Youth and Recreation Activity Resource Center
Activity and Resource Center
Chapter Two
A Guide to Church Recreation - Social Recreation
A Guide To Church Recreation:
Social Recreation
In the beginning God created man. "God made man like his Maker. Like God did God make man" (Gen. 1:27, TLB).
God created man "to be the master of all life upon the earth and in the skies and in the seas" (Gen. 1:26, TLB).
God created man in His own Image and He created man for fellowship. He wanted someone to share His beautiful creation so; He created man as a social being who could respond to him in a relationship of love. In that sense man was set apart from the rest of God's handiwork:
· set apart to exist in a very special relationship to God
· set apart to share the joy of fellowship
· set apart to be responsible for the management of all of creation
· set apart to be responsible for his actions.
· Thus, God created man as a social being.
The result of man's sinful disobedience to God was a broken relationship. But God, through Christ, provided a new avenue of reconciliation between man and the Creator. Through the experience of the new birth, man once again enjoys a bond of fellowship with God. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). "Abundant life is the norm of existence for the Christian: joy, peace, communion, fellowship, relatedness, happiness, calm, and purpose. Anything less is abnormal and unnecessary.
Abundant Life
“A church offers social recreation
Because it realizes the need that is
Urgent to bring people together in a
Nearness that offers fun and fellowship and
Devotion to one another and to
Almighty God and to find in that
Nearness a feeling of belonging
To one another, a feeling expressed in
Love and laughter, in freedom and
In singing, in relaxation, and in a
Fervent desire to see others share that
Eternal life that's both hilarious and holy in Christ!
Abundant life is the gift enjoyed only by the redeemed. The church is a community of redeemed believers, and as such it should be the greatest witness of the abundant life as members express outwardly the joy of their inner experience. Since God's purpose in creation was fellowship in a relationship of love, man's purpose in daily living should be the same.
The kinship of Christians with one another is often described as fellowship. “Again I say," wrote John, "we are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you may share the fellowship and the joys we have with the Father and with Jesus Christ his Son" (1 John 1:3, TLB).
To belong to Christ is to have the nature to belong to all other Christians. The Greek word
‘Koinonia”, which is translated fellowship, is used to describe the bond that unites Christians.
Fellowship is developed further through the New Testament concept of believers as the household or family of God. Jesus said that all who believed in him were his family. They were his brothers, his sisters, his mother (Mark 3:33-35). To be identified with Christ is to be identified with all whom Christ loves.
The fellowship of God's people is such that "it crosses all barriers of age, social status, nation, race, and interest, creating one body in Christ, a fellowship of . . . equally condemned and equally forgiven sinners."
Man is a Social Being. From a purely sociological viewpoint people see themselves, not merely as humans, but as social beings. They take on meaning as humans with personalities as they live and grow in social groups. 'Each person exists not in a vacuum, but in relation to other individuals with whom he is interdependent.'? Each life has little or no meaning unless it is related to another life.
Social Recreation Activities of a Church is built on this broad foundation.
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 Party
With 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:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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:
1. Have each person make a paper airplane out of a newspaper page. Have contests to determine the person whose plane can fly farthest, who can do the best stunts, or who can fly his planes into a hole cut in a box.
2. Conduct a competition to see who can tear the highest number of newspaper pages using only the strength of his hands.
3. Cut out the captions to cartoons in the comic section of the newspaper. Distribute the cartoons to each guest. Ask the guests to write new captions for the cartoons. Have some of the better cartoons shared with the group.
4. Ask each person to write humorous ads for the classified section.
5. Clip pictures of famous personalities from several newspapers. Paste each one on a separate sheet of paper, giving that picture a number. Display the news photos, and let the guests identify them. The person correctly listing the largest number of photographs is the winner. (The same thing can be done with pictures of places.)
6. Begin a "Dear Abby" letter. Let each guest construct an answer for the letter. (Do the same thing with any other feature column such as, "Dear Billy Graham".)
7. Ask each person to design a postcard to a friend. The message of the postcard is to be composed of words and phrases cut from a newspaper. The words are to be pasted onto a three by five index card. The cards can be addressed and mailed.
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
The best parties are efforts of outreach. It should be noted that this party is no exception. Good things are bound to happen when a leader distributes a newspaper to a group asking that they search through it looking for a crisis which calls for personal ministry. Perhaps groups can become mission-action oriented. Some may want to assist people who have met with crisis. Others may want to offer congratulatory notes to individuals who achieved certain honors.
If the group chooses to honor a senior citizen, it would be nice to order a dated newspaper that told what happened on the day the person was born. (These newspapers may be secured from Holiday Gifts, Department 401-B, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033 at a nominal cost.)
Where there is need, the paper that has been collected for the party can be sold and used in ministry for the needy. The group may choose to have a wiener roast for indigent children. If so, wad the newspapers into tight rolls and tie the papers with a string to provide material for the campfire.
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
· Using several well-known persons (the pastor, the WMU president, the minister of music, Bible characters, or national figures), make up a series of biographical statements to be used as clues to their identities.
· Use examples such as "Born August 10, 1898" or "Native of Jackson, Mississippi" or "Likes to garden."
· Put each detail on a separate piece of paper.
· Have the clues written on the backs of the puzzle pieces the guests received at the door if you're not using those for name tags.
· Put the names of the "famous people" on a large poster or flannel board at the front of the room.
· Let each person read his clue aloud to the group and then try to pin or tape it under the correct name.
· If you use church leaders, be sure to choose details they won't mind publicizing.
· As more people come in, they can be given additional clues, so the game can last as long as it is needed.
· When all the guests have found their tables, hand out the puzzles.
· If you want to make the party a contest, let the guests all open the boxes at a signal and then see which group can be the first to:
1. get all its pieces turned right-side-up,
2. get its border completed, and finish its entire puzzle.
3. To liven up the competition, remove five pieces from each puzzle before the party,
4. mix these pieces all together, and give each group five pieces to swap with the other groups.
5. This will result in some sharp trading between tables as each group seeks to get the pieces it needs.
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.
· Have a pianist play short phrases from the middle parts of well-known songs,
· let the group try to guess the titles
· Choose the songs to suit the ages of your group
· Old popular songs will be good for adults
· You will need a pianist who can play by ear, or you will need to have a lot of old sheet music handy
· For a youth group, use a cassette recorder to record short snatches of top hits from two or three years back
· Leave some time in between the selections for guessing the titles
· If you want to close the party on a serious note, have a short devotional period comparing our own chaotic lives with those 300 separate puzzle pieces
· Remind the group that God knows where each piece should go; and if we will give him the pieces, he can make a beautiful picture
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
· Select a steering committee for the banquet.
· Divide committee members into subcommittees as follows: food, publicity, multimedia presentation, entertainment, and decorations.
· Nickname your subcommittees as teams in keeping with the banquet. Have some fun planning!
The Food Committee should decide on an appropriate menu that centers on the banquet theme. Here is a suggested menu:
Fairway Fixins (salad)
Tight End Taters (mashed potatoes)
"Putting Green" Beans (green beans)
Home Run Hunks (roast beef)
Farm League Gatorade (iced tea)
Touchdown Treat (pie)
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.
· A dramatic reading of "Casey at the Bat" with pantomime by the pastor will provide many laughs.
· There are numerous Christian athletes available as speakers.
· There are also many fine sports films available. Check with your Baptist Film Center. Contact a local or nearby chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
· The entertainment committee should get with the food committee to provide "vendors to peddle the iced tea or souvenirs, in the manner of the hot-dog boys at ball games.
(Entertainment Committee continued)
· On the scoreboard (provided by the decorations team) keep the score of the super bowl game.
· In the lull between the meal and getting the rest of the evening going, inform the guests of a competition (super bowl) by tables.
· Provide a magic marker and several sheets of paper for each table.
· Ask the people at each table to choose a name for their team, elect a captain and make up a cheer.
· Put the teams' names on the scoreboard.
· Have the captains come to the scoreboard.
· Quietly give them the name of a famous sports superstar, piece .of sports equipment, or a sports event.
· They must return to the table and without speaking draw the clue.
· Each captain holds up his drawing for his team members to see.
· The team members shout out their guesses.
· Provide "referees" who know the answer to circulate around the room and determine who shouts the right answer first.
· Play four separate quarters.
The Entertainment Team will also be responsible for the evening's award presentations.
· Before the banquet the committee should poll all coaches in each sport to select an outstanding boy and girl athlete and an outstanding coach in each sport.
· Also have the coaches vote on the outstanding Christian athletes, male and female, and the outstanding Christian coach of the year.
· Ask the coaches about any funny events, and present some gag awards.
· Be sure that all the nominees and winners are invited and attend!
· This committee should also provide awards for individual players. The banquet is a good time to recognize any teams which won their league championship.
· Secure a master of ceremonies or a "Super Coach" for the evening.
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.
The Order of the Owl Theme Banquet
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!
An Apple for the Teacher Banquet
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
· Decorate with Shiny Red Apples in baskets or bowls and small “apple trees" made from branches of greenery with red paper apples attached.
· Dangle red paper apples from the ceiling, tops of doorways or windows, or along the walls.
· Make plans for use of the apples after the banquet: for needy, a rest home, children's hospital, or other such place.
· On the speaker's table fashion a centerpiece of golden apples on a silver platter or in a nest of silver paper or leaves.
· On the wall behind the arrangement place a large decorative silver-and-gold placard on which are written the words of Proverbs 25:11 (RSV): "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."
· Use apples instead of place cards with each name written on a green paper leaf attached to the apple with a pin.
· Cut a large apple from red construction paper for the program cover with stem and one green leaf. Include the following on the program: "Rotten
Entertainment
· Apples" (a men's quartet)
· "She Was the Apple of His Eye but She Turned Out to Be a Lemon" (a boy-girl skit)
· "A Pair (Pare) of Apples" (an apple-paring contest between two men using left hands - award the winner a piece of fruit, anything but an apple!)
· “An Apple for the Teacher" (a toast or tribute to teachers with response by a teacher).
· Close with a message entitled" A Word Fitly Spoken" on appreciation.
“Me-And- You”
Theme Banquet for Youth and Seniors
Youth and Senior Citizens
· Lead youth to sponsor a banquet to which each young person will invite and bring as guest a senior citizen - a member of the church, the community, or a relative.
· Use tables for four or six for conversational grouping.
· Cover tables with checkered table cloths, each centered with a hurricane lamp, lantern, or kerosene lamp.
· Use Me-and-You in all publicity, on invitations, and on the program covers, along with pictures of things typical of life in the 1920's or earlier.
· In the banquet area, feature household symbols of some fifty years ago: antique dishes, flat irons, a church, a butter mold, a wash pot, a rocking chair, or pictures of these.
· Display these household symbols attractively with flowers, fruit, mirror, or cloth drape.
· Try to create a friendly warm atmosphere as the two groups become acquainted.
· Aim for real communication between youth and adults.
· Encourage senior guests to share events from their youth.
· Include group singing of old songs, a fun skit in old-fashioned costume, and a barbershop quartet.
· Ask both youth and elders to participate on the program.
· Conclude with a devotional speaker emphasizing the contribution each age group makes to the other.
Fellowships
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.
“Annual" Fellowship
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.
· You may use the first few pages for caricatures of staff members along with a humorous poem or title for each.
· The "Who's Who" section should be empty frames with titles "Mr. and Mrs. Church," "Friendliest," and "Most Likely to Succeed."
· Divide the groups into smaller groups, and have group members quickly sketch themselves in the blank frames in the class section.
· Have each group make up a church cheer and select a church song.
· Elect "Ms. Church" by voting on the woman who delivers the best cheer.
· Choose "Mr. Church" by electing the man from each group who sings best the church song.
· Recognize all leaders of church programs.
· Close the fellowship with refreshments usually eaten at sports events, such as soft drinks and bagged popcorn.
Fall Fellowship Ideas
Back To School
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.
· Early in the fall, probably at beginning of the football season, is a good time to let your youth group host a "squad breakfast."
· Invite the football team or teams from the schools in your area to be your guests at an early Sunday morning breakfast.
· Have plenty of good food and a fun atmosphere created with decorations representing the different school colors.
· Introduce the church staff and youth leadership.
· Present each team introducing each member of the squad and any coaches present.
· Close with a very brief devotional thought or a testimony by a respected Christian athlete.
· Ask all team members to stay for Sunday School and the morning worship service. Recognize the coaches and players who are in the morning service.
Fifth Quarter Fellowship
· After-Game Fellowships have become increasingly popular through the years.
· Plans for a "fifth quarter" after a high school football game should be fun and should include plenty of good refreshments.
· An exciting program of games, skits, and group singing should be planned.
· Close with a very brief inspirational devotional message.
· Try to have the location for the fifth quarter announced at the ball game. It will also help to have it announced at a pep rally prior to the game. Encourage non member to attend.
The Birthday Bash
Planning and Promotion
· Plan a year-end, church wide fellowship that celebrates everyone's birthday.
· Extensive planning is required if this fellowship is to be a success.
· Select a committee of twelve, and begin work at least three months in advance of the fellowship date.
· The most effective time to celebrate this fellowship is probably the second week in December. Get the date on the church calendar as soon as possible because of all the Christmas social events.
· Assign a different month of the year to each member of the committee.
· Direct each committee member to secure a list of church members born in his assigned month.
· Results are compiled and printed, giving month and day only, to be distributed at the close of the fellowship celebration.
· Committee members should decorate each of their tables using a theme to represent the month.
Decorations for the Tables.
· January: Use the theme of "Winter Wonderland" or "First Babes of the Year." Decorate the table using snow, evergreens, ice-skating, or other such items.
· February: Use the theme of "Valentine." Employ bright red colors with white lace.
· March: Make use of the "Winds of March" or "St. Patrick's Day." The color scheme should definitely be green. If the St. Patrick's Day idea is chosen, use clover and shamrocks to convey the concept.
· April: The motif of "April Showers" fits perfectly for this table's decoration. Inexpensive small paper umbrellas and other miscellanea may be purchased at a party store to make this table a favorite.
· May: Use the concept of "Graduation" to decorate this table. The colors of black and white add accent to the theme using replicas of chalk boards, diplomas, and textbooks.
· June: Of course the wedding theme should be used on this table employing the theme of "June Bride." Decorate using candles, white lace, and a small wedding cake (make out of boxes covered with white icing).
· July: The theme of "Independence Day" or "Fire crackers" may be used for this table. Cover the table with red, white, and blue paper anything patriotic.
· August: Employ the theme of "Summer Vacation" for this table. Use road maps for tablecloth and highway signs for place mats.
· September: Apply the theme of "Back to School." Use rulers, pencils, erasers, textbooks, notebooks, and lunch pails. Strive to recapture the rustic look of school in the 1920's.
· October: Decorate this table using the "Halloween" theme. This table will be easy to decorate. November: The subject of this table is "Thanksgiving." Make a Mayflower ship, pilgrims, and Indians to convey the theme idea, or use a cornucopia.
· December: Use the "Christmas" approach to this table decoration. Any bright colors will help communicate the yuletide season, especially red and white. Christmas lights may also be used to add variety.
Program and Activities
· Over each table suspend a placard listing the month and the theme.
· Everyone is instructed to sit at the table under the sign of his or her birthday.
· Everyone should make a name tag and wear it. Supplies should be provided at each table. Use the form that highlights the month.
· As people arrive have the “Namo” game sheet with instruction printed on it and ask each individual to get as many names on the card as possible
· Everyone is asked to select a theme song that represents his/her table.
· After a minute or two of preparation, each group presents its song.
· Play the game of “Namo” (can be found in most game books).
· Stress the importance of the Christmas season and the celebration of Christ's birthday. Decorate a Head front of the room with Christmas decorations. Have someone dramatically read the Christmas story (Luke 2:1-20).
· Serve Christmas cookies and hot punch. Dismiss with prayer.
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.
Social Recreation
Celebrate …….... the girth of man----
A picnic's what you'll get!
Celebrate …….…the birth of man-----
A birthday party, yet!
Celebrate ………the mirth of man-----
A fellowship you'll net!
Celebrate …….. the worth of man-----
A banquet's date is set!
To celebrate ………
…….. decorate
and
…….. congregate
and
…….. captivate
and
…….. communicate
and
…….. liberate
and
…….. re-create
CELEBRATE!
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:
Chapter
1. Social Recreation: What Is It?
· Definitions
· Philosophy
2. Social Recreation: And the Church
· Philosophy
· Relationships
· Age-groups
3. Planning and the Promotion
· Detailed planning instructions
· Detailed promotion instructions
4. The Party Definition
· Party Ideas
5. The Fellowship Definition
· Fellowship ideas
6. The Banquet Definition
· Banquet ideas
7. Social Recreation: The Other Get-togethers
· Definitions (picnic, receptions, teas.)
· Ideas
8. Food
· Importance of food
· Ideas - recipes
9. Games
· Game leadership instruction
· Scores of new games detailed
10. Resources
· Annotated bibliography