A Simple Church Event Planning Checklist For Small Teams {Free PDF}

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When you’re in the throes of everything that comes with keeping ministry activities humming along, there’s one valuable tool that can help small teams run meaningful and impactful ministry events: a simple church event planning checklist. 

Oftentimes, when church members end up in charge of an activity, ministry, or event, it’s for one of two reasons. They’ve either been a fixture at the church for ages and have naturally stepped into the role, or they’re brand new to this kind of role but have a heart of service and a good idea. 

Either way, it’s important to ensure that members of your volunteer teams, however small, have a cohesive idea of the moving parts. While many good-intentioned church members may want to be involved, if there isn’t a clear plan for what people should be doing or how things can go, it can cause confusion and frustration among members of the project. 

If you’re looking for well-run events that accomplish your ministry goals, harness the good intentions of volunteers, and unite them with a common purpose with your church event planning checklist. 

Your Go-To Church Event Planning Checklist

A church event planning checklist isn’t a complicated document. We’re not talking about a spreadsheet with a million tabs that only one person in the church knows how to use. It’s an essential home base for all of your objectives as a volunteer leader and collectively as a team. 

While the phases outlined below are fairly straightforward, their timing and execution will vary. The actual length of the timeline will depend on several factors:

• The type of event you’re hosting
• The capacity of the volunteers who come forward
• Whether or not you’ll be working with outside vendors

A good general rule is to give yourself a little more time than you think you might need. This leaves room to address any changes in plan or volunteer capacity with grace. Just because you CAN get something done in a particular amount of time doesn’t always mean that it’s best to do so.

Start With The Heart (Before You Plan A Thing!)

When a church member brings an idea to you, there are a few important questions to ask:

• What is our “why” for doing this event, or the event goal? 
• Who is the event for? 
• What would make it feel successful? 

Asking these questions at the beginning of the planning phase ensures that everyone involved has an understanding of the purpose of the event. 

For instance, if someone’s “why” is focused on helping the community gain awareness of church activities, but someone else’s is bringing needed services to community members, they’re going to have different priorities. They’ll see things differently when it comes to the type and scope of activities, and how to market the event. 

Neither is wrong, but having that disconnect can create friction along the way. 

Especially when doing any kind of outreach event, having a unified goal, audience, and purpose ensures consistency throughout the event. 

Gather Your People And Plot The Course

People are what make the church go, and that includes any ministry events! When working with a small church community, you often have members who are highly dedicated to the cause. This is an incredible advantage, as they’re often more willing to share skills and resources to further the mission. 

You’ll want to start by setting up an informational session for potential members of your event committee. It’s ideal if you can have a general information flyer or slide in your slideshow ahead of time. This gives people a heads-up so they know what they are committing to. 

During your planning session, share the overarching timeline and key roles without getting too nitty-gritty. By segmenting the event into phases, volunteers can approach the event like a recipe, with clear steps and ingredients to meet the desired outcome.

Both in the initial planning session and throughout the event, you’ll want to ensure that you’re checking in with volunteers. Ensure that everyone feels as though they’re a part of something, and not just another warm body doing tasks. 

Make sure that your volunteers feel comfortable sharing about their capacity for the work they’re assigned. Establish an initial environment of flexibility and support so that bonds become stronger between church members from working together, as opposed to building resentment that can damage relationships down the road.

The Checklist In Action: Phase-By-Phase

When thinking of your event as a whole, it’s important to look at the series of events in phases. This will reduce any overwhelm and create a natural progression of how things should go. For instance:

• Initial Volunteer Organizing – Get people on board, set up communication, and create a timeline.
• Event Marketing – How you’ll get the word out.
• Event Runway – The week(s) leading up to your event and the necessary preparations to make it happen.
• Event Day – Supporting volunteers, making sure people are having a great time, and addressing any hiccups.
• Post Event – Exercising gratitude, educating, and debriefing.

While you will organize volunteers and market throughout the event, many of the major decisions will be made in advance. This makes it important to treat both of these as their own essential phases to begin with.

To help you manage these phases and everything that follows, download this free event planning checklist here.

One thing that too many event teams tend to miss is the post-event phase. The event organizing shouldn’t end when the event day is over. Make sure to do the critical work of acknowledging the skills and contributions of your volunteers. 

Additionally, completing a debrief with event volunteers can help spot strengths and weaknesses to improve future events. This works even if you don’t plan to do the exact same event again.

Make The Church Event Planning Checklist Yours

Each event is as unique as the church that plans it. Which is why each checklist for planning church events should also be tailored to the group and event taking place. 

While using the general phases outlined above can be helpful, what happens in each should and will vary. A church picnic has a very different set of needs than a free haircut event or a pet blessing service. 

The best bit of information that I can give church event planners is to find your footing and stay flexible. If you find along the way that part of the event checklist is bringing too much drama or hassle, pause. It’s good, and often necessary to pivot, and work with the capacity and needs of your team. 

The goal is a successful church event that serves your congregation and/or broader community. And the checklist is there to serve you in that goal, not the other way around.

Serving Well, And Doing It With Joy

Whether you’re doing an event to serve those within the church or something to benefit the broader community, a clear church event planning checklist can help you make the most of your efforts. The overall goal is always to be a blessing to those you intend to have your event for.

When you take the time to set up a clear plan and support your volunteer team, you’re carrying out an act of service and care. It shows a commitment to honoring the time, energy, and strengths your volunteers bring to the table. 

Additionally, you know that everyone is on the same page and can have peace of mind about your unified cause. 

If you’re ready to bring more care and attention to your church event planning, make sure to check out the printable church event planning checklist. This list is a flexible outline to start planning your next church event. 

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