Greetings Awesome Person,
There is no perfect way to throw a Christmas Party, but I think there are a few party pillars that will make your party the best it can be.
The Three Pillars of Party Planning
Define Your Purpose
Is it purely outreach/fun? Is it an encouragement/fellowship night for regulars? Is it a focus on the real meaning of Christmas?
Decide on the one thing you want students to remember or feel, "The night we laughed the hardest," or "The night we focused on giving/serving". Every decision should support that one goal.
How do you want kids to feel at the end of the night? Plan for that.
Delegation is Your Superpower
You cannot and should not do it all. Students and volunteers should have input on what kind of party you should have. Will there be an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest? Will there be a gift exchange?
It's not too late to create simple teams like a Food Team (Parents) a Game Team (Students), and a Clean-Up Team (Volunteers) . Empower your adult or student leaders to own one area completely. Your job is simply to check in and resource them.
Keep it Simple, Silly (K.I.S.S.)
Youth remember connection and fun, not elaborate decorations.
Focus your resources on the three F's: Food, Fun, and Fellowship. A single string of lights and some Christmas music is often enough to set the mood.
End with Impact
Will you be sharing the gospel or a short devotion at the Christmas Party? Make sure you reserve 5-10 minutes, before clean up, to share.
Idea: Dim the lights, put on some soft, instrumental Christmas music, and serve hot chocolate or a dessert as the final activity. This shifts the mood.
If you want even more ideas, here's my gift to you, The Youth Pastors Ultimate Christmas Party Checklist.
The Ultimate Youth Group Christmas Party Planner .pdf
Here's to having an epic Christmas Party that brings students together and makes Christ the focus.
Paul
P.S. Here are my favorite Christmas Party Games
