
Host a Christendom 101 Session!
There is no better way to share the mission of Christendom College than through personal witness. Hosting an informational session about Christendom makes the college more real for families, since you have direct experience with the college and its offerings. Similar to “Tupperware Parties,” and other such activities, the benefit of these intimate gatherings is that you truly believe in the product and are willing to help others see the value of it.
Pick the Date and Venue
Invite People to Attend
1. Contact friends, relatives, and families from your parish and in your area and invite them to attend. (We’ll provide you with flyers to promote the event)
2. No family is off limits – regardless of age or number of children
3. Invite one family or 50 families – your choice
Buy Food or Drink
1. Plan your refreshments – Tuesday evening wine and cheese event? Saturday afternoon BBQ? Coffee and dessert on Thursday evening? Popcorn and drinks on Friday night? Beer and pizza on Sunday afternoon? – Your choice, your menu, our bill (within reason)
2. Save receipts to be reimbursed
Hold the Event
1. Show the 15 minute “Christendom 101” video.
2. Spend a couple of minutes giving your insights into Christendom. How you selected it for your family; benefits of the education; affordability; your overall experience with Christendom.
3. If your Christendom student is home for this event, have him/her speak for a couple of minutes.
a) What are one or two things that you think you are getting at Christendom that you could not get elsewhere?
b) What are the many extra-curricular opportunities on campus?
c) What’s the best thing about attending Christendom?
4. Have attendees sign up to receive information from the college.
Testimonies
“Hosting a Christendom 101 event couldn’t have been easier! The college provided all the materials we needed and the DVD was a fantastic introduction to everything that makes Christendom such a special place. We look forward to hosting another 101 event in the fall!”
-Mr. Paul Rugg, California (Jillian Rugg, Class of 2021)
“It was a great pleasure to host a Christendom 101 evening at our home! Rare is it for an institution of higher learning to engage—at a very intimate, personal, and enjoyable level—with potential families and articulate a vision of education that is both exciting and all-encompassing. If education means anything, it is the seeking of truth in the context of good friendships in which one is spurred joyfully to good and beautiful things. I’m convinced (and so were those who attended) that Christendom College does this. No wonder: it was the very means by which Christ Himself taught.”
-John DeJak, Ann Arbor, MI. (JP DeJak (’23)
“This was my second Christendom 101. Last year I advertised in the bulletin and put up flyers and had it announced before Mass, and we only got 2 families. I was disappointed at the turnout, although they seemed to enjoy it. This time, I used my position as Religious Education Coordinator to call a mandatory meeting to discuss other things, and combined it with my Christendom 101. We are a very small parish, and I justified it to them by explaining that we could not have afforded such nice refreshments without Christendom, and it worked! Six of our seven families attended, and were very interested, even the ones whose children are not nearly college-age yet. Several commented that they had no idea that we had a Catholic College so close to us (an hour away). With the DVD and all the info provided, it was very easy to host, and having my Christendom student there to add her comments and answer questions was helpful. My husband also, by stating that placing our daughters at Christendom has been the best decision we ever made, and has brought blessings to the whole family. To hear him say that was worth it all! I do think some of our families are considering a visit. I would definitely host another Christendom 101.”
-Connie Youngman, Elkton, VA (Gemma Youngman (’19) and Lianna Youngman, Class 2021)
“The event we held was easy to accomplish. We simply sent out about 50 emails to families with high school students and fixed some snacks and punch and the Christendom staff did the rest! It was a fun evening and we enjoyed the chance to tell others what a beautiful place Christendom is and how you really don’t have to cringe when you ship your kids off to college. There really is a place you can feel comfortable and happy to send them.”
-Susan and Robert Gasperson, Swansboro, NC
“Not only did the evening give us a great excuse to host friends, but it raised the caliber of conversation to Real Things, like the value of a classical, values-based higher education.”
–Tricia and Paul Dusseault, Colorado Springs, CO
“Through invitation and then via word of mouth, we had even more families than we had originally bargained for — so indicative of the positive reputation which Christendom College carries in the Catholic community. The video was inspirational, illustrating the focus on not only academia, but on the restoration of “all things in Christ”, as Pope St. Pius X desired. We had ample print materials to distribute, and at least four or five families are interested in sending a child. The event was very easy to organize, as we simply provided light finger food and refreshments, and extra chairs, etc. (Of course, my children were on hand to clean!). It was actually like a fun get-together of our friends, as many commented later. I would be most honored to support the College by hosting another “Christendom 101” event. It was a pleasure.”
-Lynette Urankar, Richfield, OH
“We felt compelled to host a Christendom 101 session because the school has already blessed us in multiple ways and we wanted to share those blessings. It was easy to organize and host the event, but Therese put in a lot of effort to make it special. We would be happy to host another Christendom 101 session, maybe in the fall.”
-John and Therese Cermak, McLean, VA
“The event was easy to organize because Christendom College had sent us a package to help prepare for the college information night with great ideas for hosting. There was a video on the college, college and summer program material our guests could take home and a student information card that allowed the college to follow up with the student guests that attended. We invited mostly 10th-12th grade students from my daughter’s school and a few friends from church.”
–Mary Piorkowski, Mesa, AZ

We’re so excited that you have an interest in our Christendom 101 events! If you have any questions, please contact our Associate Director of Admissions Ben Marsh at ben.marsh@christendom.edu or at 540-227-7233.