Fall 2008--Harvest Party Ideas

Phew! We’ve made it through summer, and hopefully have things in full swing for fall and the school year. When we gathered together at District Assembly, several of you shared that you put on a fall Harvest Party for your church/community.

If you’re not already in midst of planning, here are some ideas for making this a Bible-themed event. Encourage people to dress up as Bible characters and plan for each game/activity to be related to a Bible story or verse. Make posters with pictures and a summary of the story or verse nearby each game. Here are some examples:

*Walls of Jericho (Ball Toss)
*Fishers of Men (Fishing Pond)
*Potter’s Shop (Clay Crafts)
*Lion’s Den (Table games or games such as foose-ball, pool, pop-a-shot, etc.)
*Noah’s Ark (Cake Walk—decorate with animals)
*Jonah & the Whale (Dunk Tank)
*Fruits of the Spirit (Hang apples from the ceiling and race to see can eat theirs the fastest—hands-free!)
*New Man (Face Painting)
*David & Goliath (Bean Bag Toss—use a tall piece of cardboard or wood to paint on your Goliath, with holes to toss bean bags through)
*Get creative and come up with some of your own ideas!

Here are a couple of ideas to help adults & teens enjoy the party, in one word: food! Host a chili cook-off, complete with different categories, judges and prizes. Be sure to have lots of juice and cornbread to go along. An idea teens will love? Rent a Karaoke machine for the evening (or borrow one from a preteen girl!), set up a stage, and let everyone go!

Feeling overwhelmed with so much to do? The key here is delegation: put a different class or family in charge of each game, someone else for the food, and be sure to have a set-up and clean-up crew. I know this is easier said than done, but once everyone is involved, it’s sure to spread excitement, which is the key to a great party! Have fun!

(Note: I hate to say it, but if you haven’t begun Christmas planning, now is the time. Get any events on the calendar, and if you want to do a Sunday school program, now is the time to begin practicing with the kids!)

Do you do something special or unique with the kids of your church for Christmas? If so, please email me your ideas to share with others around the district. Let’s remember to keep each other in our prayers. God Bless!