Three Tea Party Themes For Small Churches

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Tea parties provide a break from the hustle of daily life. When women take home a favor from your tea, they have a tangible reminder of the tea party, the laughter, and the connections they made. Check out these three themes and favor ideas.

Why Have A Tea Party?

Occasionally, I get the question, “Why a Tea Party?” as we plan the yearly calendar for our women’s ministry, and I just have to smile. Of course, there is an element of frivolity associated with the idea of an afternoon tea party. But, if we are intentional, we can make it a sacred moment as well. Planning an event that is designed to extend Christian fellowship to women in your community who are unchurched, unsaved, and unreached with the Gospel is a key element of our mission as women’s ministry leaders. 

An Afternoon Tea Party can be a fun and low-pressure atmosphere to minister to women who might not ever attend a church service. Invite your neighbor, your cashier at the grocery store, or one of your children’s teachers. Afternoon Tea has great potential to introduce women outside your congregation to a loving fellowship and eventually lead to opportunities to share the Gospel.

A second reason I love an Afternoon Tea as an outreach idea is that you can scale the event for even the tightest small church budget. 

Invite different ladies in your congregation to act as hostesses for a table of six. The hostess provides the tablescape and the place settings for herself and five other ladies (see a list of Hostess Duties I have included). 

Then, ask different Sunday School classes or Small Groups to commit to providing tasty treats for the event. I provide suggestions for High Tea fare and then watch how creative each group is in providing delectable treats! For the price of buying tea bags, you can have a beautiful event.

Tea Party Themes & Favors

Now that you have chosen to host an Afternoon Tea for your next Women’s Ministry Event and have begun to pray (see step 1 in Small Church Tea Party In 7 Steps), consider one of these themes and event favors.

1. You Are His Special Treasure

This theme is built around several different verses, starting with Malachi 3:16-18 and Deuteronomy 7:6. 

For the event favor, purchase small ceramic jewelry boxes from the local dollar store. (Non-ceramic boxes work just as well.) Dollar stores are a veritable treasure trove that fit the needs of a small church budget. 

The boxes often come in a variety of soft pastel colors and have a “jewel” clasp. Inside each box, place a rolled-up “scroll” with a printed verse that speaks of being God’s special treasure. 

As the ladies enter, and throughout the time that they visit with table mates and begin to enjoy all the yummy tea fare, play worship songs softly in the background. 

On the large screen, display a slide show that includes images with embedded Bible verses on a repeating loop. On each slide, feature a Bible verse that speaks to how special we are to our heavenly Father and how much He loves and values us. 

A possible devotion idea is that, like Queen Ester, we are valued and created for a “time such as this.”

Alternative idea: small treasure chests

2. This Treasure In Earthen Pots

Building on 2 Corinthians 4:7, we (again) turned to the local dollar-type store and purchased the 2-inch clay pots. If you can find it, pick up gold glitter paint.

Here’s how you can create your small church tea event favors. Paint the insides of each pot with gold glitter paint and then create “faux” crack lines on the outside with the same paint. The effect is the appearance that the gold is escaping through the cracks. 

Select a flowery background template and type the verse, 2 Corinthians 4:7, onto green paper. Next, cut out each “tag” and, using a paste, apply it to the outside of the pot. Then, cover the entire pot with a decoupage to seal it. On individually wrapped tea bags, write the name and birthdate of a missionary. Then, encourage the women to pray for that missionary on their birthday while drinking their cup of tea in the upcoming year.

3. As The Deer Panteth For The Water

This theme is based on encouraging those ladies who are in a “desert spot” in their Christian walk or who are otherwise discouraged and yearning for God. 

Choose a list of verses such as Psalm 42:1 or Psalm 63:1. These verses remind us that we often find ourselves in a place of longing for His comforting presence. 

Order online or at the dollar-type store a selection of pretty plastic decorative fans. Choose a wide variety of colors and designs since each woman is unique. Then, attach a small card with one of your chosen Bible verses. As she uses the fan in the future, she will call the verse to mind. 

The devotion for the event is easily created to remind women of the many ways that God sees us in our unique situations of need and provides relief and comfort. Consider using the story of Hagar in her distress who met El Roi (Genesis 16:13).

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!

Gifts Make An Event More Memorable

For each of the themes I listed above, I also made suggestions for party favors/ gifts for each attendee. Think back to the last memorable event you attended. Did the host provide a small gift for you to take home? I am fairly certain that when you see that gift, you can quickly call to mind memories from the event, who you sat next to, and what you talked about. A small and inexpensive gift for each guest can extend your Gospel impact for the event.

We are created with five senses, and one of the best ways to make a lasting impact is to engage as many of those five senses as possible. For example, the favor for the theme of You Are His Special Treasure, the pretty jewelry box is ceramic and painted a soft pastel color. It is pretty enough to earn a place on her dresser for her to see daily. The color is soothing, and the ceramic is cool to the touch. Even if she removes the “scroll” with the scripture verse, she will remember the event.

You can find some inexpensive giveaways listed in Retreat Planner Shares Her Tips that could work well for tea party favors.

Paint Terra Cotta Pots For Party Favors

The favor for This Treasure in Earthen Pots included a small terracotta seed pot painted with gold faux cracks to simulate the treasure of His presence spilling forth from our surrendered lives. We included a sealed tea bag that had the name of a missionary and their birthdate. As the women drink their tea and pray for the missionary on their birthday, they will call to mind how God can use even cracked pots like me to be His hands and feet in this world.

Finally, for the theme As the Deer Panteth For The Water, we provided a decorated fan to remind ladies that even in the desert places of life, He is with us. We live in the south, so the fans will be used frequently in the warmer months and call to mind the fun, fellowship, and message from the Afternoon Tea.

Be Good Stewards Of Funds & Volunteers

As members and leaders of small churches, we must be good stewards of the funds entrusted to us. 

The three themes and guest favors listed above are inexpensive to purchase and create. Almost as appealing to me is that each one is very “inexpensive” in manpower cost as well! 

Using these ideas as the spark to get your imagination and creativity flowing, what are some themes and guest favors that come to mind? I eagerly await all the ideas you share to create a successful Ladies’ Tea for your small church. 

Read More:

Christmas And Tea Time For Women’s Ministry

Small Church Tea Party In 7 Steps

How To Host A Women’s Tea Party