04 Jul Activities Your Congregation Can Participate in All through the Year
Some of the true blessings that comes with belonging to a church group is a sense of community. While it’s nice to stack on Sundays to worship, church groups often hang out doing fun things together to boost friendships, too. If you’re the one that’s in charge of preparing social events for your congregation, the following are some seasonal activities that will take everyone together for some fun.
FALL
Awwwwwh … fall is undoubtedly magical for many reasons, and the tasks available today of year don’t let you down. There’s nothing like setting up a hayride for the congregation with donuts and hot apple cider. Or, how about weighing in adhering to a pumpkin growing task (issued earlier in the spring, of course)? Come October, put a harvest festival to see who grew the largest pumpkin, have a chili cook off, exchange favorite pumpkin recipes, and have a selection of tasks for the kids (pumpkin carving, face painting, a spook alley and cake walk, etc.). It would also be fun to rig a giant screen in someone’s backyard to watch a football game on, or reserve a local barn for a good, old-fashioned square dance with a caller. When the chill returns to the air and the holidays are around the corner, each of these adventures is the perfect pairing for.
WINTER
When white comes to cover the brown earth during the winter months, why not take the congregation on a group ski trip– for a day, an evening, or longer! And, when the holidays roll around, there’s nothing like caroling together as a group and getting together for hot chocolate and some Christmas cookies when the evening is over.
SPRING
Even though this may not be “fun,” arranging a spring cleanup party can certainly be suitable. Sometimes there are big projects that need carrying out (moving furniture, laying sod, or chopping a huge pile of wood, for example), and the old familiar proverb is certainly true: many hands make light work. Or, there may be widows or single mothers in your congregation who could work with some help with yard work or things that need fixing around the house. Despite the circumstance, cooperating can deepen your appreciation for each other and teach children the value of service, too. Some other ideas? Plant a community garden. Prep the earth in the spring, plant the seeds and starter plants, and after that work together so everyone can enjoy some of summer’s bounty. But for fun? What about going roller skating together or planning a themed St. Patrick’s Day party? All of these actions will bring the group closer together and generate lasting memories.
SUMMER
Absolutely nothing quite says summer like a group BBQ with chips, watermelon and homemade ice cream, in conjunction with a competition to see which potluck dessert wins as the favorite. Hiking together in the nearby canyon to see an amazing waterfall or visiting a local water park and savoring the sun together are good approaches, too. For something that takes more time, what about holding a congregational campout? When it gets dark, it’s super fun to canoe on the lake and makes more around the campfire. And, there’s consistently waterskiing, or enjoying a local amusement park. It’s a lovely thing to be moved by a sermon on Sunday, but it’s quite awesome to watch that same preacher bust a gut when you’re out having a good time together and those memories will linger in your mind and heart long right after they’ve happened.
It’s fun to plan activities that correspond to the different seasons. Hopefully these ideas gave you some inspiration if you’re the lucky one who has the job of organizing events to bring everyone together.