30 Ideas for Living on Mission this Summer!
WELCOME to Issue #194 of The Seedhead from Alex and Hannah at Dandelion Resourcing - a weekly confidence booster to help you step into naturally supernatural discipleship and mission!
"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples." (Matthew 9:10)
Summer is such a great time, as the pace of life changes for many of us.
This is a moment to seize, as you choose to be more intentional about building relationships with your lost friends and neighbors.
Why Parties?
The story of the Bible is all about relationships - within the Trinity, between God and us, and between humans.
If we take seriously our commitment to follow the example of Jesus, we need to intentionally build relationships with those who don't yet know Him. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to be relationship builders, especially with the lost.
REMEMBER: Jesus regularly ate with the lost, the sinners, and the broken. That’s because eating together is a tangible sign of acceptance and welcome. It is an enacted parable.
At a practical level, by throwing the net out wide to begin with (through ‘parties’), we can see who is open to Jesus in us, and can subsequently invest in them. It is a fun and also very efficient way of narrowing down who could be our People of Peace (see Luke 10:5-7).
Aren’t Parties All Huge?
In case all this talk of parties is stressing you out, a ‘party’ can be 2 people sharing a cup of tea, through to hundreds coming to a full-scale event. Generally we’re thinking of smaller and mid-sized gatherings in the examples we give below.
This means that hosting parties is not just for gregarious extroverts! Introverts - this is for you too!
For us, ‘parties’ is simply a catch-all term for looking outwards into our place of mission, and offering spaces where we can easily connect and build relationships with lost friends and neighbors.
How Do I Pick?
Below are a host of ideas for different ‘parties’ that you can throw.
We’d suggest that the way you select a party idea is to first think about the people you’d like to reach.
What would be fun and engaging in their world?
When would be a good time to gather?
Where would be an invitational and appropriate space?
What would be lightweight enough to run that you can be focused on the people and conversations once it actually starts?
Essentially, the filter is simple: what will work best for the folks in your place of mission?
30 Hot Summer Party Ideas
4th of July party. You could even have the kids decorate bikes and scooters and do a mini-parade!
Ice cream party
Pool party
Grill out with others
Graduation party
Friday cocktail hour on the front lawn
Host a jewelry (or other craft) selling thing
Micro-businesses that sell goods for ‘worthy’ agencies such as World Vision
Get kids to chalk positive messages on the sidewalk or people’s driveways. Or chalk a game (e.g. hopscotch) where passing kids can join in
Dog party
Runners’ gathering
Block party
End of season event for the team
Grilling food for soccer (or other sport) families (where you or your kids are involved)
Book club
Board games (especially good for introverts!)
Coffee or tea meet up
‘Beer and the Bible’ in a local bar
Quiz night
Front yard parties, e.g. wheel out a TV or projector to watch a sports game or a movie together!
Connecting through the local ‘Nextdoor’ or Facebook groups - invite people to an event
Pancake breakfast, maybe even with live music/art or whatever would work in your context
Create your own summer tradition
Do events at the beach
Be present in the front yard - put a swing in the tree or a picnic bench for the community
Backyard fire pit parties. Maybe give them questions to use like, “What is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done?”, or 2 truths and a lie, or "What would you do if you weren’t afraid?"
Serve someone else (maybe get a group to do it together) - offer to work in a struggling neighbor’s front yard, serve at your local homeless shelter, fill backpacks for underprivileged kids etc
Gather families in your community and pray for the kids before returning to school
Memorial Day party
Labor Day party
If You Can’t Pick…
One of the easiest parties to do (which, to be honest, is one of our regular go to’s) is a front (or back, or side, or local park) yard party.
Plan this with at least one other couple/family so that you know someone else will be there! Spread the word for people to stop by and to bring a drink or a snack.
All you need to do for set up is have a few chairs, a table for drinks and snacks, and some music for the background.
This is super low key and everyone is just so appreciative that you’d take the time to facilitate some sort of get together! We do this a couple of times a year.
Next Steps Worksheet
Talk through these steps - by the end, you’ll have the key ingredients in place to see a missional party take place!
Pray and prayer walk
Which lost friends would you like to connect with?
Therefore, what sort of party/ parties are you going to do?
When and where will you do it?
Who can you invite to help you host?
What do you need to do in advance? (Invitations, food and drink, supplies, furniture, music, etc)
How will you assess if you’ve been successful?
Blessings,
Alex + Hannah
ALEX AND HANNAH ABSALOM
