in her bed. You weren't alone anymore. You also knew the night light could shine down the hallway and guide you to your parents' room. You weren't as vulnerable anymore. God sent Jesus Christ to be the light of our hearts. Jesus Christ is our light in dark places. He saved us from the darkness of sin. He lit the world so that we do not have to feel alone, for we are not. He lights the rooms of our hearts so that we can look across to see others and not just ourselves so that we can love and care and comfort the people we see. Like that night light, He shines down the hallway of our lives illuminating the way to God, the Father. So when you see someone, try to see their hearts. Know that in each person's heart there is a candle... (Begin to light other candles by passing the flame from person to person) (While candle is being lit...) © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 14 If it is not lit...light it...(pause) If it barely flickers...nurture it...(pause) If it is bright...protect it...(pause) But most of all...spread it. Know that by the power of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came down to earth becoming our Light. And, by His grace, the world will never again be lost or stumbling in the darkness of our sin for He has given us an eternal beacon towards righteousness. Keep it lit...nurture it...protect it...spread it...and let Him shine high and bright. (Hold candles up...and then blow out) Reflection Next, we have a quiet time of reflection while the song Bonded Together, by Twila Paris, is played. One officer should be prepared to cue this music when appropriate. Turn on the lights. The Story of the Ichthus At the close of the song, the secretary speaks to the New Members on the symbol of the ichthus. While she explains the significance, two other officers come up to demonstrate how the early Christians used this symbol by writing in the dust. During the time of the early Church, Christians were persecuted for their beliefs. They would use the ichthus symbol in order to recognize other Christians. When two people met, one would draw one side of the ichthus in the sand (vice president acts this out). The other would respond by completing the ichthus (treasurer acts this out). Thus, they would be able to safely identify Christians. Today, in this country, we have the freedom to live and worship as Christians without fearing the persecution that took place in early times. However, Christians today still face trials of many kinds. But the Bible tells us in James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those that love Him.” Introductions At this point, each Big Sis takes her Lil Sis to the altar one at a time. She will first take the New Member’s certificate and pin from the steps of the altar and place it on the altar (table). She will then encourage her Lil Sis with a verse hand picked and memorized. This is also her chance to tell the New Member how special she has been to the Big Sis. Many actives choose to make their comments quietly and privately although in front of the group. Encourage the actives to make their comments special and unique. It is too easy to say something superficial; prayer can prevent this. Next she will pin her Lil’ Sis and turn to face the group. As she hands the certificate to the newest active member, have her introduce the new active by saying: “I am [proud/honored/overjoyed/excited/etc...] to present [New Member’s First & Last Name] as the newest active member of Sigma Phi Lambda, Sisters for the Lord.” This really makes the New Members feel official and welcomed. Encourage the members to clap for each new active. © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 15 President’s Address Following the introductions, the president speaks to the group as a whole. In the past, this has been an actual devotional, heartfelt comments, and even inspiring stories. This should be whatever the Lord puts in the president’s heart to share that night. New Officer Induction (Spring only) This induction formally recognizes the new officers in their new responsibilities. It begins with the outgoing officers facing the group in a row. Each officer, beginning with the president, will call her successor to the front. When all the new officers are standing, backs to the group, in front of her corresponding officer, they will be welcomed individually. Just as the New Members were welcomed with a verse and a pin, the officers will be welcomed with a verse and a flower. When an “old” officer is done welcoming the new, she will turn her back to the group and the new officer will turn to face the group. *This Induction can take place at Initiation or at another appropriate event or meeting once new officers have been elected. Binding Ceremony This tradition is done at the completion of the initiation ceremony for new chapter members. (As practice, all chapters participate in the creation of the chain at the All-­‐Chapter Officer Retreat concluding the initiation of new chapters.) Prayer: Father God and Lord of All I thank you for my friends I thank you for the times we’ve shared and love that knows no end As we form this bond of unity May You be in the center So Phi Lamb can be a place of love For all of those who enter. Form: • Facing one another • Right hand over left joining across and right – forming a chain • Hold the hand of the woman next to the woman across from you. What to do: • The president begins the prayer and starts the chain by joining the officers first, followed by the current actives, then assists the new initiates in joining the chain one member at a time. In order: officers, actives, new initiates. • Continue joining chain and repeating prayer until all members are bound • Repeat prayer one last time while all are bound together. • Then on count unravel together to close. End the ceremony with a prayer and the song Bind Us Together. Initiation Checklist ____ 1) James Avery pins or whatever tradition the chapter follows as a new member gift (one for every new active) ____ 2) large red candle & lighter ____ 3) white candles (one for every member) with drip protectors ____ 4) Twila Paris “Bonded Together” ____ 5) iPod/Phone/Computer with speakers ____ 6) certificates ____ 7) sign-­‐in sheet for new actives & pen ____ 8) “Ichthus” devotion ____ 9) “Light” devotion ____ 10) Initiation ceremony instructions ____ 11) gift for graduates (edification committee) ____ 12) *small gift/flower for the new elected officers (from old elected) ____ 14) *gift for old appointed officers (edification) *applies to the spring semester only Inform someone in the New Member class that it is customary for them to get the New Member Educators a gift of thanks for their time and dedication. © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 16 Engagement Circle The circle is a ceremony intended to honor and celebrate the biblical institution of marriage and is our tradition for announcing a members’ engagement. When a member gets engaged she is to call the president and not tell any other Phi Lamb member of her engagement. The president is then in charge of putting together a candle for the engaged member that involves tying her engagement ring around the candle, so that members can view the ring as they pass the candle. At the next meeting, the president will turn off the lights, ask the members to make a circle and then light the candle. Before the president recites the following, she should remind the members of the circle in case they have forgotten. Also, she should make sure the members understand not to talk until the circle is finished. The candle will be sent around three times, and the following will be recited by the president: (on the first time around) “The first time around represents the day you were born. God had the perfect plan for you and in this plan he included a special man. ‘For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ Jeremiah 29:11.” (as the candle passes the president a second time) “The second time around represents your growth as a godly woman and your learning of God’s love. At the same time, God’s Holy Spirit was filling a young man’s heart with a similar kind of love. God prepared both of you to meet one another.” (as the candle passes the president a third time) “The third time around represents the two individual strengths joining together to grow with one another in God’s love. The more time that you spent together, the more God revealed that you were to spend the rest of your life together.” (Pause until it gets close to the engaged member; then read the last sentence.) “So, you got engaged.” (The engaged member then blows out the candle as it reaches her) After the member(s) blows out the candle everyone congratulates her and ask her questions about how he asked her to marry him. You may also choose to have someone pray for the engaged member. Let the engaged member keep the candle. Ideally the ceremony will happen at the beginning or end of chapter meeting. If there is a need to have an engagement circle at a different time than chapter or more than one girl gets engaged in a week, talk with your Regional Director about some alternatives. Remember this is a closed ceremony for members only. (The circle was written by: Jennifer Borger and inspired by Bob Borger) © Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. 17