church events

How to Prepare the Church Facility for an Event

Hosting a special event at your church requires a few extra steps than Sunday services.  As you start the planning process, include these steps to prepare the church facility for the event.  #1 – Reserve the room(s) Each ministry department likely hosts a few events throughout the year. The last thing you want to do is double-book rooms or even the entire church facility. If you don’t already have a room reservation system, now is the time to look into putting one in place. You need to make sure the facilities team knows what you need for this event in plenty of time for them to support your efforts. #2 – Gather event details The facilities team will need several essential details as they plan to support this event:  #3 – Allocate time for setup and tear down Don’t just reserve the rooms for the time of the event. Depending on how extensive the décor and setup are, you may need to reserve those areas for the day (or more) before the event. Also, allow sufficient time after the event to restage the rooms for weekly services and clean the church facility. #4 – Arrange for staff to be present You might need someone available to run the sound, video, and lighting. You may also need facilities staff to let you into the building on an early Saturday morning or to lock up the church afterward. Also, consider whether you’ll have members of your church security team at the event.  #5 – Ensure proper climate control This is something to discuss with your facilities team when you ask to reserve room(s). Depending on how they manage the central heat and air, they’ll need to arrange to have the areas of the facility you’ll use property heated or air-conditioned. They might recommend using certain rooms that are covered by the same HVAC unit to save on energy costs. #6 – Conduct a church facility walkthrough Especially if this event will attract first-time guests, you want to make sure you’re making a good first impression. Walk through your church facility starting in the parking lot: Approach the church building: Walk inside the building: If you’re providing childcare at this event, walk through the children’s areas: Work with those responsible for each area (facilities, children’s ministry, etc.) to freshen up the church as needed. You might arrange a volunteer church beautification day a week before the event to spruce up areas that need extra attention. Special events are a great way to disciple your congregation and attract new people to the church. With intentional planning and working together as a team, you can pull off excellent events that draw people closer to Christ.

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4 Tips for Fall Event Planning Success

As crisp fall air prepares us for the colder winter months, fall events get us ready for the Christmas season. To prevent last-minute chaos and stress, it’s time to start thinking about how to get ready for your fall schedules. Fall event planning doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are four simple tips to help you get started. Tip #1: Leave Breathing Room While it’s tempting to plan events that cater to every possible demographic represented in your community, the result of such an effort is likely burnout and a lack of excellence. To prevent this, cut back on the number of events you host. By leaving some white space on the fall event calendar, you can put intentional focus on the activities you choose to keep. Tip #2: Start Planning Now An event with a 50-plus attendance list is going to require more than a week or two of planning. Ideally, you’d start planning any church-wide event six months in advance. This provides sufficient time to develop ideas, shop for bargains, and get volunteers committed to serving at the event.   Assign someone to be the event planner for each event.  This individual should talk with all departments involved to determine what tasks they’ll need to complete for a successful event. Tip #3: Connect with Local Schools Leading up to the back-to-school season is a great time to connect with local school administrators. Ask for input on how your church can support them. It’s also a great way to expand your church’s community outreach. Talk with teachers in your congregation to see what they need going into a new school year. Rally the church to support them in practical ways. Also, consider conducting an outreach like a school supply backpack drive or a coat drive for underprivileged kids.  Tip #4: Build Volunteer Teams Start building your volunteer queue by inviting members who aren’t active volunteers to serve at an event. This gives them a chance to experience what it’s like to serve. It also provides you the opportunity to see where each individual would fit best in a longer-term role. Additional tip: After the event, send thank you notes to volunteers and ask them to join specific volunteer teams. Preparation is the key ingredient in pulling off a successful year of church events. Your fall calendar is going to set the tone for the months to come. Start strong by planning early, building your teams, and making connections now. **Looking for more church event planning tips? Check out The Church Event Planning Toolkit for a proven process for planning successful, not stressful, church events.**

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Special Considerations for Outdoor Church Events

Many churches host events outdoors to take advantage of the beautiful weather and host events they couldn’t manage indoors.  Activities for VBS, outdoor concerts or worship nights, and Fall Trunk-or-Treats are just a few examples.  If you’re planning any outdoor church events, here are a few things you should consider to make them a fun and safe experience for everyone involved: #1 – Offer shade and cold water People can quickly get overheated in the summer heat. Depending on the event, it might make sense to set up tents and other shaded areas so attendees can escape the sun for a few moments as needed. Also, make sure participants have access to cold water so they can stay hydrated and cool. #2 – Develop an inclement weather plan Since weather forecasts aren’t always accurate, you’ll need to decide now how to proceed with the event if the weather isn’t favorable. If your church has an indoor gym or other large open room, that could be an ideal backup location for this event. Another issue to consider is if a storm occurs after the event has already started outside. Who will monitor the forecast? Who makes the call to have everyone move indoors? Where will you have people take shelter if there’s a dangerous storm approaching?  #3 – Provide security Anytime you get a large crowd together, it’s wise to consider the potential security risks and plan accordingly. If your church already has a security team, they need to be a part of the planning process for this event. Determine how many security team members you’ll need for the event, including whether you’ll hire any off-duty police officers. Also, consider if you want to have an ambulance stationed on church property just in case someone has an emergency. Contact your local first responders to see what they can do.  #4 – Give parents additional information Notify parents ahead of time if event activities could result in wet or dirty clothes. They may want to send their children in older outfits and provide a change of clothes as well. Parents will appreciate knowing this beforehand, so they aren’t unpleasantly surprised when they arrive to pick up their kids. #5 – Look into special event insurance Contact your church’s liability insurance provider to determine if your existing policy covers special events. Some insurance companies may require you to buy a special policy for larger events. Check into this at least a month before the event to make sure you’re covered. Outdoor events can be a great way to bring your church family together and attract people from the community to engage with your congregation. With a bit of careful planning, you can create a safe and fun event.

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How To Get Started With Church Event Planning

Church events can cultivate deeper relationships within a congregation and attract more members of a community to the church. Hosting events can also put a tremendous strain on church staff and volunteers. Here’s how to get started with church event planning to increase event success and reduce stress for your team. Think of all the church events each year: Now, think back to the week before these events.  What does that week look and feel like?  Sound familiar? I’ve been there and have worked with churches facing the same challenges. However, I’ve also learned how to avoid those scenarios and have successful (not stressful) events. With a bit of proactive thinking, a standard process, and some disciplined effort, you can eliminate the last-minute chaos and experience events that exceed your expectations.  Here’s how to get started: Step #1: Create an Annual Church Event Calendar Events can be incredible ministry tools. Unfortunately, they can also drain your budget and burn out your staff and volunteers. It is possible, however, to get all the benefits of hosting events without all the trouble. How do you do it? Plan in advance. In fact, I recommend a year out.  You don’t have to create a detailed to-do list a year ahead, but you should at least decide which events your church will host for the year. By doing this early, your team will have time to get all their ideas on the table, discuss what events are best at each time of year, and determine whether or not you need to space the events out. Here’s how to get started planning church events a year ahead: 1) Put All Potential Events on the Calendar This is the fun part: Get a huge wall calendar (erasable is best) and write out every event you intend to host in the upcoming year. Have each ministry department leader put their events on the calendar and make sure you include all church-wide events.  If possible, include information about each sermon series as well. 2)  Conduct a Calendar Review Meeting Once you’ve written them all down in one calendar, organize an event review meeting. It’s important to have all ministry department leaders, the Executive Pastor, Senior Pastor, and ministry support department leaders (Finance, Communications, Facilities, etc.) participate in this calendar review.  3) Discuss the Calendar  At the calendar review meeting, address the details of each event you’re intending to host. Here are some questions to help you move along the discussion:  4) Evaluate the Workload Dive even deeper into your review discussion by evaluating the possible workload issues that could arise with too many events. Ask yourselves these questions:  Step #2: Establish a Budget for Each Event Next, you’ll need to create a budget for each individual event. Here’s a list of items you should account for when creating a detailed budget:  Marketing — To promote your church event, you’ll need marketing communication. This includes things like website design, logos, advertisements, flyers, and email newsletters. Guest Speakers — If you plan on bringing outside guest speakers to your event, you’ll need to account for honorariums as well as their travel and lodging expenses. Catering — Meals or snacks at events can sometimes take a huge portion of the budget. Consider asking for donations from local restaurants or having several church members make the food as a part of their volunteer service.  Equipment and Decor Rentals — This may include renting tables, chairs, three-way radios for communication, tents, sound and lighting equipment, etc. Signage — Most likely, you will need signs around the church campus to help event participants locate key areas.  Merchandise — If you plan to sell books, DVDs, or other items at the event, you’ll need to figure in your initial purchasing costs for these items. Security — For larger gatherings, you may want to hire off-duty law enforcement officers or other security personnel to ensure a safe event space.  Print Materials — Some extra print materials may include name tags, staff lanyards, workbooks, handouts, etc. Once you’ve created a proposed budget for each event, you’ll need to put it through your church’s review process. Depending on how your church handles the annual budgeting process, budgets for events may roll up into each department’s budget for the year. Regardless of how this is handled, you should review each event budget before approving the event to take place. If an event is too costly, it can often be scaled back instead of cut altogether. That’s why reviewing is such an important step to the budgeting process. Step #3: Assign an Event Planner to Each Event To effectively coordinate all the tasks related to making an event happen, you need a single person who’s responsible for keeping track of those tasks and each team member’s progress.  Otherwise, you’re hoping everyone is getting their work done on time instead of actually knowing that they are doing so. At this point, designate one person as the main event planner. By having an experienced event planner in charge, you’re able to avoid the headaches that can sometimes arise with events. For example, do any of these sound familiar?   But what exactly does an event planner do? Here’s a list of the main tasks an event planner will handle to make your event a roaring success. Identify the “why” behind an event Before getting to the details, a church event planner first wants to know the reason for having an event. This involves working with church leadership to determine the overall vision and scope of the effort. Here are a few questions the event planner will ask: The answers to these questions will drive all decisions about the event, so this is a vital step to complete. Lead the planning team An event planner may be in charge, but they aren’t the only person doing work. It’s their job to create and collaborate with a planning team (staff and/or volunteers) to identify the tasks required to make an event a success. Once

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7 Essential Traits to Look for in a Church Project Manager

Every church has projects, such as a new program launch, building renovations, outreach events, and more. These efforts normally have a specific deadline, budget, and goals. To keep the team on-task and within the budget, you need a church project manager to keep them organized. Who is a Church Project Manager? Think of a project manager as an orchestra conductor. He doesn’t play the instruments, but he keeps the musicians in-sync. A project manager develops a detailed plan of tasks required to complete the project. This individual works with the project team to develop the plan, assign tasks and deadlines, create and monitor the budget, identify success criteria, and provide reports to church leadership. It’s a role that requires strong communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to problem-solve on the fly. If your church hasn’t really focused on assigning a project manager to lead each effort, you may not have a staff member who’s trained in that discipline. Thankfully, project management is a skill you can learn with on-the-job training. However, it does require a certain set of innate skills that are harder to teach. Whether you can hire someone specifically for this role or if you need to see if someone on the team has what it takes, consider these essential traits for a church project manager. What to Look for in a Church Project Manager Trait #1: Detail-oriented Project management involves keeping track of all tasks, purchases, deadlines, vendors, and individuals involved in any given project. If you have someone on staff with a strong attention to detail, you may have a budding project manager. Trait #2: Loves Lists If you know someone who’s constantly creating a to-do list, or is even going so far as to write down a task that’s already completed just for the satisfaction of crossing it off, this person might be interested in project management. Trait #3: Thinks Ahead A good project manager is always thinking ahead about who needs to accomplish which tasks in the upcoming weeks. He consistently considers the potential implications if a task isn’t completed on time. When the pastor mentions an idea for a new church event, a potential project manager is already considering the myriad of details needed to accomplish that event and what else it may impact. Trait #4: Leadership A strong project manager is also a leader. For example, when you’re planning a marriage retreat, you’ll need to coordinate tasks from various groups within the staff (family ministry leader, marketing department, service announcements, facilities, and more). This requires someone who is comfortable leading a team where no one reports to him directly. They need to be able to rally people to a common goal, respect the skills and demands on the time of each individual, and still be confident enough to hold each team member accountable to deadlines. An effective project manager earns the respect of each team member and can hold people accountable without alienating the team. Trait #5: Effective Communicator to Senior Leaders When you have someone who loves details, it can be challenging for them to provide a high-level summary. However, your senior pastor probably doesn’t want to hear about every single task (nor does he have the time to listen). A great project manager can go from the 30,000-foot view to ground level and back again as needed. Trait #6: Positive and Realistic Outlook When your mind is full of details, it’s easy to think, “this is going to be really hard, if not nearly impossible, to accomplish.” However, that’s not an attitude a successful project manager can take. You need someone who can see all the details and still be confident that the team can pull it off. This individual also needs to be confident enough to raise potential issues early on. He should always provide a few options to solve each issue and be ready to implement whichever solution leadership approves. Trait #7: Protects the Team A project manager must look out for his team, making sure they have what they need to be successful and that they aren’t working too much. They need to be able to inspire and motivate their team, be aware of the team’s mood, be willing to listen and be empathetic, all the while keeping the big picture in mind. Conclusion Project management is much more than simply keeping track of a massive to-do list and making sure each person gets his/her tasks done on time.

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How Focused Intensity Can Prevent Burnout and Lead to Church Growth

One frequent cause of ministry burnout involves taking a scattershot approach. That is when you are doing too much with minimal results. This leads to spreading staff and volunteers too thin and burning them out over time. Instead, we need to prevent burnout by focusing on programs or events that consistently reach people with the Gospel and bear good fruit. This focused intensity can grow the church without burning out staff and volunteers. It’s easy to see how a scattershot, or “try everything to see what works”, approach can happen. After all, we want to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel. We want to see lives changed and families restored, so we try many different methods to reach people: None of these efforts are bad or necessarily wrong. However, it’s important to consider whether it makes sense to pursue several of these all at once. In his book, How The Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In, Jim Collins lays out five stages of decline in organizations. One of the stages is the “Undisciplined Pursuit of More.” He writes, “Companies in Stage 2 stray from the disciplined creativity that led them to greatness in the first place, making undisciplined leaps into areas where they cannot be great or growing faster than they can achieve with excellence, or both.” How does this help prevent burnout in the church world? Let’s say your church is running along well with two Sunday services, weekly small groups, and about one significant special event/program every couple of months. If you suddenly decide to add services on Saturday and Sunday nights, plus 1-2 special events each month, who will organize and make those additions successful? You’ll need to ask more from your staff, you’ll need additional volunteers, and will likely incur additional costs. Instead of suddenly adding five new things, what if you added one or two? You’re still moving forward and opening up the possibility to reach more people. At the same time, you’re gradually adding to your volunteer teams and as the growth supports it, more staff members. This method of slow, steady growth isn’t as cool or exciting as explosive growth. However, with this approach, your team will feel the energy that comes from new initiatives and growth without the overwhelm that comes from too much too fast. You’ll be better able to monitor progress and see what’s working, so you can put more energy and focus on what services or programs are truly reaching people with the Gospel and making disciples. You’re less likely to burn out your team and yourself with slower, more steady progress. What is Your Current Approach? Consider asking yourself these questions to evaluate your current approach: We’re afraid to cut an event or not launch a new campus because we think we’ll miss out on reaching people. That’s a real risk. However, what is the cost of trying to do it all? How long can staff members maintain that frantic pace? How many late nights and missed family meals are spouses going to manage before they feel like they’ve lost their loved one to the church? The temptation is that busyness feels like energy and doing good for God. The reality is that busyness without focus and clear purpose wears out your team and your congregation. What Should Church Leaders Do to Prevent Burnout? #1 – Consider the events and services you currently offer #2 – Determine what to offer next Ask God for His direction, seek out wise counsel, and then move forward. God wants to work through your church to reach people with the Good News more than you do. Trust Him to lead your team and help you know how to grow His church and prevent burnout.

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Should Your Church Have a Security Team?

While most of us feel safe when we pull into the church parking lot on Sunday morning, safety isn’t something we should take for granted. Unfortunately, churches aren’t immune from harm. Child abductions, abuse, active shooters, theft, and medical emergencies are a few examples of what can happen within church walls. Thankfully, the news isn’t all bad. There are individuals and organizations rising up to share practical ways that church leaders can reduce the likelihood of something bad happening. Oftentimes, this occurs through the development of a church safety and security team. One group seeking to serve in this capacity is The Church Safety Guys. This non-profit organization leverages decades of experience to serve the church from a safety and security perspective. They offer a variety of resources through books, a weekly broadcast, The Church Security App, and even a Church Safety & Security program in partnership with Centurion Bible College. Safety & Security as Ministry In his book, “The Case for Church Safety & Security,” Church Safety Guys Executive Director James McGarvey presents a case for why having a safety and security team is biblical and how to get started with such a ministry. Note that James calls the safety and security initiative a ministry. That distinction represents his recommended approach to initiating, developing, and maintaining such a team. He provides numerous citations from Scripture to support the stance that this is part of the church’s overall ministry and that leaders should strive to protect their congregation. Additionally, James advocates for what sometimes are opposite viewpoints. Some pastors hesitate to create such a team. They think it represents a lack of faith, use of resources that are needed elsewhere, or as something that’s not necessary. On the other hand, a church member who’s passionate about having a safety and security team might push too hard on the issue or be too rigid in approach, This can quickly alienate the pastor. James provides both parties with wise counsel on how to approach this issue in a manner that respects the authority, leadership, and expertise of everyone involved. Where to Begin Additional resources The Church Safety Guys offer include an eBook for church plants, a 10-step workbook to help churches establish their safety and security ministry, and more. These resources are practical tools to assist leaders in their desire to protect their congregations through a robust safety and security ministry. If your church wants to create or enhance a safety and security ministry, The Church Safety Guys organization is a great resource to consider.   

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Planning for Christmas

How to Start Planning for Christmas: A Complete Guide

The Christmas season is many things: joyous, hopeful, magical, peaceful, and full of charitable giving. It’s also an extremely busy time for churches. As holiday events typically ramp up in the weeks before Dec. 25th, it’s a good idea to get a clear vision of your Christmas event schedule well in advance. And with most church event planning, the earlier the better is a good motto to adopt. To get you prepared for your busy season, we’ve gathered all things Christmas into one complete guide to help you plan a memorable, Christ-filled celebration at your church — whether it’s one event or many. Here’s our take on how to start planning for Christmas.  Step 1: Plan Staff Availability We all know that Christmas is a time when people who typically don’t come to church will make the effort to attend a service. This provides a great opportunity to minister to people you don’t normally get to reach. However, in order to plan and execute Christmas services well, you need the help of your church staff members. The challenge with this time of year is that many people, including church staff, want to visit their families for the holiday. To find the balance with your staff, consider these tips:  Start the vacation planning process ASAP Set a deadline for your staff to submit vacation requests for the holidays. Require that they include a plan to ensure their responsibilities are covered in their absence. This could include a list of key volunteer leaders who could step in for them at a service or another staff member who will be in town and is capable of taking over. Plan ahead without filling up the calendar December is full of Christmas parties, holiday outreaches, and family celebrations.  For the sake of your staff and volunteers, don’t bog them down with too many events. Schedule holiday outreaches and Christmas celebrations well in advance so people can plan accordingly. You don’t have to host a Christmas Eve service  You can celebrate Christmas the Sunday before and leave the week open for families to celebrate together. There’s no right answer on this one, figure out what works best for your church. However, don’t just do what you’ve always done without giving thought to what’s best for your congregation, volunteers, and church staff. Step 2: Begin Planning for Christmas Events Because coordinating extra Christmas activities requires extra planning, now is a great time to start preparing. Here are three tips to get you started: Coordinate with local nonprofits Do you have a few nonprofit agencies that you work with on a regular basis? If so, reach out to them to see how you could help them this year. Compile a list of these potential outreaches, decide what you’re going to do this year, then put those events on your church calendar to reserve the dates. Appoint volunteer team leaders Ask a few volunteers to see if they’d be willing to organize an outreach as its event planner. Introduce them to your contact at each nonprofit and have your volunteer be the main contact for that outreach. This volunteer leader should work with you to recruit and coordinate volunteers, organize donations, and lead the church event. Be available as a backup and gather updates from them, but let your volunteers take the lead as event coordinator as much as possible. As these volunteers prove themselves, they can make planning for Christmas (and other big events) much easier for everyone. Plan details of your Christmas services Decide if you’ll have a Christmas Eve service and/or a service on Christmas Day. Take into consideration when you and your staff will be able to take time off to spend the holidays with family (see Step 1). You’ll want to also to gather volunteers, which we’ll discuss in Step 3 below.  Step 3: Create a Volunteer Checklist Whether you decide to put on a huge Christmas pageant or a traditional candlelight service, you’ll need volunteers to make each service special for your congregation. This checklist will help you stay organized as you delegate to volunteers.  Determine how many volunteers, in what roles, you’ll need for each Christmas service. Recruit Early Ask your volunteers to start signing up now for specific service(s). Bonus tip: VolunteerSpot is a free and easy-to-use online tool for signing up volunteers. Attention to Detail  Document the order of your service, along with any special instructions you have for the volunteers. Prepare and Review Email the service order and instructions to your volunteers 1-2 weeks before the Christmas services. Review the information at volunteer pre-service meetings the Sunday before Christmas. Friendly Reminders Send a confirmation email to volunteers the day before they are scheduled to serve as a reminder of details and arrival time.  Always Have Backup For Christmas plays or more complicated services, train a handful of volunteer leaders. Make sure they know everything you know about the service so they can answer questions and provide direction when you’re not available. Express your gratitude Make sure you have thank you cards on-hand to send to volunteers within a week (or two) after Christmas. Step 4: Manage Preparation Stress Like a Pro! Stage design, volunteers, service planning, special programs, and more are all part of the hustle and bustle of the season. So, how do you manage all this activity and still feel some semblance of peace on earth and goodwill towards men? Here are a few tips to help: Tip #1: Pause…and Write If you’re running around trying to fix last-minute issues, fill those last few volunteer spots, and figure out why in the world your carefully designed stage décor keeps falling over, it’s easy to get into crazy mode. When that happens, you can’t think straight and will likely forget something important or miss the easiest, most obvious solution to a problem: Pause. Take a few deep breaths, pray for wisdom, and think. Write down all the stuff floating around in your head – whether it’s directly

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How to Budget for Church Events in 3 Easy Steps

Part of your responsibilities as a church leader is to be an excellent steward of church finances. Events tend to be a significant portion of church ministry. Therefore, it makes sense to budget for church events and monitor them closely. Here are three easy steps to budget for church events and keep your ministry on track for the year.  Step #1: Determine What Events You’ll Host This Year In a recent blog post, I mentioned the importance of planning church events a year in advance. The first step to planning in advance is to determine early which events to host throughout the year. Facilitate a meeting with church staff and put all potential events on a large wall calendar (erasable is best). This is a great visual that helps you see what the year might look like. Next, host a follow-up team meeting to review the calendar with department leaders, the Executive Pastor, and the Senior Pastor. Discuss potential workload issues for your staff as well as budgets for each event, which leads us into Step #2. Step #2: Create a Budget for Each Church Event  Next, you’ll need to create a budget for each individual event. Here’s a list of items you should account for when creating a detailed budget:  Step #3: Review the Budget Depending on how your church handles the annual budgeting process, budgets for events may roll up into each department’s budget for the year. Regardless of how this is handled, you should review each church event budget before approving the event to take place. If an event is too costly, you can likely scale it back instead of canceling it altogether. That’s why reviewing is such an important step in the budgeting process. Church event planning can quickly get out of hand if there isn’t a clear process. To help you stay focused, shortcut the budgeting process with this Event Budgeting Template (see below).

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How to Create a Church Event Request Form

Are you responsible for planning events at your church? If so, there are several pieces of information you’ll need before getting started. Setting up several meetings to obtain those details can be time-consuming. Instead, reach out to the ministry department (or senior leader) who’s hosting the event with a simple, yet comprehensive church event request form. Having a standard form to use in gathering information will save you time, and frustration, in the long run. Here’s what to include in a church event request form: Facilities Because you’ll most likely be using your church facilities for your event, it’s important to know as much as you can about where and when this event will take place. Start with these questions: Catering Most events involve some type of food or catering. Find out food and refreshment needs with these questions: Communications Getting the word out about the event is how you’ll reach your attendee goal. Gather this information to maximize your communications. Childcare If you have parents attending, providing childcare might be a good option. Security Talk with your church’s security team to find out what information they’ll need to determine an event’s security requirements. Here are a few questions they may need you to answer (the key here is to know if arrivals and/or departures will happen during daylight hours): Finances Make sure you know the overall budget for your event as well as how it’s broken down. These questions should get you the details you need: Event Registration Like communications, event registration is key to hitting your attendee goal. No matter how registration is set up, it should be a simple process. Here’s the main question you need answered: Volunteers Without volunteers to help with the event, you’re more likely to go over budget and become overworked. Here’s what to ask: How to Gather this Information Now that you know what questions to ask, create an online church event request form so you can send a URL link to the person requesting the event. Consider creating separate forms for each ministry department so they don’t get overwhelmed with the length of a consolidated form.  You can easily combine their answers into a single document once they respond. If it’s the requestor’s first time completing the form, you may want to fill it out with them as they get comfortable with the process. Also, make sure to explain to your church staff why you need them to provide all of this information. Most people don’t like filling out forms, but if they know WHY you need all this detail (and that by providing it now, they have a much better chance at a successful event), they’re less likely to complain about it. When to Gather this Information Ideally, your church leadership team decides what events to host a year in advance. From there, if you’re responsible for planning events, you should start gathering information at least 6 months before an event. Of course, more time is needed for bigger events and less time for smaller/less complicated ones. In conclusion, the church event planning process is going to go a lot smoother if you take the time to collect information about the event up front. To learn even more about pulling off successful church events, check out my book The Church Event Planning Toolkit.

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