Are you considering having a Secret Sister gift exchange? It is such a fun women's group activity that may help build friendships within a community of ladies. Participants should be people who know and trust each other and are part of the same gathering of women who agree to the program's guidelines.
What is a Secret Sister program, and how do I start one?
Here is a brief summary of what a Secret Sister group is all about:
- Women sign-up to join a group of Secret Sisters.
- Everyone fills out a questionnaire that reveals their interests.
- Women are each randomly assigned a name of someone else in the group.
- They do not reveal whose name they have, nor are they aware of who chose them.
- They receive the questionnaire previously filled out by the person they selected.
- Each person will be a "Secret Sister" to someone else.
- Every participant will give to someone and also receive from someone else.
- The name they've drawn is the person they will anonymously bless for a period of time.
- The names are to remain a secret, so no one knows who has been blessing them.
- Each participant will offer cards and/or gifts to the person they've selected.
- Gifts and cards will reflect the other person's interests shown on the questionnaire.
- Gifts are given secretly without being noticed. (Don't sign your name.)
- Church groups often promote praying daily for your Secret Sister.
- The Secret Sister program may last for weeks or even months.
- There will be a reveal party at the end.
- Guests at the reveal party may guess who had their name.
- A final gift or card for each person will reveal their Secret Sister's identity.
Decide the rules your group will have and make that information clear when you are recruiting participants. Points to consider are as follows:
- How long will your Secret Sister program last?
- How often should Secret Sisters encourage each other with a gift or card?
- Is there a spending limit on gifts?
- Who will be in charge of event planning and organizing?
- How will each Secret Sister name be assigned or selected?
- Who will follow-up with everyone to remind them to actively participate?
- What will you do to keep it fair for everyone if someone drops-out of the group?
- Is there a gift distribution area in the church for items to be dropped off anonymously?
- When and where will there be a final Secret Sister reveal party?
- What other forms do I need? (See our other resources!)
- How can I make this Secret Sister group successful? (See our Secret Sister tips!)
We are offering a free printable sign-up form below that you may use to begin a secret sister group in your church, or simply among a group of friends. Print this form out and pass it around to women who may want to partake in this encouraging gift exchange.
Print out the Secret Sister group sign-up sheet by downloading the pdf file below:
Find great gift options for Secret Sisters on our website. We have fabulous Christian gifts in stock for women, which may be shipped to someone anonymously if you choose that option.
