Special Ministry Events
Each year at my church, we host a fall festival for the community. I am always amazed by the fact that our church, which averages around 150 people in attendance, is able to host an event for over 1,000 people in the community. While I love this event, it has not always brought a smile to my face.
Our fall festival started over 10 years ago simply as a way to provide an alternative activity to the American holiday, Halloween. We had small games, crafts, and candy for the children of our church. After a few years of following this pattern, a lady in my church expressed a desire to make this more of a community event by providing dinner for those in attendance. I started to catch her vision and decided to add an inflatable slide to the activities. We began to plan and announced the event to our congregation. I had no idea what was about to happen.
On the night of our fall festival, I was prepared for the usual number of church children and a few of their friends. Instead, we had so many people attend that it was impossible to count them. I wish I could tell you that it was an amazing night, but, to be honest, it was absolute chaos. We were not prepared, and I spent most of the night praying we all survived.
At the end of that night, my husband and I went home and took an honest look at this event. There was obviously a need and desire for it in our community because so many people had attended! If we were going to continue offering this event, we needed to do it right. We spent a great deal of time creating a new plan. I can now tell you that it is a joy to share the love of Jesus with our community each year in a well-organized event.
With some carefully thought out plans and preparations, I believe that you too can reach your church and community for Christ.
Ideas You Can Use
When planning a special event, you first need to determine your purpose. Why do you want to host this event? Your purpose will determine how you plan.
Once you have determined your purpose, you need to develop a detailed plan. Your plan should include more than just the who, what, when, and where about the event.
Too often, we fail to plan special ministry events because we are afraid of the cost. Do not let that fear keep you from reaching children.
Here are some tips and tricks from those who have done special events. Learn from their successes and mistakes!
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