Everyone loves parties. From little kids excited about a birthday party to young ladies all atwitter at bridal showers, everyone loves a party! Whether it's wedding receptions and anniversaries or tailgate gatherings, getting together with good friends and tasty food is a can't-miss recipe for fun.
Never underestimate the importance of a good party or social activity as a way to build your group. In the small groups at my home church, we learned we could easily double our regular small-group attendance with unchurched friends if the group members invited them to a party or two first.
Theme nights such as "I Hate Winter," "Thanksgiving Dinner," "Halloween Bonfire," and "Fifties Night" have been very successful for us. To gather a crowd, the key is to provide good food and play a few corny games. Unchurched people always have a good time, and are usually willing to listen intently as a few of our group members share their stories of how they came to a personal relationship with Jesus. Often, decisions are made for Christ at such gatherings—all because we had a party.
God Loves a Good Party
In the Bible, God went out of his way to tell his people that he wanted them to have parties on earth. These parties certainly weren't drunken orgies. They were fun gatherings consisting of good food, good friends, and good times (Deut. 14:22–26). God loves parties so much that he commanded his children to take time off work and faithfully enjoy godly parties together. He even ordained that the entire Jewish religious calendar be based on ten national parties, or "feasts."
Never underestimate the importance of a good party.
Jesus did his first miracle at a wedding party (John 2:1–10). He was anointed for his burial at a dinner party (Luke 7:36–50). The Bible says that when a sinner repents, heaven throws a party (Luke 15: 5–7, 9–10, 22–24). The Pharisees even criticized Jesus because they thought he was too interested in parties (Luke 7:34). When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven, he called it a banquet party (Luke 14:15–24).
Deepening Relationships
Many people have a relational void or hole in their hearts. One reason people come to small groups is to fill that social void in their lives. Don't fight it! Use it to build your group. Every few weeks, plan a social gathering as part of your group's meeting schedule, or on a different night of the week. Such gatherings will increase the "fun quotient" of your group. Parties will add to group excitement, ownership, interest, and involvement. Parties are also very effective evangelistic tools, as non-believers see firsthand that Christians can actually have fun.
Social gatherings provide group members with a new outlet to share even more of their lives together. During a well-planned social gathering, people often discuss things that never seem to come up in a group meeting where everyone in the room is listening to the person talk. They get to see each other as "real people." Going rafting or playing softball allows the group members to see sides of one another that they may rarely see in the group meeting.
Discipleship Opportunities
Some of Jesus' greatest moments with his disciples were not in formal settings, but in social gatherings. Jesus used every opportunity to disciple his group by telling stories and asking probing questions in order to get his disciples to think and process what he may have said in a sermon they heard days before.
You, too, can disciple your members the way Jesus did. Use conversations and dialog surrounding what you are learning as a group and as a church.
Retaining Visitors and New Members
Research shows that if new people at a church or group do not make seven friends within the first seven weeks of attendance, they will not stay. Small groups and social gatherings are the natural solution. Use social gatherings as an opportunity to help new people make friends with others in your group quickly. Organize some type of social gathering at least every seven weeks, and focus on getting new folks there as the main reason to hold the event.
There is practically no limit to what you can do for fun as a group. You can have a group picnic, go to a baseball game, have a married couples' date night, go camping, have a cookout, go bowling, play volleyball, go out to eat at a nice restaurant, play board games, and so much more. Just make sure you invite as many unchurched people and unconnected church members as possible.
Excerpted from The Pocket Guide to Leading Small Groups. Used with permission. Published by TOUCH Publications, Houston, Texas. 1-800-735-5865
