Youth and Recreation Activity Resource Center
Activity and Resource Center
Parties Banquets Fellowships Picnics and other group socials are Social Recreation Activities.
Definition. Social recreation is activity engaged in during one's leisure time that involves, in an appropriate setting, social interaction - people with people. This activity usually finds expression as a party, banquet, fellowship, picnic, or some other similar activity.
Social recreation is people having fun. Much of life for many people is not fun. Social recreation as part of a church's recreation ministry enables people to have wholesome fun in a Christian setting. An opportunity to laugh may well reduce pressures ¬physical and otherwise - which persons face in their day-by-day encounters.
Social recreation is a place for meeting new people. The opportunity for an ever-expanding web of friendship is offered through a church's social recreation activities. People who need people find people and love and Christian witness through social recreation.
Social recreation is an opportunity to strengthen already established relationships. Through family activities mothers and fathers get closer to sons and daughters. Brothers and brothers find personhood in one another through play. A friendship that has existed for years grows and blooms through the contacts provided by social recreation. And in all of this the Christian witness finds opportunity for expression.
Social recreation is for the individual an opportunity to grow socially. Many people's primary social contact is that of the fellowship of a church. It is the church's privilege, therefore, to make the individual's touch with "the fun of life" meaningful by providing experiences of the very best quality available.
Social recreation is, for the potential leader, an opportunity to acquire and develop new skills. This includes skill in planning, promoting, and leading. A good social leader is not born. A good social leader becomes that by practice, and social recreation in the church's program provides that practice.
Social recreation helps Christians find meaning in the correlation of worship and play. The worship service is over on Sunday evening. The congregation comes to the fellowship hall for a time of fun singing, games, and refreshments. God's people at worship then become God's people enjoying one another in Christian fellowship.
Worship and Play. At a party, after games and refreshments and a joyful, fun-filled time of stunts by every group present, everyone joins hands and hearts, united in a worshipful prayer of thanksgiving to God. Thus, social recreation brings worship and play together.
Social recreation is a proving ground for Christians as they find maturity in their relationship with Christ. Whether it be the maturing of leading or of positive participation, the Christian meets with other Christians and enjoys and grows more each time it happens. Here is the Holy Spirit at work through social recreation.
Purpose. Social recreation strengthens relationships within a church, building the “Koinonia” - the fellowship of believers in Christ. The Koinonia of a church is enriched by people worshiping together, singing together, praying together, experiencing joy or pain or sorrow together, and by playing and laughing together. Social recreation helps Christians realize anew that they belong to God and to one another.
Social recreation is vital in outreach to those beyond the church ... to those persons the church is seeking to reach for Christ. This group can include both the inactive church member and the non-Christian. A party in a home, a fellowship featuring hobbies, a picnic in the park - all may kindle a spark of interest and attract the one the church is seeking to reach.
Social recreation will help strengthen church and community relationships and will contribute positively toward building good relationships with other congregations with whom the church has fellowship. Be it an associational sports banquet, a community picnic, or a block party, the church finds in this social recreation an opportunity to become more entrenched into the life of the community in which it is situated or more a part of all the life of the body of churches wherein it holds common interests.
Types of Social Recreation. Following is a listing with definition of some of the more familiar types of social recreation used by churches. Examples of some of the types are also included.
Parties. A party is a social event usually featuring a theme, decorations, games, and refreshments, but it is not limited to those elements. Time is usually one to two hours, but this varies greatly according to groups. It can be held at the church, at a home, at an outdoor location, at a restaurant, or at some public facility.
The Newspaper PartyWith a few minor adaptations this party can be used with youth or adults. |
Advertising and Promotion. In promoting this party, planners should take care to see that the newspaper motif is used in advertising. For instance, paste a newspaper sheet over a sheet of poster board with a white sheet of paper attached giving the date, time, and place of the party. Personal invitations could be written with crayon on pages of newspaper and mailed in envelopes. Articles in the church paper may be headlined, "Extra, extra ... Read all about it."
In advance guests may be asked to collect newspapers and bring them to the party. Be sure to state that the more newspapers brought to the church, the better. As an incentive, advertise that a contest will be held to determine the largest collection of newspaper.
The Layout Room decorations are super simple. Just cover the walls with newspapers. However, don't stop with the walls. If possible, put newspaper on the ceiling and the floor. (Be careful to attach papers in some manner that will not harm walls or ceiling.) When guests enter the room, watch their expressions. The room decor will speak to the fun and gaiety of this unusual party. Worried about cleanup? Don't be. The decorations are to be used when needed for games and activities.
The Sections. Just as there are many sections in a newspaper, there are many possibilities for a newspaper party.
Use newspapers to mold almost any shape to resemble recreational equipment. For example:
If the party is conducted in a large room, the newspaper can be shaped into a ball and into a bat, and baseball can be played.
With a little imagination and a cardboard box, a basketball game can be played (with modified rules).
"Dodge ball" and "keep-away" are other games that can be enjoyed by using a recycled wad of newspaper.
Group Activities that may be used in a newspaper made up of groups:
As the guests enter the room, arbitrarily distribute an equal number of cut strips of newspaper. On these strips is written one of the following: "comics," "editorial," "sports," "society," or "classified." (Add more or fewer section names according to the size of the crowd.) Instruct each section to sit in a circle. (All the "sports" would sit together, and so forth) Inform the guests that this circle is their group for some of the party's activities.
Using scales, weigh the combined collection of each group's newspaper that each person had brought to the party. Declare the group with the heaviest collection winner. Inform the groups that these stacks of newspaper will be used in some of the party's activities. However, just to be sure there is enough newspaper for these games; a wise leader will bring lots of extra newspaper to the party. It may be obtained from newspaper offices, libraries, and friends.
Ask each group to select a fashion model. Using only newspaper and tape, each group will design a dress or suit. Upon completion, have a fashion show. Let the guests select the best-dressed model by applause.
Before the party, prepare a jigsaw puzzle out of a newspaper page for each group. Puzzles are easily prepared by gluing newspaper pages to poster board for stability. Cut the board into small pieces. Distribute a puzzle to each group. The first group to complete the jigsaw puzzle is the winner.
Before the party, prepare mimeographed lists for a newspaper scavenger hunt. The list and duplicate copy of the newspaper from which the list was made should be given to each group. The list should ask the groups to locate certain sentences in movie ads, pictures of specific things, advertising slogans, items in the classified section, scores of sporting events, and other items of interest. Let each group tear out the item from the newspaper. The group to find first each item on the list is the winner.
Distribute to each group a crossword puzzle cut from a newspaper. Have dictionaries available. Allow ten minutes for each group to work on the puzzle. At the end of the time allotment, have each group count the number of correct answers. The group with the largest number of correct answers is the winner.
Pass out three or more newspapers of different dates to each group. Thoroughly mix up the newspapers before distribution. Each group is to race to get the pages of each newspaper back into chronological order.
Using the newspaper in the group, or newspapers off the wall, have each group to build a paper creation. This creation may be an art sculpture, a kite, a hanging, or a paper-tearing creation. After each has completed the paper creation, have an art show. Encourage groups to share the meanings of their creation. If possible, display each group's work.
The list for group activities could go on and on. Actually, a social recreation leader is limited only by his imagination in thinking of additional activities for group experiences.
In addition to games that can be played within groups, there are a number of activities that may be played individually.
Individual Game Possibilities:
Naturally, more games are suggested than can ever be used in one party. A good leader will pick, adapt, and create new games to meet the needs of his particular group.
Letters to the Editor
Dismiss the party with a brief period of devotions declaring that the love of God for man is "good news" to every generation.
A "Let's Put It All Together!" Party |
Youth and Adults of all ages will enjoy this puzzling jigsaw party.
Along with other fashions and fads of the 30's, jigsaw puzzles have made a return to popularity. Here is a party you can adapt to any youth or adult group. Because you will need to know the number of guests in advance, it should probably be used within a particular Sunday school or Church Training department group rather than as an all-church party.
To Publicize the Party, write all the details of the time, place, and date on a piece of heavy cardboard; then cut it into four or five pieces shaped like typical jigsaw puzzle pieces. Hand the pieces out to individuals before a Sunday school department period; then have them all come to the front and try to fit their pieces together so the message can be read.
In Preparing for the Party, you will need to get one jigsaw puzzle for every four guests expected. Try to get puzzles of similar difficulty: a 300-piece puzzle is probably complex enough to keep four people busy for two hours. You may be able to borrow some puzzles, but avoid getting some either much harder or much easier than the rest. Drugstores and supermarkets often carry cheap puzzles which are attractive, fairly inexpensive, and are fairly easy. Besides getting the puzzles, be sure you have enough square tables to seat all expected guests in groups of four.
As the Guests Arrive, you will need to direct them to tables. If you want this party to be a mixer, prepare beforehand pieces of heavy paper (about six inches by six inches) cut into four pieces. The cuts should be like those used in jigsaw puzzles, and each four pieces should have a distinctive cut so that they fit only one another. If you have a large crowd, using different colors of paper will make the matching simpler. Have a set to go with each table, and mix all the pieces together before handing one out to each person as he enters. Each guest will search for the other three persons whose pieces fit together with his; and when the group members have found one another, they sit down together at a table. If needed, these pieces can also be used as name tags.
Wait until all the guests have arrived before handing out the puzzle pieces. As the people are coming in, you might play the following game.
Biographical Jigsaw
Refreshments can be served at the end of the party or as a break during the work. Carry out the idea of putting things together by having each person make his own ice-cream sundae. Have a number of toppings besides the usual chocolate or caramel syrups: maple or blueberry syrup, strawberry jam, Granola-type cereal, and crushed chocolate-covered mint cookies. For even simpler refreshments, serve slices of three-flavored ice cream accompanied by pieces of a sheet cake cut like a crazy quilt instead of in even squares. If the party is for a youth group, cut pizzas in strange shapes and serve with soft drinks and peanut brittle.
Musical Jigsaw. While the guests enjoy the refreshments, try playing the game, Musical Jigsaw.
Banquets. A banquet is a more formal social activity, usually with a sit down meal. Time is approximately one-and-one-half to two hours. Theme, decorations, and program are elements. Audience participation is encouraged.
| Superstars: An All-Sports Banquet. |
Superstars! Plan a superstar banquet to honor all participants in all sports events sponsored by your church during the past year. Whether they are a nine-year-old second basemen or a fifty-year-old bowler, they are superstars. In this day of the sophisticated, professional sports personality, little attention is paid to the common folk participating in sports. We all know that the people who participate in Christian recreation are the real superstars. So ... why not a banquet ... a super feast to recognize all the superstars within your Christian recreation program?
Organization and Planning
The Food Committee should decide on an appropriate menu that centers on the banquet theme. Here is a suggested menu:
You may want to dress the servers in varied sports uniforms to look like members of teams.
The Entertainment Committee should decide well in advance the banquet date, the banquet theme, the program and the decorations. Ideas for the Program.
The Entertainment Team will also be responsible for the evening's award presentations.
The publicity committee should begin "hitting the field" early. Whether you use commercially produced posters or young-people produced ones, plaster those walls with the information about the banquet. The posters can be large reproductions of different kinds of sports equipment. There are lots of fun things you can do such as sports announcements in the Sunday school and the Sunday morning worship service. If the pastor plays golf, fishes, or plays tennis, have him pull an appropriate piece of equipment from under the pulpit and give details of the banquet.
The Programs for the Evening are also this team's responsibility. Check with all the other teams for input and material (menu, presentations, program personalities, acknowledgments) for the program. Tickets for the super banquet should be facsimiles of a sporting event ticket. A three- by five-inch card of good quality could be produced on your own computer and printer.
The Sports World today is flooded with slo-mo (slow motion), stop-action, and other multimedia madness. Try something along this line for the banquet. Long before the banquet, the multimedia presentation team should contact one or more accomplished photographers in the congregation. These people should have good camera equipment and be willing to spend some time and effort. Provide them with adequate film and schedules of all the church's teams competing during the year. The photographers should get many action and still pictures of all the teams. This will provide plenty of slides for the banquet. Process the slides, and prepare a funny narration accompanied by background music. (There should be a great number of action shots, but be sure there are pictures of all the teams in the recreation program.)
The Decoration Team should really be "on the ball." This team must set the mood for the super night. Set your imaginations free! From any bookstore or poster shop, buy a number of posters of famous sports personalities or professional superstars. Get some of the better action shots from the multimedia committee, and take them to a film shop to have made into posters. Now you've got posters of your church's very own superstars! Place all the superstars' posters on the “walls of the banquet room. (Note: The whole superstar planning team should decide in advance whether to use the church's fellowship hall or some other facility for the banquet.)
Any trophies won in the recreation ministry can be placed in the room and perhaps even used as centerpieces with plastic laurels or leaves around the base. Cover the tables with rolls of paper which can be marked upon. You can use white or green cloth instead. Draw or have some ladies stitch on the length of the table coverings different playing fields (a tennis court, a football field, a basketball court, or a baseball diamond.) Add lots of streamers and colorful crepe paper to liven up the "arena."
All committees can serve as the cleanup committee. Make certain that these arrangements are understood by all. With everyone working, the cleanup should not take much time.
Have a lot of fun at your superstars' super banquet! Remember, however, that you're honoring people who are stewards of the kingdom. They are people who have committed themselves to the physical dimension of their beings; and using that expression to participate in competition, they fellowship and witness through Christian recreation. Have a super time!
Here are a few other banquet ideas which will enlarge your concept of this approach to social recreation.
Plan a youth banquet on a Friday night at 10:00 P.M. to discuss the summer youth activities. Advertise that all are to be initiated into the "Order of the Owl" Keep an air of mystery about preparations. Reveal at the end of the program tentative summer plans for youth.
Feature The Owl In All Publicity - on posters, perched in conspicuous places in the church building, in the youth newspaper, and mailed invitations. Also include proverbs or wise sayings of the "Wise Old Owl," along with announcement of time, date, and place. Decorate the banquet room with owls - pictures, drawings, coin banks, figurines. At the entrance fashion a tree with a limb on which sits an owl and under which guests will walk to enter.
Present A Musical Group (the Hoot Owls), a humorous reading from a large book labeled "Wisdom Literature," and the "Wise Old Owl" (youth director, pastor, or other youth leader) who will announce possible summer youth plans for consideration and further planning by the youth. Share ideas, assign responsibility, appoint committees, and "wise up" about what to do next summer!
Plan A Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Banquet. Reverse the usual manner of contacts, and promote the idea of pupils calling their teachers, expressing their appreciation, inviting them to the banquet and to Sunday School the following Sunday.
Publicize With Posters Featuring Apples: a bowl of apples, an apple with a worm poking his head out; the proverb, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"; the phrase, "the apple of his eye" (Deut. 32:10); and the banquet theme.
Decorations
Entertainment
Youth and Senior Citizens
A Fellowship Is a Social Event lasting an hour or less - usually after some activity or program: after church, after a revival service, after a football or basketball game, and occasionally before some activity or program. If decorations and theme are used, they are more informal than those for a party or banquet. A fellowship can be held at the church, at a home, in a restaurant, in a park, in backyards - anywhere.
Refreshments are optional.
Programs include games and entertainment or a combination of these.
Sometimes fellowships are serious using debates, dialogue with the pastor, or films.
October Ushers In The New Year for most Southern Baptist churches. Why not celebrate with an all-church "annual" fellowship? Borrow some school traditions such as choosing "Who's Who" personalities and display old school yearbooks. Such activities can be both funny and informative as folk remember events of the past year and get to know former and new church leaders.
Publicity Should Emphasize The School Yearbook Theme. Posters can resemble covers or pages from old school annuals. Make clear that the fellowship is for all church members. Make it part of "Church: the Sunday Night Place” Promote plans by encouraging all church program leaders to announce the fellowship plans in their meeting.
Decorate by Using a School Pep Rally Theme with streamers, pompoms, pennants, and banners. Use your church's colors. Avoid using colors of local schools.
The Feature for the Fellowship will be the church "annual." Plan and create the booklet well ahead of time.
Probably the greatest momentum you will gain all year is generated at the back-to-school season. Many activities lend themselves to this time of the year.
Squad Breakfast.
Fifth Quarter Fellowship
The Birthday Bash
Picnics
A picnic is an outing at lunch or supper, with the food usually being furnished by those taking part. Picnics can be at the church, but they are usually held at a park or in some rural setting.
Breakfasts
A breakfast is a less formal adaptation of the banquet because of the time it is held. A theme and program can be meaningful here.
Teas and Receptions
The tea and the reception are more formal social occasions usually held to honor someone or to celebrate an event.
All Of These - Parties, Banquets, Fellowship, Picnics, Breakfasts, Teas, And Receptions - can be used in and through the program of the church. The church is a natural setting for social interaction. The church is a natural place for social recreation. Social recreation is a natural as the church gathers and as the church scatters to proclaim the Good News.
For the latest ideas and in-depth guidance in planning and implementing social recreation in your church or organization see the articles posted under Social Recreation and the Church. Following is a listing of the contents of this excellent resource:
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