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The holidays provide great opportunities to engage in fellowship and connection with the women in our small church. Hosting events like this can also provide an avenue for new women to be introduced to your church in an informal setting while providing a bridge to building relationships within your group. Follow along to learn how to host a Christmas tea party!
Did you know that the first recorded tea party in England was held in 1662 by the wife of King Charles II? So this event has a long and proven history. Tea parties are traditionally seen as cozy and welcoming gatherings, making Christmas an ideal season for you to host such an event.
The custom of serving tea in many cultures is an opportunity to slow down your day, to linger, and spend time with others as you enjoy the moment. Many times during the holidays, our small churches can pack the schedule too full and ask church members to participate in so many activities that they are totally worn out by Christmas!
That’s not what God desires for us as we celebrate the season of His coming to earth and that’s not what we want for the people of our small churches either.
Christmas is a season that should be a time of reflection, and savoring the incredible gift of Emmanuel-God with us! We want to help you host an event that will give your women a chance to slow their Christmas pace-to pause and enjoy connecting with friends around the tables and to savor not only a good cup of tea but the joy of the season!
The Best Place To Start
Have we gotten you excited about hosting a Christmas Tea Party for your Women’s Ministry?
Great, now we’re going to help you plan, step by step so you can have the best event possible without spreading yourself or anyone else too thin this holiday season!
How To Host A Christmas Tea Party
Examine The Goals Of Your Event:
- Is the event primarily for fellowship and fun, or for outreach to invite new friends in?
- What will the theme of our Tea Party be? *(ideas listed below)*
- What kind of spiritual elements do you want during your event—worship, prayer, a devotional, testimony time, etc?
- In order not to overload the church schedule, consider the best time to host your event.
- Could it replace your traditional Christmas party?
- Consider hosting it the week after Christmas when things calm down, but it is still the ‘holiday season’, don’t be afraid to think outside the box!
- Consider a brunch time or an evening tea, find what fits the women in your group.
- Can we get new ladies involved in the planning and execution of the event?
- Are there practical ways to encourage connection at our gathering?
Theme Ideas:
- Christmas HospitaliTEA
- A Candy Cane Tea Party
- Savor & Sip: A Christmas Tea
- Oh, Christmas Tea!
- Winter Wonderland/Snowflake Tea
- A Tropical Christmas Tea
- Christmas Around the World Tea
- A Country Christmas Tea
- A Christmas NativiTEA
Invite Your Volunteers And Establish Your Teams
We don’t want anyone to be overtaxed as a lone leader/planner. In fact, inviting women to participate in the planning and execution of your event not only fosters community but also empowers your women. By involving those who may not usually volunteer, you create opportunities for personal growth and connection with others. The women in your group will feel valued, cherished, and seen!
Spend time in prayer seeking the Lord’s guidance in identifying those who might benefit from this experience. Just think how impactful an invitation could be for someone’s journey in their faith and future service. This process takes some time, but it will benefit your small church and when we think about it, it really is the heart of our ministry!
Suggested Teams (people can serve in multiple areas if desired):
Hospitality Team
Responsible for:
- Decor, menu, and procurement of food/beverages.
- Serving
- Party Favors
Promotions
Responsible for:
- Flyers/invitations
- Announcements/emails/church bulletins
- Sign-ups/RSVP’s
Program Planning
Responsible for:
- Planning the schedule for the event and asking people to participate
- Providing Icebreakers/Mixer Games
Set Up/ Clean Up
Responsible for:
- Setting up prior to the event.
- Taking down everything after the event.
Prayer Team
Responsible for:
- Pray for every aspect of the event from beginning to follow-up!
A Look Into The Hospitality Team
Developing a hospitality team is crucial to hosting a Christmas tea party. The job of this team is to create an environment that sets the tone for your event. This team will warmly greet your guests as they arrive, show them to their tables, and make sure they are comfortable. This team will also be responsible for the decor and table settings, which will reflect the ‘theme’ of your party.
Having fun and festive decorations doesn’t mean they have to be expensive or time-consuming. Remember, we’re trying to make this holiday event about connecting and reflecting, not overloading and too much stress!
Consider the following ideas to simplify your decor:
- See what’s already in the room where you will be meeting, and use what’s available.
- If you live in an area where you can collect some live greens, use them as accents down the centers of the tables or in vases or for a more country look, metal buckets. Add fresh florals or Baby’s Breath from a warehouse/club grocery store for a more sophisticated look.
- For a more fun theme, various-sized jars of candy canes, starlight mints, and candles.
- Tableware can be borrowed from others, or you could invite everyone to bring their own tea cup and saucer, you provide napkins, plates, and silverware. Paper and plastic are completely acceptable!
- Ask your women if they could pair up to decorate one table. They would be responsible for all the place settings and centerpieces. They can bring things they have from home, grab a thrift store or dollar store find, and brainstorm together to make their contribution to the evening.
These are just a few ideas, there are tons of ideas out there on the internet, in craft stores, and from the women in your own group!
Your Hospitality Team will also plan the menu for the tea party and procure all the food/beverages. To lighten the burden of cooking or baking, look into ordering trays from a local grocery catering department or restaurant. Check with your church leadership to see if there’s a budget for that or you could ask attendees to help offset the cost by taking an offering.
Finally, the Hospitality Team is responsible for the party favors or small gifts to give attendees as a remembrance of the event. This could be a simple ornament, a bookmark with a verse that connects to your theme, a homemade cookie or candy, etc. If you have someone in your group that is ‘crafty’ perhaps they would like to gather some friends to make the favors, a great way to get them involved!
CTA, Inc. has many affordable options for women’s ministry and holiday gifts, they also offer bulk pricing.
Your Program Planning Team
This team is responsible for planning the event schedule and inviting different women to participate in the program.
Here is a suggestion for a program:
- Welcome & Opening Prayer
- Icebreaker/Mixer Game
- Music
- Special numbers or group singing. Decide on Traditional/sacred Christmas music or secular music.
- Food & Tea Service Time
- Devotional/Reflection
- Invite an outside guest speaker or ask a group member or Pastor’s wife.
- Closing Prayer
- Party Favor/Gift Giveaway
The Program Team will also come up with a Mixer or Icebreaker game(s) and lead them. Mixers are a great way to get your guests to interact with others. Holiday-themed Icebreakers are fun and easy to play. Christmas conversation starters that could be matted on decorative paper and put in frames on the tables. These questions spark conversations and sharing, which lead to deeper connection around the table at your Tea Party.
Finally, the Program Team will ask someone to act as your ‘MC’/Hostess for the event. The MC will help to keep the flow of the event moving, introduce the various participants/speaker and close out the evening in prayer.
5. Follow Up & Thank Yous!
An important part of any event at your small church is to make sure to thank all of the volunteers who had any part in your event. A simple handwritten note, mailed to their home can speak volumes, and when someone feels valued they are more apt to want to participate the next time!
If you had visitors who attended your event, make sure to connect with them following your event. Thank them for coming in a simple email or text and be sure to invite them to your Christmas services at your small church.
And finally, take those pics from your event and post them on social media (make sure you have permission to do so first, please). It’s a proven trend that Facebook posts with pictures of people interacting at events gain more interest and comments than other posts. So share the fun you had, tag the people in your church, and ask them to share the post on their own Facebook page—you will see the engagement keep going up!
Don’t forget to post pics of your event on our Creative Solutions for Small Church Ministry Facebook group—we’d love to celebrate it with you!
Looking for a done-for-you complete tea party?
The Tea Party Bundle Vol. 1 has 3 complete, creative, and engaging tea party programs, themed beautifully for you!
Check out the Tea Party Bundle Vol. 1!
You’re Ready To Host!
As you can see, a Christmas tea party is a beautiful way to celebrate the season, offering a space for both reflection and connection. By keeping the event relaxed and intentional, you’ll create a memorable experience that encourages fellowship and joy among the women in your ministry and helps everyone to focus on the reason for the season. Remember, know your goals, pray your way through, simplify whenever possible, and keep your mind focused on Jesus! Now you’re ready to host a Christmas Tea Party for your Women’s Ministry!
Merry Christmas!
Read More:
7 Christmas Fellowship Ideas For Your Women’s Ministry
