There are so many options when it comes to events. It can be based on age, such as kids camp or senior adults camp. It can be based on marital status, such as a couples or singles retreat. It can be based on gender. It can be for church staff or volunteers. But really, this isn’t your type of event. It is your attendee demographic!
Your event type is what your event is about. Maybe it is a camp, held during the summer with hiking and lake activities. Maybe it is a leadership seminar with guest speakers and team building activities. The focus and activities are what determine the type of event you are hosting. It all begins with your goal. Create a niche, theme, or purpose that makes the event special and generates the desire to attend. The more specific, the better.
For example, if you know ladies in your congregation like to quilt, create an event specifically catered to that. Let them quilt, dine and worship together. Want to add a little more inspiration to quilt time? Have the goal of the event be to make quilts to donate to a nursing home in your community. Voilà, service project and congregational bonding.
Base an event around school with either a “School’s Out” or “Back to School” event for the students in your congregation. Pizza parties, lake swimming and worship concerts are the perfect activities for both events. If you want to turn this into a service project, have kids bring items to fill backpacks that will be donated to students in need in the community.
Host a kick-off event. New groups forming within a church need a spectacular way to get things started. Kick-off events allow for invitations, information and a fun time to let people get their feet wet. Check out our blog about using a retreat to jumpstart something else.
Events can also be based on the time of year. Fall festivals are a frequent success. Take a retreat and partake in all of those awesome fall activities. We’ve got ideas for fall crafts, treats, and themes. Winter is also a great time because people are looking to celebrate so much. Holiday events are a great way to bring church members together, as well as invite new ones in. Plus, there is a plethora of decoration and game ideas online to use.
Build a Lego retreat. Not everyone likes building, but I can guarantee this unique experience is sure to attract some. Hold contests throughout your event where guests have to make specific things, such as ark building while talking of Noah. Not to mention, there are a ton of Bible verses that could be used here: 1 Kings 8:13, 2 Corinthians 5:1, and Matthew 16:18 to name a few. Tying creativity into Bible study is a great way to let guests enjoy themselves while making the message stick. NOTE: this does not have to be a kids-only event. I’m sure there are plenty of adults that would love to build with Legos.
Another idea is a movie night. Church-hosted movie events are a huge hit these days. Play something the whole family can watch or get specific with a movie themed for a certain group. Plus, this is a cheap form of entertainment that takes the pressure off, especially when inviting non-church members. Just make sure you have the right licensing.
If you still aren’t sure what type of event you want to hold, hand out an interest survey to your congregation. Learn from the target audience about their likes and dislikes. This will either reassure your planning or may even give you some fresh ideas. Like I said, it is all about the purpose of your event. Define that and then you are ready to start planning.