20 Fun Activities For Women’s Groups In Small Churches

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Women’s ministry is an essential and value-laden part of our churches. According to Lifeway Research, 68% of women surveyed report forming solid relationships with other women due to having a women’s ministry in their church. 65% said that women’s ministry provides opportunities to be refreshed and restored physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Furthermore, 58% of the women stated that women’s ministry was the place to ask questions and discuss their faith openly. We need women’s ministry in our churches!

Planning Activities In A Meaningful Way

Intentionally chosen events and activities help us reach women in different stages of life. We want to ensure we include all women and help them feel welcome. A well-thought-out event can assist us to include women of all ages and facilitate intergenerational relationships. In America today, many of us no longer live in the same city with extended family. Intergenerational relationships can be a beautiful gift to both ends of the age spectrum! Let’s look at 20 activities for women’s groups that can be fun, build small-group cohesion, and serve as outreach tools. These ideas may spark the imagination of your leadership team to create entirely new events or activities. Or you can use the events precisely as described. 

20 Fun Activities For Women’s Groups

Seasonal Events

1. Fall Potluck

Plan an evening gathering and ask each woman to bring her favorite fall-inspired dish. Many of our favorite fall recipes lend themselves well to being cooked in a crock pot and will still be hot and easy to serve. A potluck is easy to add to a Bible study or use as a stand-alone fellowship.

2. Christmas Tour Of Homes

Work in advance to recruit volunteers to open their Christmas-decorated homes to their small group. Ask a secondary team of volunteers to plan and provide light snacks at each home. That way, hostesses can relax and enjoy the evening as well. After the last house is visited, gather back at the church for a reading of the Christmas Story and share a short devotional.

3. Summer Ice Cream Social

Create a toppings buffet and offer different flavors of ice cream. Invite women new to your community or as an outreach to the mothers of children who attended Vacation Bible School. Have fun creating the perfect bowl of ice cream with toppings and meeting new friends. Be welcoming and have a few icebreaker games. 

Remember, not every gathering needs to be structured. The relaxed vibe of summer and the child-like delight of ice cream can open doors and build relationships, leading to later opportunities to share the Gospel.

Meal Based Events

4. International Dinner

Select different countries and prepare an informational sheet for each one. Then, highlight some of the mission work your church or denomination is involved in for that country. Ask ladies to bring dishes associated with that country or people group. For your devotion, focus on the Great Commission, as found in Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:8.

5. Menu For A Month

Women have many responsibilities, including meal preparation. How exciting would it be if we could help relieve some of the stress and chaos from their lives by streamlining the process of feeding themselves and their families?! Host a class that teaches women to plan a menu, shop, prepare, and freeze meals that can be popped in the oven each night for a month!

If you do not have a woman in your church who can teach this skill, there is a complete line of cookbooks that lead you step-by-step through the process. I do not have any connection to the books, nor will I receive any commissions if you purchase the books. But, in the early 1990’s I found the series very helpful. The series is entitled Once A Month Cooking. You can buy the books on the Focus on the Family website.

6. 30-Minute Meal Challenges

Similarly, you could host a series of events featuring a different menu for meals that can be prepped, cooked, and ready to eat in 30 minutes. These meals can be from various types of cuisine (think Mexican, Chinese, Thai, French, Italian, etc.) or different diet types (Mediterranean, Diabetic, Paleo, etc.). You could also invite a Registered Dietician or local Chef to speak at these events, helping to focus on healthy food and diet choices. Consider a devotional from the Book of Daniel (chapter 1) on making choices that honor God.

7. Create A Cookbook

Granted, this is a long-range project. Our women’s ministry took about six months to gather, coordinate, and publish our easy recipes cookbook. We now offer cooking classes to tweens, teens, and even young adults as an outreach to our community based on the cookbook we created.

8. Cookie Exchange Or Cookies For Cops

Invite each woman to bring three dozen cookies, either homemade or store-bought. If you host a cookie exchange, one dozen cookies will be shared during the Bible study, and the other two dozen will be shared among all the participants to take home.

If you choose the Cookies For Cops option, share a devotion and package the cookies into small individual gift bags. Then, go as a group to distribute at the police station, sheriff’s office, fire department, etc. 

One small note here: we live in a small community, and our public servants/ first responders are accustomed to us “dropping by.” As the ministry leader, ask beforehand about any rules or constraints that may be in place in your community. 

9. Monthly Cooking Club

If you have enough interest, one of your small groups may choose to host a monthly cooking club during the year. Women who love to cook or enjoy learning to cook different dishes may love the idea of a small group that rotates homes and tries out new recipes once a month, along with a member-led devotional.

Going Deeper: Theological Study Or Doctrinal Study

Throughout the years, I have had requests for a deeper dive into Scripture. Some of the requests required a deeper study, and I needed to bring in a guest speaker for some. The women enjoyed the studies and grew in their Biblical knowledge and their walk with the Lord!

10. Start With The Basics

Lead a less complex Bible Study and teach participants to use specific resources such as a Bible concordance, Bible dictionary, Biblical commentaries, or other Biblically-based and theologically sound resources to supplement their study. Choosing a simple study topic will help the participants focus on learning to use the new tools rather than struggle with a complex subject.

11. Host A Beginner-Level Language Course 

Invite your pastor or other ministerial staff to teach a beginner-level course on the Hebrew or Greek language and ancient customs that help students better understand the context of Scripture passages. 

During a mission trip to Ethiopia, I witnessed farmers winnowing grain using implements similar to those used in agricultural examples throughout the Bible. Seeing the process demonstrated expanded my understanding and gave me a depth of knowledge I lacked before. 

12. Study A Specific Book Of The Bible Over Several Months

The expanded time frame allows participants to meditate deeply, intentionally learn the background of the Book, learn more about the author, and explore any corresponding cross-references.

Intergenerational Events

13. Mother/ Daughter Or Grandmother/Granddaughter Retreats

A weekend getaway for the participants provides time to build memories and forge bonds. Bible study and times of worship interspersed with fun activities may open up lines of communication as well as demonstrate the beauty and necessity of female friendships in the Christian walk. Our girls and young women lived through years of enforced isolation during the pandemic. Many have missed out on building relationships and learning social skills. As Christian women, we need to create space for relationship-building and live out the Biblical mandate for older women to teach and lead younger women.

14. Teach A Skills Workshop

Encourage women to share their knowledge of a hobby or a skill that has added value to their lives.

One of our older ladies was a certified Master Gardner. She taught a class on creating flower boxes for an outside patio or deck. She included topics such as choosing the correct soil, selecting plants that do well in a container garden, and even how to amend the soil to be better suited for growing vegetables.

Another of our ladies is a very talented gardener and is well-known for her bouquets and flower arrangements from her yard. She taught a class on flower arranging. She brought cuttings from her garden for each of us to make a flower arrangement to take home.

Do you have ladies who knit? Here is a website that offers free beginner-level patterns. Consider creating scarves or simple hats as a class and donating to a ministry for the unhoused in your community.

If you have a member who is an accountant or bookkeeper, consider a study that teaches Biblical money management, how to make a budget, or even how to balance a bank account.

Growing up in rural Georgia, I learned how to change a tire before I learned to drive. It was considered an essential safety skill. As an adult, I was amazed how many women had never learned this skill. Teaching a car maintenance and safety course is also a great way to minister to women in your community.

Something For Everyone

One Sunday years ago, I had a lady sheepishly admit that she was “jealous” of the fun activities the youth ministry had planned. Sensing an opportunity to learn, I asked her to share her thoughts with me, and I am so grateful she did. As ministry leaders, we must intentionally get to know those we lead and be inclusive in our planned activities and events.

15. Indoor Wall Climbing Or Outdoor Rappeling

If this is an outing your youth ministry offers, be bold and request an adult version. You might be surprised to find you enjoy these activities too! The activity would be a perfect segue into a devotional or Bible study on the faithfulness of God.

16. Hiking

Is there a National Park nearby? Plan a day hike with a picnic lunch. Ask the women to bring back either a small object or a photo of something they saw that was beautiful or reminded them of God as Creator. Provide time to share. Close with a short devotional from the Book of Psalms. Share a reel on social media of the photos the group took during the hike.

17. Photo Scavenger Hunt

The beauty of a Photo Scavenger Hunt is that you can tailor the complexity of the sought-after items to your location, your time frame, and the needs of your group. Based on your specific needs, a photo scavenger hunt can be for items or locations within the church/ your campus, or you could target locations throughout your community. 

One option is to base the clues on Bible verses. For example, a verse about the Bread of Life leads to the bakery. Or inside the church, a Bible verse about the Jordan River could lead to the baptismal pool. The participants must take a picture of themselves at the location with the clue leading to the next target. Have each group send photos of the hunt to your phone so you can post the images on Social Media with a caption inviting women to the next activity.

General Fun And Games

18. Calligraphy Class

When studying some of Paul’s letters, include a tutorial on calligraphy and allow the women to practice by writing notes to each other or to someone they would like to invite to join the study. Here is a link to a series of YouTube videos demonstrating Calligraphy for beginners. 

19. Decorating A Prayer Journal

A fun craft idea would be asking participants to cut out pictures from magazines they associate with prayer or their quiet time. It could be a picture of a big, comfy chair or a kitchen table. They could choose flowers or other beautiful scenes from nature, whatever speaks to them and reminds them of spending time in prayer and reading Scripture. 

Provide a simple bound notebook, paint brushes, and Decou-page to seal the pictures to the notebook cover. Have the women personalize their notebook covers and follow the directions on the bottle of Decou page. While the journals are drying, lead a study on prayer and the benefits of prayer journaling. 

20. Book Club

Offer a monthly book club gathering for interested women. You could alternate between Christian fiction and non-fiction books. Each woman will read the book or the assigned chapters during the month. Then, meet to share thoughts and feelings about what you read. Offer light refreshments and spend time discussing, fellowshipping, and growing relationships! Sometimes, a friend or neighbor will attend a book club even if she is not ready to participate in a Bible study! Build relationships that grant you the opportunity to share the Gospel.

If you’re navigating the challenges of small church ministry and want a place to connect with other leaders who understand the journey, consider joining our Small Church Ministry Facebook group. It’s a space for encouragement, shared wisdom, and real conversation as you lead.

Sharing The Love Of Christ

Women’s ministry and the events we plan should reflect the collective personalities of the women we serve. Spend time getting to know the women and then work to plan events that meet their needs and match their interests. As servant leaders, our assignment is to mentor and nurture the new Christians and engage and challenge the mature believers to continue to grow in Christ. I pray some of the ideas will assist you as you plan your events.

Don’t be afraid to take any portion of these activities and customize the event to fit the needs of your group. For example, if you don’t want to create a cookbook, find a cookbook of easy-to-follow recipes and use that cookbook to guide a cooking class. The actual tools are not the main focus of Women’s ministry events. The main focus is always helping women grow closer to Jesus, encouraging them to share the Gospel, and building relationships that sustain us through even the most challenging times.

As women’s ministry leaders, we share the love of Christ and model being His hands and feet to serve others. That is the most impressive and engaging aspect of women’s ministry, not the events, the decorations, or even the number of attendees. 

Tired of planning ministry event alone?

If you want ready-to-use templates, facilitation tools, and planning prompts to actually implement this in your church – we created this companion guide alongside the training.

Get the Church Planning Party Templates & Leader Guides here.

Read More:

24 Ideas To Renew Your Women’s Ministry 

4 Tips For Bridging The Gap In Women’s Ministry 

A 4-Week Plan To Start (Or Restart) A Women’s Ministry