Party Planning
WHY A PANCAKE PARTY?
Pancake Day (or Shrove Tuesday) paves the way for Lent - the period in which Christians prepare for Easter. Coupled with the natural appeal of pancakes, this makes it an ideal neighbourhood outreach opportunity!
By being upfront about our beliefs, we also give friends and neighbours the permission to ask us questions - questions that many people secretly want to ask! And that's where God can begin to work.
But the best thing about a pancake party is that there's no pressure. Make lots of time for chatter and games, and you're in with the best chance of forming some great long-term relationships and seeing more fruit from your outreach.
YOUR PARTY IN 7 STEPS
Host a party that people will remember! All in seven easy steps. For more detailed planning, download our comprehensive Countdown Planner.
1. Choose a date
Pancake Day always falls on a Tuesday, so a pancake party is perfect for a mid-week gathering. If your mid-week group meets on another day, run with that!
2. Choose a place
Home groups venues are ideal and can set the tone for a relaxed, homely gathering.
3. Invite the neighbours
If you already know people locally, this is the perfect excuse to gather some of them together. Often people are surprisingly pleased to receive a social invitation, and will many will appreciate the chance to get to know their neighbours.
4. Appoint a pancake chef
On the night, you will need a competent candidate to man the cooker. If necessary, ask others in your group to take care of the fillings and drinks. Visit the Food page for everything kitchen-related.
5. Arrive early to set up
As a team, it's important to pull together and ensure you are ready for your guests. Amongst other things, you'll need to lay the table and pray.
6. Do a short talk
Pancake Day is a great time to talk about Jesus! There's no need to get heavy, but you can gently introduce some quite big themes in a 5 minute slot. Visit the Talk page for lots of top talk tips!
7. Enjoy the event!
The easiest step of the lot... who doesn't love pancakes?
INVITING PEOPLE
INVITING PEOPLE
Without guests, your party will be somewhat quiet – and you'll eat twice as many pancakes as you should!
In order to really take advantage of the outreach opportunity, make sure that you invite enough friends and neighbours who are non-believers. After all, the aim is to introduce people to Jesus!
Here are our top tips for inviting people:
Create some engaging invitations
Keep it colourful and fun - and remember to include all the important stuff like date, time, address and contact number
Target friends and neighbours who live nearby
There's no point flyering far and wide if you're going to wear yourself out inviting people who are unlikely to come! Keep it local and you're much more likely to make meaningful contacts which will last.
Choose an evening when you can go door-knocking
Making personal contact on the doorstep is the best way to engage with your neighbours. Going out in pairs makes it much less scary!
Keep an eye on numbers
Make a list of the people who will definitely come, along with 'maybes'. Remember that you'll need enough people from your own group in order to greet guests and make them feel welcome.
On the day, re-visit the 'maybes'
Whilst door-knocking, you will get a feel for those who are genuinely interested in coming along to your party. It's worth giving these people a second visit an hour or so before the event. Keep it friendly and non-pushy - it only needs to be a quick reminder that the party is about to begin!
AFTER THE EVENT
One of the best bits about a pancake party is making new friends and firming up relationships with some of the neighbours. These contacts are invaluable and worth continuing to invest in long after the event.
"Thanks, but no thanks"
With any mission, there are bound to be those who respond this way. But that should not discourage us! Have a think: are there ways you can continue to bless these people? Offering to help with shopping is an amazing way to help an elderly neighbour. Or even just knocking for them to say hello once in a while. Keep up the contact and pray for Jesus to change their heart.
Coping with the curious
Some people will begin to show some interest in what you're saying, whilst keeping a guard up. Perhaps they have been hurt by church in the past, or have been brought up in another faith. Consider inviting these to another, similarly low-key, party. Or perhaps to an open-church event? Give them further opportunities to ask questions in their own time.
"Tell me more!"
Occasionally, even a simple pancake party will strike a chord with someone - and this is an event to celebrate! You are unlikely to have really mined the riches of the Gospel in your five minute talk, so it's really worth visiting these people and taking the time to explain the Christian message fully. These people demand our utmost attention, as we seek to disciple them properly and give them strong foundations in their fledgling faith.
Pray, pray and pray again
It goes without saying, but is so easy to forget: prayer changes things. So do keep praying as a group for all those who came along to your party - whatever their reaction may have been.
