Engage Participants in Fun, Meaningful Activities at Your Next Retreat for Church
Searching for church banquet program ideas and fun church activities isn’t always easy, but you’ll be off to a great start when you first choose your event’s location. Oakwood Resort has an impressive history of hosting church retreats, banquets, and activities of all kinds!
However, finding retreat centers in Indiana for your activities for church is only the first step. What comes next is getting your attendees to bond and connect during their time together. There are several fun church group events you can host; no matter which church activity your attendees are busy with, you always want to make sure that teamwork, bonding, and having fun are at the center. Here are four fantastic activities to include in your next church retreat:
1. Our Experiences Bind Us
The best way for people to bond is by finding something they have in common with each other. The following activity is meant to show that people who have similar experiences can become stronger by sharing those shared experiences. The church activity can be done in one of Oakwood Resort’s conference rooms, outdoors in one of the lawn areas, or in several other locations here at the resort.
The activity calls for members of the church to stand (or sit) on one side of the room, and the church leader remains on the other. The church leader then reads a list of things people typically experience in their lives. The experiences do not have to specifically be good or bad, funny, or sad; they could be anything. People who have experienced what was read from the list go to the other side of the room, joining the church leader.
After different experience examples are read and everyone is in their groups with others who have shared similar experiences, members in each mini-group can discuss that experience, bringing them closer together. This can be done as they take a boat tour on Lake Wawasee from Oakwood Resort, for example. They can also discuss experiences in the room in which the activity took place, then everyone together could finish the afternoon on a boat tour.
2. Outdoor Activities for Church
Fun church activities that call for spending time outdoors and working together as a team are always well-received in any group setting. Activities could include playing a friendly game of basketball or taking a swim, having a picnic, experiencing a boat tour out on the lake, and more. At Oakwood Resort, participants in church retreats have access to a plethora of activities, which means no matter what each person’s interests are, there is always plenty for everyone to enjoy at this retreat center in Indiana.
Why not organize a basketball tournament? How about a corn hole challenge? Whether participants would like to ride on a tour boat, go for a swim, go shopping in nearby downtown, or take a walk on a beautiful trail, the fun things to do in church are endless, and it’s all available for members of your next retreat at Oakwood Resort.
3. Talent Show
Having a talent show during your church retreat is a great way to showcase members of the church who have a special talent – and doesn’t everyone have some kind of unique ability to showcase? Of course, they do! This idea for church allows them to share with the other members of the group a special part of their lives; it connects the members of your church retreat, and also builds self-confidence and pride in themselves and with each other.
Looking for great location for your church banquet program ideas? The Oakwood Resort Event Center would be a great spot to host your talent show; why not have it take place on the last evening of the church retreat so that everyone is sure to depart the next day feeling proud, happy, and special?
4. Singing Hymns and other Music from Church
Music plays a large part in church, and bringing this church activity with you on the retreat is important. Singing hymns or other types of related music on the retreat can be something to do in between activities for church or at a specific time every day that you so choose, such as every morning to get everyone in the same frame of mind for the day. The singing can take place either indoors or outdoors at the Outdoor Event Space at the resort.
Church retreats are a great way for the members of your church to connect with each other while in a setting aside from church itself. Bonding activities that also are fun for the members are essential for providing an experience that is both enjoyable and memorable. Providing church retreat activities can help members appreciate one another more, as well.
Finding retreat centers in Indiana is easy – Oakwood Resort is one of the top church retreat destinations in the Midwest, and we can help you organize and run your retreat – just let us know how we can help! Contact us for more information today.