HOSTING A BLOCK PARTY GUIDE
Size
- You want to be able to make sure you can connect to everyone you invite!
- We recommend inviting 4-8 families.
Menu
- Think simple and easy! Suggested Menu: Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, cookies, soft drinks and water
- Idea: You can even do a potluck! Provide the main course and invite guests bring sides!
Location
- While you can invite people into your home, you don’t have to!
- Suggested locations: driveway, neighborhood park, backyard, community space at an apartment, pool, and community center
Connect & Have Fun
- Create Your Own Playlist
- Have fun and inviting music playing to set the tone for the environment.
- Fun tip: Invite attendees to add songs they like.
- Activities
- Make sure you have something for guests to do or engage in if they want to
- Bring a frisbee or football to throw around.
- Sidewalk chalk and bubbles are fun and easy activities for kids!
- Conversation Starters: Write these out on note cards to leave around the party or use these to think through before the party begins to help the conversation flow.
- How long have you lived in the area? What brought you here?
- Do you believe in anything that most people do not believe in?
- What’s your favorite quote?
- If you could have witnessed any event in sports history, what would it be?
- What were you known for in high school?
- Have you met a famous person?
- What’s one thing you might keep forever?
- What’s something you experienced in childhood that children today don’t experience?
- Think of the best community you’ve been a part of - what made that community so great?
- What’s a question you like people to ask you?
DISCERNING NEXT STEPS
Our hope for these block parties is that we love our neighbors well and create opportunities to connect, learn more about others, and allow Jesus’ love to flow through us to our neighbors. The pressure is off for any results or outcomes as we trust the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts and minds of others. No need to try to force anything. Pray. Be intentional. Trust the Spirit to lead and follow his prompts in your soul. Ask the Spirit for wisdom to discern next steps with any of your neighbors and have fun hosting a block party! What a joy to be a conduit of God’s love for others!