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Hosting an Open House

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Open Houses of Faith - 2007

Hosting an Open House 

The Open Houses of Faith (OHOF) is a series of public educational open houses hosted by different religions and denominations during October and November. The series provides participating religious groups an opportunity to tell the public who they are and what they believe. This is an excellent opportunity for religious organizations to build community ties and grow public understanding of their faiths. 

Remember that your Open House of Faith (OHOF) is an event for the general public, not just Girl Scouts.

To Host an OHOF Event

1. Build your team:Your faith community plans and runs the Open House of Faith event, so it is important to build a strong team of volunteers and consult with faith leaders about their availability to present at the program or otherwise lend support.
2. Choose a date: Your team can help you choose an appropriate date and time during October and November 2007 (see calendar at www.OpenHousesOfFaith.org/calendar).
3. Ask questions: We have a team of coordinators (see below) to answer your questions before you commit to a date and throughout the process. The guidelines below are compiled from observations of open houses over the years.
4. Register your Open House of Faith event with your local OHOF coordinator.

Basic Requirements for Participation

1. Your facility must meet fire code requirements for public gatherings of 50 or larger, such as two exits in case of a fire, space large enough for activities and being accessible for people with disabilities.  Most church buildings, temples, mosques, etc. meet such requirements. If the space where your faith community meets does not fulfill these requirements, consider reserving a room at a local library or community center to host your event.
2. Your guests come with open minds, expecting to learn about your faith in a welcoming environment that respects their commitments to their own faiths and beliefs. The goal of OHOF is increasing interfaith understanding, not proselytizing.
3. Two tables will be needed for displays of the Girl Scout and Boy Scout religious emblems programs for your faith and other Girl Scout materials (see "Displays" below).
4. You are strongly encouraged to advertise the event in your local community: in your faith community newsletter or bulletin, local newspapers or other neighborhood resources. See details below for the resources available from OHOF organizers.

Open House Guidelines

Build your team: Planning an open house is easiest when you have support from within your faith community. Inquire about making an announcement during a service to explain the necessity of building a positive image of your community in the surrounding area. Ask for input concerning details of when the open house should be held and for helpers to plan and run the event. You might specifically invite members of your community who work with youth ministry, community outreach or who happen to be Girl Scouts to help with your open house.

Target audience: Youth and families. Aim to connect with middle-schoolers (ages 10-13) or even younger. If they can get your point, the adults will too. Some visitors may have no religious background. Encourage your own members to attend as well; it helps to have them available to talk to visitors. Attendance has varied from 0 to 300 participants, primarily depending upon how much the host advertised the event.

Format: Please modify the following format suggestion to best fit the talents and interests of the team you have developing your open house. The Open House is your opportunity to tell the public who you are and what your faith is all about. Try to keep formal presentations brief, no more than 20 to 25 minutes, followed by time for questions and answers. Above all, pay attention to your audience and be able to adjust accordingly.

15 min:     Opening (preliminary entertainment as people arrive)

  5 min:     Welcome and introductions

25 min:     Presentations of the basics of your faith

15 min:     Question and Answer time

30 min:     Tour, displays, refreshments, crafts, informal socializing between community members and guests

Attention-grabbing opening: Try to start your Open House with a bang: sung or instrumental music; demonstrations or activities, such as the Muslim call to prayer or a demonstration of blowing the Jewish shofar (ram’s horn) or other participatory demonstrations.

Basics of the Faith: Have your best speaker(s) present the basic foundations of your faith, core beliefs, and whatever you feel is important for describing who you are religiously and why. Local or congregational history should be minimized. Your guests come with open minds, expecting to learn about your faith in a welcoming environment that respects their commitments to their own faiths and beliefs. Feel free to demonstrate any aspects of your worship format and incorporate visual aids when possible. You can invite participants to join in these activities, but realize that not everyone will feel comfortable participating, based on their beliefs.

Questions & Answers: There will be questions of all kinds from people, especially children, who are genuinely curious. Be brief in your answers because complicated, long-winded answers discourage further questions. If a question sounds offensive, assume that the one asking the question intended no offense and answer the question without becoming defensive. If you feel that it is necessary, explain why the question makes you uncomfortable. If a visitor becomes argumentative, suggest that he or she continue the discussion with you afterward and move on to another question.

Tour: A tour of you facility is of interest because the layout, artwork, furnishings or structures in your facility – or lack thereof – may be ordinary to you, but may appear unfamiliar to visitors. 

Scheduling: The series takes place in October and November, avoiding conflicts with religious holidays as much as possible. The following Mondays and Wednesdays are reserved for snow days. If necessary, weekends are OK, but attendance may be impacted by competing faith and sport activities. Try to stick to a 7-9 p.m. time frame on weeknights and late afternoons or evenings on weekends. 

Inclement Weather: Plan how you will let people know cancellation information if there is inclement weather. As soon as you know the status of your event, communicate that to the webmaster so your event listing can be updated. Have a message on your phone line listed on the OHOF website and signs at your community if the event is cancelled.

Publicity: You want people to know about your Open House. You are strongly encouraged to advertise the event in your faith community newsletter, website or bulletin; local newspapers or other neighborhood resources. Once you have decided upon a date, OHOF organizers will send you an advertising packet with hints, sample fliers and press releases for you to customize and distribute in your area. Check with your local newspapers, radio and television for about their deadlines and guidelines for submissions. You could also put a sign out front with the date and time of your open house. OHOF organizers will list all OHOF events on the OHOF Event Calendar. Invite local community leaders, clergy and government officials both in writing and with a personal call. 

Handouts: Provide a program detailing the agenda for your open house, basic information about your faith and worship schedule and contact information for your community. You may wish to have a handout describing etiquette within your house of worship if people should cover their heads, remove their shoes or otherwise show signs of respect upon entering. Have an attractively arranged selection of literature on your faith available in a reception area for people to pick up. You are welcome to keep a sign-in sheet to track attendance at your program. If you intend to use the information from the sign-in sheet to follow up with event participants, please note that on the sign-in sheet. 

Facilities and Equipment: This is your opportunity to shine, figuratively and physically. Make sure that your facility is clean, well-lit and comfortably heated. Use bulletin boards effectively to convey your message. If you use sound, video or projection equipment, make sure it is functioning prior to the open house. Check to make sure outdoor signs are in place (and well lit at night) so people can find you. If getting to your facility is complicated, consider posting large “OPEN HOUSE AHEAD” signs along the way. 

Displays: The Girl Scouts will need two display tables: 1) a Girl Scout table and 2) a “Religious Recognitions Program” table. The religious recognition programs are written by the religious groups themselves for use in youth programs such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls and Boys (go to www.praypub.org for more information). The tables should be set up in an area to facilitate interaction after the formal open house presentation, preferably near refreshments if there are any. You may also want to provide table-top displays about your own activities, especially youth-oriented opportunities. Your members who are into scrapbooking may be able to assemble attractive displays. 

Refreshments: Refreshments are always welcome, particularly if there are any special or distinctive foods that are characteristic of your faith or culture. If you provide refreshments, please provide something for everyone. Be considerate of those with medical or religious dietary restrictions (e.g. salt, pork, sugar, meat, nuts). Lists of ingredients near food items are helpful. 

The Open Houses of Faith is a program for the general public,  coordinated by Girl Scout volunteers as a service to the community.