How to Host a Cry Out! Simulcast Gathering

The True Woman 2016 National Women's Conference begins in twenty-four days on September 22 in Indianapolis. During the conference, we're planning to do something we've never done at a True Woman Event before: We're hosting a free, three-hour nationwide prayer simulcast for women called Cry Out!

Conference attendees will join their hands together in prayer at the Indiana Convention Center, and women across the country—and around the world—will join their hearts in prayer to cry out to God for mercy and supernatural intervention in our world, our nation, our churches, our cities, and our homes.

Even if you're not attending True Woman '16 in person, we're extending an invitation to you to join us in this prayer movement.

Here's how you can get involved with the Cry Out! Simulcast:

Sign up to stay informed at CryOut16.com. We'll send you emails with the information you need to get involved.
Look for a Cry Out! Simulcast group in your area. There may already be an existing group you can join.
Spread the word with these digital and print resources.
Consider hosting your own simulcast group. How? We're glad you asked.

How to Host a Cry Out! Simulcast Group

We're amazed by the ways God is bringing groups together across this nation and around the world! If you are burdened to gather a group of women for the Cry Out! Simulcast, we'd love to help.

Here's a checklist (and a video) to help you get started.

1. Save the date! Set aside Friday, September 23, for the Cry Out! Simulcast.

Save the date, and spread the word to the women you'd like to invite to participate in your group. If you're a women's ministry leader planning a group through your church, be sure to talk with your church leadership and have the date added to your church calendar.

2. Pick your event location.

You may choose to host a small group in your home, or you may know fifty (or more!) women who would like to gather in a church auditorium or a school cafeteria. Find the location that will best serve your needs and complete reservation requirements, if necessary.

3. Register your group on the Cry Out! map.

Complete the form at CryOut16.com to register your group. You'll need to determine if your group will be "open" or "closed." If you choose to host an open group, you'll give permission to Revive Our Hearts to publicize your meeting site so other women in the area may find your location and join. If you choose to host a closed group, your group will remain private.

4. Invite women to join your group and spread the word.

Send invitations, Facebook messages, emails, or texts—it's up to you!

You may encourage participants to:

Sign up to receive the 10-Day Heart Prep emails (beginning September 8).
Tell others about the Cry Out! Simulcast:
- You can use these digital and print resources.
- Spread the word on social media with the hashtag #CryOut16.

5. Secure audio/video equipment.

You'll need:

A computer capable of streaming video via the Internet.
A reliable Internet/WiFi connection.
A TV or projector equipment—if you plan to play the Simulcast on a large screen.
Sound equipment.

PS: If you still aren't sure where to start, recruit a techy teenager or AV guy at church. Without the right equipment, you may run into technical difficulties! Plan ahead to ensure a smooth-sailing event.

6. Do the necessary event prep according to your location and group size.

As you plan and make arrangements, keep in mind that the purpose of this gathering is to pray. What will help you accomplish this purpose and create an atmosphere conducive to prayer? Here are some considerations:

Make arrangements for setup:
- What type of seating arrangement is best suited for your venue and group size?
- What type of lighting is conducive to prayer and reverent worship?
- You may consider having nametags, tissues, and water on hand.
Recruit volunteers as needed, involving as many women as you can. You may need:
- Hostesses and greeters.
- Setup and teardown volunteers.
- A group leader—this may be you! You'll want someone to welcome your participants, make announcements, help women engage as direction is given, and thank your participants once the event is over.

7. Think through the day-of details.

If you're a hostess brimming with creative ideas for your gathering, feel free to be as creative as you'd like but stay focused on planning a Christ-centered event. If you don't feel like a confident hostess and you feel completely lacking in cute party ideas, that's more than okay. Your gathering can be incredibly simple. The focus is prayer. Plan an event that will point women to Jesus. Here are some details to consider:

The simulcast will air at 6–9 p.m. CT/PT and 7–10 p.m. ET/MT.
Plan to gather thirty minutes before the start time to allow participants to get settled and prepared.
You may decide to provide refreshments (if your venue allows food). Plan to have food and drink available before the Simulcast begins in order to avoid distraction while the Simulcast is streaming.
Worship and a countdown clock will begin thirty minutes in advance. Your group can join at any point. Use this time to prepare your hearts to meet with God.
The evening will be interactive and will include a lot of variety. There will be meaningful times of:
- Singing to the Lord.
- Reading Scripture.
- Hearing about the spiritual condition and needs of our land.
- Being led in prayer by different leaders and speakers.
- Praying in small groups about specific concerns. (No one will be pressured to pray aloud.)
There won't be a formal break in the program. The evening will flow through several thematic sections, each lasting approximately thirty minutes and ending with a time of worship. If participants need to slip out quietly, we would encourage them to do so during those worship segments.
Ask your guests to bring a Bible, pen, and paper.

We hope this checklist serves you well in planning your simulcast group. Here's an additional tool to help make your planning process a breeze:

If you have more questions, check out our FAQ page.

We're praying that God would bring together hundreds of thousands of women in thousands of locations across this nation and around the world. We hope you can join us Friday, September 23, as we join hands and hearts to cry out to God for mercy and supernatural intervention in our world, our nation, our churches, our cities, and our homes.