where do you begin?

Trying to plan a social for a class or group of people? What should you do, where should it be, when should it be? Those are all really good and common questions to ask yourself and I would just keep it simple till you get a following! But how do I do that you ask? Well if the weather is amazing outside do picnics, games in the parks (baseball is GREAT because both girls and guys will play), cookouts, pool parties, game night at someone's house (something for indoor fun) or scavenger hunts with an ice cream treat to follow after wards (team building activities are great for creating bonds between folks)! Keep in mind not to do something where it is difficult for people to chat or stay together, for example the zoo would not be a good first social for a class- trying to keep up with everyone and stay together is a task in itself!

First thing first: create a theme around the event- it helps to bring excitement to the event and brings curiosity to what is going to take place! For example plan parties around the season and what you are doing: "Pumpkin Patch Picnic" is a great idea for the fall time, especially in October! Depending on the age group of the folks and if their are kiddos involved plan an adventure to a pumpkin patch where you can enjoy picking out pumpkins to decorate your homes with and then once everyone is done sit back and chat the afternoon away with a picnic lunch or dinner! Another example for a theme for game night would be: "Don't be "SORRY" you missed!" it involves the the title of the game, SORRY, and creates a sense of "ohh!" I better not miss this! I could go on forever, but hopefully you get the idea and as you follow my blog you will see how each month I follow the trend of naming themes for the events! Also, it shows you are really put forth an effort in planning something for your class or group, therefore if they see you are committed right off the bat then they are more interested in what you are presenting them! GOAL: GET THEIR ATTENTION in the beginning, otherwise it just may not work out!

THE MOST important thing to remember- is to pray about it prior to announcing it, while planning it and before everyone arrives because GOD is the sole one responsible for building the community in which HE has blessed you with! This is something that I learned this summer after our class had the opportunity to "birth" another class, Inside Out, and we had to relaunch our existing class! We did have a relaunching party, but I'll save that for a later post- stay tuned! It was though we had to start all over in planning events, the attendance was low, which was extremely abnormal, and I didn't know what to do- I kept thinking "what can I do?" Finally it clicked one evening at our small group book discussion that GOD was the only one that could bring things back together- I am just the driver of the vehicle, but HE is road in which I drive on, providing me streets to drive on and directions to go! So I began to pray more about what I was planning and the people that it involved and I brought our social back to the basics- so with LOTS of prayer and a "HOT Doggin good time" at our house we had our group back together! We grilled hot dogs, everyone hung out inside the house chatting the evening away, because it was SO hot, and the kiddos ran around playing! We did set up water activities in the backyard for the kiddos and some of the "big" kids played too!

So remember: PRAY, plan a theme, PRAY, and keep it simple till you have a following and have built a community that is strong and desires to be together doing life the way life was intended- with GOD!


Happy Fall planning- get creative and play on words! Just for fun- check out this blog on how to make these cute lil' pumpkins (pictured above) for SUPER cheap! PS- you could plan a social around this! HOW: "Got some spare time?" Join us for a pumpkin treat! Have everyone bring some spare wood, (everyone has random wood sitting in their garage or their parents!) a pumpkin inspired treat to eat and drink, and make sure to provide a saw and the safety equipment that goes along with it! Do it at someone's house, let the guys work in the garage cutting away and have the gals inside painting away their pumpkins (provide the paint and ribbon and have everyone pitch in $ to cover it)! Once everyone is done- then sit around for a treat! Volia- a themed event, easy, fun, and cheap all the while at someone's house! Plus everyone goes home with a party favor! Don't forget to send an email (keep it themed as well) out via evite, pingg, or punchbowl (all free resources- there are plenty more, but these are the three I normally use) at least 3 weeks prior to the event with reminders every week!

Ciao for now...