Party Tips and Helps
Pre-preparation:
*decide where will it be located. For larger groups or people you know less, out front of your house is good, if you live near a greenbelt that is also a good location. Doing it indoors or in your backyard is better for smaller groups or people you know. Just think through what will work best (and if you do it in the backyard make sure you have good signage pointing it back there).
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*Decide on the date of the party. Think through if there are any neighborhood or city events that might overlap, as well as if people might have things going on (such as, if your neighborhood has a lot of kids you might want to avoid Saturday mornings because of sports).
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*figure out if you want to work together with someone else from the church or your neighborhood. Make sure to coordinate things (and that will be a factor in where you do the party, too).
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*Think through setup. Where will people sit, will you need a table to set food on, etc.?
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*decide what food will you have. Food is an important part of a party. Will you provide meat (like hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.), an entire meal, will you ask people to bring their own meat to throw on your grill and you provide a couple sides, will you have potluck style? Don’t forget drinks (even if it’s just water).
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*figure out if you want a theme. Hawaiian, etc. themes can be fun, but they are more cost and expense.
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*select if there are any games or activities you want to offer for people to play. If you own croquet, bocce ball, cornhole, ladder golf or any other activity that can be fun to set out.
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*make sure to process through the cost of everything. The church will offer to reimburse up to $150 for this event, but if you want to spend more make sure you are wise with your budget.
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*decide on time you want the party. If you are having a meal you will want it to be around a mealtime, and if it is more finger foods and snacks you might want it between meal times. You also need length of time. If you have activities perhaps 2-3 hours is good and if you just have food sticking closer to 2 hours might be better. Expect people to come and go so there might be times you are alone.
Invitation:
*fill out the invitation cards with the correct information for the party (location, time, date, etc.). Make sure to include if you want the attendees to bring anything (i.e. food, chairs for themselves, outdoor games to share, etc.).
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*invite people 7-14 days ahead of the event. You want it to be long enough ahead of time for people to plan, but not so long that they forget.
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*take the invitations around…if you want to hand them to people that you can that’s great, and for those you can’t you can leave them in a place they will see them (remember to not destroy property or walk where people might not want you to in their yard).
Supply purchase:
*begin gathering supplies ahead of time. If you need to order something, especially, give it time to arrive. If you have tables, chairs, games, or anything else you will be using make sure they are set in an easily accessible place and cleaned up ahead of time (don’t forget to check propane levels in a grill).
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*think through little details like paper products, plastic ware, cups (including perhaps a Sharpie to write names on with), ice, tablecloths, etc.
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*try to leave as little to last minute as possible so that during the day of the party you’re less stressed, don’t need to scramble around as much, and can give your guests the most attention possible (I love to make lists of things to gather and things to set up as I think about it all so that day of I have a guide).
Set-Up:
*make sure to be in prayer about the party. Pray that you will be able to make good connection with the people that arrive and that you will be open to anything God is doing.
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*on the day of the party, make sure to set up early. Often there are at least 1-2 people that arrive right on time or a couple minutes before, and you don’t want to be still focused on the prep when they arrive.
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*make sure to have a way to keep cold things cold and hot things hot (you don’t want things like cheese to just sit out lukewarm for two hours).
The party! (finally!):
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*be a great host! You know how it feels to go to someone else’s house (can be kind of awkward) so help people feel comfortable.
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*when someone arrives, greet them warmly and let them know you are glad they came.
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*make sure they know any info (what food there is, if they need to write their name on cups, where to sit, etc.).
*don’t spend all your time talking to people you already know (family or neighbors you already know).
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*don’t let someone just be alone and feel left out (although, if someone is more shy, that is ok, too, to let them have some space – just don’t forget about them).
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*when having conversations, make sure to learn about people (just don’t get too personal). Balance talking and listening.
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*when people leave, make sure to thank them for coming and let them know you are glad they came. Give them an invite to church and let them know you would be glad to have them come. Don’t forget to make sure they take everything they came with (dishes, chairs, games, kid toys, etc.).
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Clean up:
*if there is a lull, but still time left for the party, wait to clean up in case a few people show up late.
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*if there is no one there, you can clean up about 15-20 minutes before the time of the party end comes (if there are people there, wait until the official end – otherwise it can feel like you are pushing them away).
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*pray again for the people that God will use your efforts in a way that honors Him.
Whether your party was 100 people or 3, know that whoever attended was worth the effort and God can do great things from that. Hopefully you made a new friend or two, and you can continue to work on those relationships even if no one was willing to come to church right away. Even if you took all this time and effort and NO ONE showed up (been there, done that) know that your willingness to step out for Jesus can help your faith grow and that perhaps the invites being left can be the start of a friendship down the line.
Thank you so much for being willing to throw a party to celebrate and share Jesus!