Sweet Monday Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out if there is a Sweet Monday in my area?
You may contact the Sweet Monday office via email (SweetMondaymail@yahoo.com) or call and talk to Joyful Jamie in the office (804-754-4333). She will search the hostess database to see if there is one nearby.
Do you pray at Sweet Monday?
I do not pray at Sweet Monday but before and after Sweet Monday. I try to make it as non-threatening as possible and different from a Bible study or prayer meeting, which are all wonderful. They are receiving genuine encouragement from God's word and an introduction to Jesus Christ.
How do you get away with not mailing invitations?
I hand them out in my neighborhood; I carry a stack in my car to take into the store, post office, hair salon; I have them available for women to take extras when they come to Sweet Monday; my church keeps a stack of the invitation cards in the foyer on a table.
How do you let your friends and neighbors know about it?
I let women know through my church by wearing my Sweet Monday t-shirt and by placing a large Sweet Monday cupcake sign at an intersection near my home.
How do you let friends and acquaintances know there's a short spiritual element involved?
Around the border of the shoestring design on the reminder/invitation card, I write "Sweet Monday, Women's Socials on a Shoetring...Tied to a Generous God" so women will recognize there is a spiritual element.
How do you plan for numbers?
I go by faith! God promises to go before us, with us and behind us. Yeehaw! I usually plan for 50. If there's not enough, I ask my good friends and family not to eat. If there's too much, I send it home with a harried mom who needs something for a brunch the next morning or something for a child's lunchbox. No worries! God truly multiplies the 5 cupcakes and 2 pieces of candy.
How did you write Sweet Monday as a busy wife and mother?
I write when my family is sleeping. I am an early riser and can get a lot written when it's quiet.
What inspired you to start Sweet Monday as a way to reach out to women?
We live in a world quickly moving toward isolation and women are lonely and need relationships. I was lonely as a new stay-at-home mom and longed for relationships with women. Women know so much, and I love learning from women and sharing what I learn with others.
In all the years you have hosted Sweet Monday, have you ever dreaded it?
No! I still get excited every Sweet Monday wondering what sweet women God will bring to my door. I keep everything so simple I never dread it. I used to worry about vacuuming before women arrive, but now I wait to vacuum afterwards. The women never look at the floor because they are so busy sharing, laughing and connecting with each other. I also keep Sweet Monday supplies such as nametags, pens, invitation cards, sign-in book, etc., together in one box where I can easily pull it out before each meeting. With everything in one location, it keeps things simple for my family and me. On Sweet Monday nights, I try and have a simple dinner or pizza ready for my family before anyone arrives so they do not feel rushed or pushed aside on Sweet Monday evenings.
Where did you get the themes for Sweet Monday?
From sweet women like you! As I meet women, I am always learning from women as they share their interests and passions. Maybe they can't lead Vacation Bible School or teach a Bible study class, but they know how to pack a suitcase or make a delicious pot of soup. Or perhaps they know how to bake specialty desserts or excel in crafting, decorating or organizing. Women inspire me and I want to encourage every woman I meet by letting them share their gifts and talents so others can learn from them. Each month I share the devotion for the evening, and invite women to lead the program. Over the years, I have seen so many women bloom as they share their expertise at a Sweet Monday. This gives me freedom to ask questions during the program and facilitate communication among the women.
Do you ever get nervous when you share your faith during the Sweet Monday devotion?
Yes! I have to admit that I still get butterflies in my stomach every time I share God's word at Sweet Monday and identify myself with Christ. I usually tell the women that I love to read women's magazines but nothing in a women's magazine has ever changed my life. God speaks to us through His word and He is the only one who changes us!
Do you mail invitations to the women you invite?
No! I prefer to hand them out in my neighborhood. My daughter, Kali, and I like to walk around our neighborhood handing out cards and inviting our neighbors. I provide our church with a stack of invitation cards that are kept on the table in the church foyer where women can pick them up throughout the year. I also have a stack on the foyer table in my home for women to take extras to their friends at each Sweet Monday. I even carry a supply in my car so I can take them with me to the grocery store, post office, etc.
How do I let people in my surrounding neighborhood who did not receive an invitation know about Sweet Monday in my home?
I have a large cupcake-shaped sign that I put at the corner of the street leading to my home. It says "Sweet Monday 7:30 pm" and "All Neighbors Welcome" with an arrow pointing toward my home. I also have a smaller Sweet Monday sign in my front yard which was made by a retail printer who enlarged the Sweet Monday logo to 12" x 17" and copied onto stiff white boarding. It is waterproof and has metal legs I stick in the grass. (Contact the Sweet Monday office to get a copy of the logo.)
How do you coordinate the Sweet Monday theme with the dessert and candy?
Each volume of Sweet Monday contains 12 themes... one for each month of the year. Each theme has a suggested dessert and candy to serve that relates to the theme. You can use the ideas listed or you have total freedom to use your own creative dessert/candy ideas.
Since women never have to RSVP, how do you know how much dessert you'll need?
Normally, we have 30-70 women attend each month so I plan dessert for 50. If it looks like we will run out of dessert, I will ask friends not to eat. I also cut portions into smaller pieces, as many women do not want a large serving. If there are leftovers, I will ask if anyone has a church or school event the next day and give it to them, otherwise, I offer leftovers to neighbors or friends.
S.P. Sweet Pea, Please don't compare number of women. You can have a Sweet Monday for 2 or 200.
What's the best way to let women at my church know about Sweet Monday in my home?
Sweet Monday meeting dates and themes should always be included in the church weekly bulletin and monthly newsletters. I have also shared pictures at church in a PowerPoint presentation to promote interest. In September, I sometimes ask several Sweet Monday volunteers to wear their Sweet Monday t-shirts to church and have them stand at the doors as people leave and hand them a piece of candy and a pink invitation/reminder card for the upcoming season. It's a great way to offer a personal invitation to every single woman at church. Encourage them to bring a neighbor.
How do you afford to host a Sweet Monday?
When I quit teaching to be a stay-at-home mom, my husband Mark and I decided we could budget to offer a simple dessert and coffee for women in our home as a way to reach out to women. As our young church plant grew, my church offered to help with Sweet Monday expenses as a growing outreach and put Sweet Monday in their budget. The church recognized that Sweet Monday was a creative evangelism tool that introduced women to Christ. We have a small budget to help defray the costs for dessert, candy, beverages, paper products, nametags, etc. If your church cannot assist, then ask a friend or two who have a heart for women's ministry to help. They may be willing to provide the dessert, candy or nametags.
I don't think I can host Sweet Monday every month. Is it okay to have Sweet Monday every other month or quarterly?
Absolutely! You want to pick a meeting time that fits your family's schedule and needs. When I initially started, I planned for just 3 months to see if women liked the concept and would attend and to have a way out if I wanted to quit. The most important detail is to have Sweet Monday at the same place/same time each month so women can easily remember the date of the next meeting and to keep it simple. It will be a joy and not a burden.
Where do you get the pink pencils you give to "First Timers" that attend Sweet Monday?
I love to give small gifts/favors to people who visit my home. I'm a former schoolteacher and every September, I loved getting new school supplies such as pencils. So what better way to kick off a new Sweet Monday season in the fall than with brand new "pink" pencils? I order the Personalized Pink Pencils from Oriental Trading Company (www.orientaltrading.com) or you can call 1-800-875-8480.) The item number is IN-47/371 and you receive 2-dozen pencils personalized with "Sweet Monday" for $4.95. If you order online, the pencils normally arrive in 8-10 days.
What happens if you (the Sweet Hostess) can't be at a scheduled Sweet Monday?
In 12 seasons of Sweet Monday, I have missed just 2 or 3 evenings, and on those occasions, a dear friend stepped in and hosted Sweet Monday for me at my home. I gave her the key to the house and she opened the front doors, turned on the lights, put out the dessert and beverages and served as hostess for the evening. When the weather turns cold, I remind women that if children were out of school on Sweet Monday then we would not have Sweet Monday on "snow days." In an emergency, just put a note on your door.
May I use the Sweet Monday logo and shoestring design on my invitation?
Yes! Please email Joyful Jamie in the Sweet Monday office (SweetMondaymail@yahoo.com) and she will be happy to email the clipart files to you. You may also purchase Volume 4, which contains a black and white picture of the Sweet Monday logo, and shoestring border, which can be copied onto invitations.
Where do you get the cute shoestrings you tie on all the Sweet Monday volumes?
We order the neon shoestrings from U.S. Toy Company. The website is www.ustoy.com or you can reach them on 1-800-448-7830. The shoestrings come in four neon colors: pink, green, orange and yellow. The item number is 1531 and the cost is $3.49 a dozen.
S.P. Sweet Pea, If you ever find a source for inexpensive pink or chocolate brown shoestrings in bulk - please let us know!!
May I bring my child or baby to a Sweet Monday?
Sweet Monday was created for women to attend without their children. If you have a new mother who is nursing and wants to bring her infant, then by all means, encourage her to attend and offer a private room if she needs to nurse. If you have a teenager who can sit quietly and enjoy the evening, then it is okay to include them. Maybe young mothers will trade off for a Sweet Monday night out. If the women you invite all have small children, you could consider asking a teenager to come to your home and baby-sit while Sweet Monday is meeting. Everyone could make a small donation for the youth. If your Sweet Monday meets at church, then ask your church to arrange for the nursery to provide childcare. Because Sweet Monday meets only once a month, childcare has not been an issue.
How do you let women know Sweet Monday has a spiritual component?
On every pink invitation/reminder card, I include a black shoestring border. Around the outside of the border I hand write, "Sweet Monday, Women's Socials on a Shoestring...Tied to a Generous God" so women will recognize it has a spiritual component.
What other ways can I use the Sweet Monday themes?
I want you to make Sweet Monday your own! Sweet Monday is being used in so many exciting ways around the world. One Sweet Monday in Richmond called "Pampering Praise Parties" is geared toward middle school girls. Sweet Marj in New Hampshire hosts a Sweet Monday for widows. Sweet Mary hosts Sweet Monday for seniors and also has one for men and women in an adult day care facility. Sweet Beth reached out to singles in her neighborhood while walking her dog and they are now having so much fun sharing ideas and learning from each other.
How did you feel about starring in the Sweet Monday Training DVD? What about your hair?
Honestly, I felt like I was being thrown into the lion's den and the filming was so far out of my comfort zone. As soon as the women arrived, I relaxed. (Thank You, Lord!!) My hair...I always want it to look cuter, but I had to let that go..life is so short. Oh the things we women will fret over. Now I just hope I didn't have some chocolate brownie stuck on my tooth...