Are you wanting to make your church events more engaging?

A successful church event combines a passion for the Word of God with fun, engaging events that are perfect for the demographic you serve. But sometimes, it's hard to determine which church events will become successful and which will fall short.

So, you need to make sure you know the top secrets for planning a great event. Below, we'll get into our top 10 event planning tips for churches. Keep reading to learn more and start making your outreach more impactful!

1. Focus on Jesus

When you plan church events, it can be easy to get distracted by all the unique opportunities. Some churches worry too much about making their events high-tech or entertaining. Engaging, well-organized events should certainly be a goal. Yet, your main objective should always be to bring your church congregation closer to Jesus.

You can do this in a variety of ways. Some churches choose to organize small groups of Bible studies. Others may have worship services and opportunities for socialization. Some churches even have volunteers dedicated to meeting with attendees and praying for them. These volunteers help your church extend a personalized level of care to your congregation.

2. Have a Secondary Goal

Most churches also have secondary goals for their events. These goals should center on supporting the work of the church in some way. Alternatively, they can serve as fundraisers for missionaries or charities.

Identifying a secondary goal will help you decide which activities you'd like to plan. For instance, if you're wanting to support a missionary, you should have the missionary give a presentation about their work. Then, take donations on the missionary's behalf.

If you're trying to build support for your church, host an event at which you share your plans for the church's future with your congregation. Give clear instructions on how they can give to support your work.

3. Set a Budget

Budgeting well is especially important for churches. Because churches run on the donations of church members, they have an ethical responsibility to use the money in a wise way.

So, you should always set a budget for your event. To do this, go over your church's finances with your accountant. Estimate how much money you can afford to set aside for the event. If you don't have the amount of money you need, determine how you'll get that money. Ask yourself if you're comfortable selling tickets to the event or asking the church members to fund it.

Once you have a budget, stick to it as much as possible.

4. Look at Venues

You can save money by hosting your church event in your own building. Yet, this won't work well for every church. If you're anticipating more people than your church can hold, you'll need to look for a larger space.

First, consider whether you want outdoor or indoor venues. Outdoor venues might not be as expensive, and they're more COVID-safe. On the other hand, having an outdoor event may limit you to holding your event during the warmer months.

If you need to rent a building, compare prices. Begin asking about the availability of each space as far in advance as possible.

5. Get Volunteers

Volunteers often become the engine behind successful church events.

Passionate, dedicated volunteers bring a wide range of skills and expertise to your event. It's also a great way to get people involved in your church.

To attract volunteers, you should send out an announcement to your email list. If you need people with any types of skills, specify that in the announcement. Give specific instructions on how people can sign up to become volunteers.

You should also make several announcements at your church services. Include information on volunteering in your bulletins. Add volunteer sign-up forms to your website.

6. Invite Speakers

More people will want to attend your event if you have well-known speakers. Do some research to see who might be a good fit for your event.

Ask the speaker to post about your event on social media and include a link for their followers to RSVP.

7. Advertise

Once you have some details nailed down, start advertising your event. Write about the event on your social media pages and website.

You should also send out several emails letting people know how to reserve a spot as an attendee.

8. Plan Games

If you're working with a youth group, you'll want to plan some games and activities.

When doing this, keep safety in mind. Keep a close eye over the kids if you decide to include activities such as swimming or rock climbing.

Some youth group favorites include dodgeball, volleyball, and ultimate frisbee.

9. Arrange for Food

Most likely, you're going to need food for your event. The types of food services you get will depend on the length of the occasion.

Shorter events may only require you to provide light refreshments. Some suggestions include fruits, cheese, or cookies. For longer events, consider serving a meal. It's best to have several different options for attendees, including ones geared toward certain food allergies.

10. Rehearse

If there are any performances happening during the event, make sure you do a rehearsal the day before. That way, you can check all the technology and work out any last-minute issues.

Then, on the day of the event, run another check of the sound system.

Ready to Plan Better Church Events?

If you want to plan the best church events, you should enlist the help of professional planning software.

That's where we come in. Our planning and tracking tools can help you schedule an event in minutes and then plan it out, manage your people, and track who's attending and helping out.

Want to know more about what we can do for you? Sign up for free today.