5 Fun Church Event Ideas That Foster Youth Fellowship

These church event ideas are sure to create a sense of friendship and belonging

Think about the last time you went to a social gathering or networking event. Was it fun, engaging, and did you feel encouraged to stay and be part of the group? Or did you feel like you were ready to leave as soon as you could gracefully exit? Certainly, you’ve experienced both of these feelings at some point. And that’s precisely what the youth in your church are experiencing at every church event. Ideas around creating a welcoming and exciting environment aren’t just for the secular world. If your church youth group isn’t appealing to the young people, your ministry is at risk of losing the next generation.

No pressure, right? There must be some way to retain your values and move your mission forward while still coming up with church event ideas that bring young people together in a fun, appealing way? Fortunately, there are plenty.

Naturally, some events work better in some churches than others. You have to be the judge of what will work for your congregation. To get started, here are five church event ideas that have the potential to foster fellowship within your youth group.

Appeal to the next generation of worshippers with an Everwall social media display at your next church function.

5 Church event ideas your youth group needs today

1. Step outside the church

If the extent of your youth ministry is to convene a lecture every Sunday morning, you’re missing a lot of opportunities. One could argue that real fellowship happens away from the classroom. How much can your youth group bond if they’re sitting in chairs listening to someone talk? Get outside the walls of your church and do something – anything – that gets people moving and talking. It’s the base for almost all church event ideas to follow.

2. Go to a game

Do you have a professional or minor league sports team nearby? Or perhaps a college team? Go to a game. You can usually get group discounts on tickets, and it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening. While professional or minor league sports might be limited to baseball, football, or basketball, a local college or university may have even more options, such as soccer, rugby, volleyball, hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, and so much more.

3. Start a running group

Exercise is an activity that has fantastic health benefits throughout life.  It can also be hard to get and stay motivated on your own. A running group (or yoga, biking, or any exercise) is a great way to get outside, get fresh air and sunshine, help your body and mind stay healthy, and fellowship with your fellow youth. You may even be able to draw community members, thereby potentially expanding your youth group.

4. Volunteer days

It’s not unusual for church event ideas to include some community service. How often, though, do these events focus on a youth group? There is no shortage of community organizations that could use some real, hands-on help. Think about your local animal shelter, a food bank, Habitat for Humanity, park clean-up events, or soup kitchens. Could your group make it a monthly event? Or host their own events to raise money for an organization in addition to spending time volunteering? Make it a monthly or quarterly youth group activity. It not only helps the organization, but it helps build that fellowship every youth group needs.

5. Stay inside the church

Even though it may sound like it, this doesn’t cancel out the previous church event ideas. There is a lot you can do indoors to nurture and grow your youth group. Host a study hall one night each week for high school and college students. Offer peer tutoring if you have students who are capable in a given subject. Just make sure you have access to high-speed WiFi, as so much schoolwork is online.

Whatever events you choose, don’t forget to market them within your church, and to the larger community. And when you use a dedicated hashtag, all of your Twitter and Instagram posts can appear on your digital signage or you can embed a service (like Everwall) on your website and every post with your church’s hashtag will appear instantaneously. And don’t worry, you can add filters to automatically keep out any unexpected surprises (or you can monitor the hashtag manually and be worry-free).