Sponsorship

Sponsorship is taken for granted in many communities. The assumption is that everyone knows the how and why of sponsorship. Sometimes sponsorship only sounds like a reference to the number of participants who are signed up for a Chrysalis weekend; and make no mistake:

Sponsorship is the most important service in the Chrysalis movement – but what's important – is we do it with excellence.

‍Every youth who attends Chrysalis has a "sponsor" who supports and encourages him or her before, during, and after their Chrysalis experience. Sponsorship is a job that is shared between all the youth who have been through Chrysalis and all the adults who have been through the Walk to Emmaus before you. It is more than just simply "signing up youth" to go on Chrysalis.

Sponsorship is the way in which the Chrysalis experience is passed on from person to person, reflecting the manner in which God purposefully reaches out to people through other people. After a Chrysalis weekend, you may also want to share the gift of these three days with others. Sponsorship provides you with a caring and disciplined way to do that. And by becoming a sponsor, you can participate in and demonstrate God's outreaching love for others - as He has called us to do.

The importance of our community to be educated about good sponsorship cannot be overemphasized. The quality of sponsorship will impact new participants, the health and effectiveness of the Chrysalis movement, and all of our sponsoring churches.

The aim of sponsorship is the same as the aim of Chrysalis which is: The spiritual growth of young Christians as disciples of Jesus Christ through churches and their youth groups. ‍Every sponsor should reflect upon his or her motivation for your desire to sponsor a youth and make sure it is consistent with this aim.

• to get all of my friends to go
• to fix a young person's problems or crisis
• to have a full weekend
• to reproduce one's own religious experience in others

Chrysalis is primarily designed for young Christian leaders who have a desire to strengthen their spiritual lives, may have unanswered questions about their faith, understand that being a Christian involves responsibility and are willing to dedicate their everyday lives to God.

A Chrysalis weekend is designed for those who are currently active in their local church and are already on their way to believing in Jesus Christ.

A sponsorship opportunity can and should be motivated by a number of hopes and prayers for youth which ARE consistent with the aims of Chrysalis – as listed above. These include giving youth the gift of three days apart in order to:

• experience the accepting and healing grace of God through Christian community
  
• realize they are precious in God's eyes, that they are here on this earth for a holy purpose
  
• discuss without judgment their questions and struggles as young persons with peers and mature Christian adults
  
• hear anew the gospel of God's love in Jesus Christ and the basics of Christian faith and life
  
• make friends with other youth who share the faith and will support each other in living as Christians
  
• develop relationships with mature Christian adults, relationships which might extend beyond the three days
  
• be strengthened in their decisions to follow Jesus
  
• be better prepared to live as Christian witnesses at home, school, church, and in their community
• learn what goes into building their lives and relationships on a solid foundation
• bring new vitality to the church youth group upon returning, to inspire the sponsorship of other youth, and to energize the body of Christ through young people whose hearts are on fire with the love of Christ.

Now that we have an understanding what sponsorship is, what should motivate us and a little about who we should sponsor, the next step is to review what this commitment looks like when it comes to Sponsoring a Youth. Keep in mind that a Chrysalis weekend is designed for those who are currently active in their local church and are already on their way to believing in Jesus Christ.

As a sponsor, please review the following list of responsibilities to ensure that you can fulfill this commitment. Then, once you have completed the sponsors form, you will receive an email from us outlining each of these reponsibilities in even greater detail:

1. Pray and enlist prayer support from family, friends and their pastor or youth pastor
2. Invite your caterpillar to Chrysalis, share your experience and ask them to fill out their application.
3. Help your caterpillar get the full payment of $75 in on-time
4. Help with agape before their Flight takes off
5. Answer any questions or concerns that your caterpillar and/or their parent or guardians may have

1. Send-off and the sponsors hour service
2. Our the evening service on the second night
3. Closing

Encourage and assist them with the following:

1. Staying in contact with your butterfly
2. Setting up an appointment with their pastor
3. Getting more involved in their church and youth group
4. Getting involved in a reunion group
5. Attending our Emmaus gatherings
6. Sponsoring someone or serving on a future Chrysalis weekend

It is very important that sponsors assume all of these responsibilities or that you enlist the assistance of other members from our community to help fulfill each of these steps. Thank you, again, for considering this responsibility! We look forward to working with you toward this great experience for your caterpillar and to your success during this wonderful sponsorship opportunity. If you have any questions, please reach out to any of our board member.