Community Picnic

Description: This is a social event that serves as a community building opportunity for your parish young adults or the wider young adult community in your area.

Get Ready

• Prep Time: You should begin preparing several weeks in advance to make location reservations (if needed) and start marketing. On the day of, you should only need an hour or so of setup time if you’re keeping things simple. You may need more time to set up the activities, if you are planning to include those.
• Volunteers Needed:
  • You will not need many volunteers if you create this event as a potluck picnic. If you wish to provide the hamburgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, etc., you will need volunteers to man the grills and help serve.
  • Volunteers are needed to arrange or set up tables.
  • You should recruit volunteers to help clean up after the picnic (although in my experience, the entire group will usually help clean up at the end).
  • If including games like volleyball, bocce ball, etc., it is a good idea to have a volunteer who is familiar with the game and its rules to help with each activity. This person should also be outgoing and welcoming.
  • Be sure to include a volunteer who can be the guide for the food preparations, particularly if you need to meet health code issues related to food prep on church property. Check with your pastor or business manager to find out about those requirements.

• It is also a great idea to have a person or two with first aid training in case of a mishap with the games or grill.
• I have also found it helpful to have people bring their own lawn chair, and to remind them that mosquito/tick repellant and sunscreen are good to bring.
• For a basic event, you simply need a large area where you can set up picnic tables or folding tables and chairs.
• Supplies:
  • Plates, flatware, napkins, picnic tablecloths, cups, coolers and ice.
  • Sodas and water.
  • Garbage bags are always useful.
  • If including sports and games, you will need to collect that equipment. Some examples include: Frisbees, volleyballs, basketballs, playing cards, Telestrations, Apples to Apples, or other games.

• It is a good idea to have a first aid kit on hand if playing outdoor sports.
• Reserve the Space:

• If you wish to get a bit more complex, you will need to do some or all of the following:
  • Reserve a picnic pavilion at a local park (there may be a fee).
  • Reserve game or sports areas if needed.
• Determine if you will cancel due to poor weather, or relocate to an indoor location. Reserving a picnic shelter can be helpful for light to moderate rain situations. Sheltered areas are also good if the sun is harsh. You should have a contingency plan for hazardous weather.
• Ideal Group Size: This event is great for a large group, but a small group of only 12-15 people will still have a good time.
• Who is this for? All young adults. It is a great event to open up to those with young children.
• When is a good time for this? Weekends are really the best option. Scheduling the picnic on a holiday like Memorial Day, Labor Day, or Independence Day are options too, depending on whether your young adults stay in town or travel on those weekends. Beginning the picnic around the noon hour is great, as you will have plenty of time to enjoy the company and games.
• Publicize the Program:
  • Always make sure to go the traditional route. This will make sure you catch those who are not media savvy and allow the rest of the parish or community to know what your young adult ministry is doing:
    • Posters on church bulletin boards
    • Notice (with attractive design and artwork) in the parish bulletin
    • Announcement at Masses.
  • Utilize social media:
    • Create a Facebook event
    • Utilize Twitter if relevant to your young adults
    • Should your young adults be on Instagram, taking photos of the group and the activity will be great advertising.
  • Send notices to local parishes for their bulletins and announcements if you want to share with the wider young adult community beyond your parish.
  • Send out e-mails:
    • One e-mail about two weeks prior to invite people
    • One e-mail 24-48 hours prior with a reminder. 

Prayer for Program Planner: The beauty of your creation, Lord, is awe-inspiring and a comfort. May it be a comfort and strength in my ministry and my life. Amen.

Community Building: Given the nature of the activity, the community picnic really helps build community. The important thing is to welcome everyone, help make introductions as needed, or to encourage those that may be a bit shy to jump into the conversations. I have found that overly structuring this can be more detrimental than under-structuring.