Event Planning with a Purpose!
How to create an environment of encounter when coordinating and hosting an event. Here are some tips! (and funny stories)
Have you ever felt like a glorified event planner? If you are reading this and you work in ministry, sometimes the job can feel like a lot of administrative work (rather than direct ministry, accompaniment, or evangelization) to plan events where hopefully ministry happens. Hopefully conversions happen. I don’t write this to speak negatively about these roles; oftentimes, this is simply the reality!
However, the majority of those that enter ministry jobs have theology (or church) related degrees and experience. You didn’t necessarily sign up to be an events coordinator.
So, I’d like to share a few tips I’ve learned along the way when it comes to planning events with the purpose of helping to facilitate an encounter with Christ. I’ve made mistakes in my career, experienced events as a volunteer or speaker, and have heard others’ stories of events where the coordination, schedule, or even food hindered the participants’ encounters with Christ.
Some real life examples:
I remember hearing a story from a speaker we brought in; as I was apologizing for some technical difficulties with his microphone during his talk, he shared the greatest experience he ever had of a talk being disrupted. During one of his talks with youth, you could hear those working in the kitchen and preparing the meal very loudly behind the accordion window in the kitchen. And right when he was at the moment of the talk that was meant to challenge the youth and facilitate an encounter, a volunteer swung open the accordion window. And… with a voice like that of Roz from Monster’s Inc. she shouted, “Pizza’s ready!”
I had a similar experience at an event I was speaking at. Everything for the event was being held in one room, which normally would be fine! But the schedule had lunch immediately after Mass, so during the celebration of Mass (which is the BEST moment for an encounter with Christ), several volunteers were off to the side loudly getting lunch ready: making sandwiches, opening plastic containers, pouring drinks. The entire room filled with the smell of onions right as the priest said, “Behold the lamb of God,” and raised Jesus to the heavens. Let’s just say… It set the tone for the day.
Finally, these mistakes are human and happen!! I’ve had many… from trying to get 500 students through a lunch line of tacos in 30 minutes (yea right…), to setting a talk up in a room next door to a loud game (poor speaker… never had a chance), to forgetting to plan integral parts of the mass… like having a Lector! It happens! So, while I hope this article provides a little amusement, in no way is it meant to cast judgment.
Because, while these examples are both funny and outrageous, I can’t say they “hindered” an encounter… because God can bring about good no matter the situation. God is the one who truly encounters. With that said, our role is still to create a holy atmosphere as best we can in order to make room for him throughout the day. Planning an event is one thing… but creating a space where God can be present in the hearts and minds of others is another.
So, here are just a few practical tips to consider that help create space and receptivity for God to move. (I’ll try to keep them short and sweet)
The spiritual is the practical
We can do all the practical work for an event, but if there has been no prayer, then where is God? Shroud the event in prayer!! Pray during the planning of an event, pray for all those who will attend the event, pray when you reach a hiccup, pray all the time. Set up an intercessory prayer team to be praying before and during the day’s event. You could even designate volunteers to be in Adoration for each hour during the event.
It’s easy to get lost in the pre-planning and coordinating the day-of. However, God can do more with one hour in prayer than months of planning.
You can’t move mountains alone
Of course, we can’t move mountains without God!1 However, it also means you need help… you need a team. It’s easy to think it all rests on us, but it shouldn’t. What are some tasks that could be delegated? Can the location of the event provide volunteers for the day? Relinquish liturgical responsibilities to a trusted sacristan or the chaplain for the day. Make sure you have a speaker who is flexible and adds to the event (not to your headache). Good volunteers who share your passion for bringing others to Christ can make all the difference!!
(Side note: volunteers can also be hard to come by. If possible, have one “volunteer coordinator” at the location of the event who has connections or pull with parents/parishioners and can recruit help for you.)
The schedule can make or break an event
How you choose to order the day can have a big impact on others’ receptivity. For example, if you want the talks to have an impact, it is important not to have back to back talks (especially for young people). Give participants an outlet/break in order to receive both talks well. Otherwise, there is a chance they may be receptive during the first talk, but the subsequent ones are met with exhaustion and yawns.
(this section may be a little longer, but I want to offer practicals)
Start with the question, “What does God want them to get from the day?”... and begin there when thinking of the schedule!
I always hear people wanting the students to have an encounter, but 80% of the day is dedicated to games and activities. The reality of the schedule contradicts the goal. Of course, we want to offer physical outlets for people like games or discussion (depending on that age of participants), but if the desired impact is also to welcome God in, be sure to provide moments in the schedule where this is possible, like prayer and Adoration. Sometimes, when a spiritual atmosphere is disrupted with things like games or surveys, it can be harder to re-establish it later on.
It’s always good to build in time for participants to reflect, pray, and/or discuss. We can never control how engaged they are, but we can offer a level of accountability for the day to pay attention and consider applying the faith through prayer and discussion with others.
Finally, just like the ecclesial method of teaching ends with “celebration” (which is prayer), it is always great to close the day with some form of prayer. This helps participants give everything they have received throughout the day to God, and GOD will transform it. Adoration or Lectio Divina with Worship/meditation are great examples. Remember, God can do more in one hour of prayer than all the work of the day.
You are not the mover of hearts!
It is so easy to put pressure on ourselves, as the coordinator, or on the day or the event itself… but only God can change hearts and transform lives. Pope John XXIII would always end his day with this prayer, “Lord, I’ve done all I can. It’s your Church; I’m going to bed.” If we change our mentality from “This is my event and it has to go well” to “I’ve done all I can. God, help me get out of the way today so that you can do all you have planned,” imagine what fruit would be born. Event planning in ministry is a true act of surrender. Do all you can, and then get out of the way.
(I will share more practical pre-planning and day-of planning tips in a later post!)
Please share! It is always important that a team is on the same page and of a similar mentality when it comes to an event’s approach and goals.
Matthew 17:20; Philippians 4:13