What is a B.E.A.N.S. Dinner?
B.E.A.N.S. stands for "Because Everyone Always Needs Something." A B.E.A.N.S. dinner is an opportunity to get involved and fill a need for a Camper or a Huddle Leader who needs scholarship money to attend FCA Camp in Santa Barbara, June 28th-July 5th, 2008.

How does it work?
Our suggestion is to invite between 8 and 15 friends for dinner (you can find an invitation template in the column to the left). You do the cooking and provide all the food (don't worry, you'll see in a second it's not very expensive!) You ask your guests to bring a check, made payable to FCA in the amount they would normally spend if they were going out to eat on a Friday or Saturday night. As a college student, you might suggest a $10 donation. You then have raised between $80 and $150 for a junior high or high school student to attend FCA Camp, or to help pay the cost of a Huddle Leader to attend Camp. [It costs $550 for every camper to attend FCA Camp and the cost to FCA for every Huddle Leader is $500.]

What kind of food do I serve?
Well ... you serve BEANS!!! Actually, we suggest you serve beans, rice, tortillas and water. Many of the poorest people in the world survive on a diet much like this every single day! It's very inexpensive (you can probably feed 15 people for less than $10) and it's very easy to cook! This BEANS menu will be a tangible reminder to you and your guests of the very small sacrifice you are making to help a young person attend FCA Camp ... Because Everyone Always Needs Something!

What should we do at the dinner?
Well ... first of all, have a great time! Jesus loved having dinner with His friends, and many of the scenes for the stories in the New Testament involve friends sitting around a table sharing a meal together. Secondly, if you have been to FCA Camp or have some experience with FCA, share that with your friends! If you've been a Camper or a Huddler Leader, tell them what your experience was like. How did you grow in your faith? How did you see God work? Why are you excited to help kids go to FCA Camp this summer? Thirdly, show the Santa Barbara FCA Camp Video! This is just over 12 minutes long, but it will give your guests a wonderful picture of what FCA Camp is really like! You can find this video on line.

Where do I send the money we raised?
All money raised is considered a tax deductible gift. Your dinner guests will receive a receipt for their donation. After your dinner, you can collect the donation checks (made payable to FCA) and may send the checks to:
Jen Shinn - FCA
Southern California Director of College Ministries
PO Box 8556
Goleta, CA 93118-8556

If you have more questions, email Jen Shinn!