Description: This is an evening outdoor prayer service followed by a social time.
Get Ready
- Prep Time: Begin preparing a month in advance to secure a date and location, recruit volunteers, publicize, and gather materials. You will need to spend some time in the week before the vespers service preparing the worship aids and music. Set-up time will depend on the size of the group and how you choose to set up (more time needed to set up chairs or less time if people are going to stand or sit on blankets).
- Volunteers Needed: Two to three people for the prayer service (presider, reader, musician/someone to turn on music); two or three people for set up of the social.
- Supplies: Set-up for the prayer needs a podium, microphone (if necessary), chairs (or people can stand), worship aids (if desired). You will also need to purchase snacks and drinks, or, to keep costs low, have them donated or have people bring their own.
- Reserve the Space: Outdoor lawn, patio, or other area where people can sit or stand for prayer, and another space for the social. Depending on location, you might want to have a rain location.
- Ideal Group Size: 10 to 50.
- Who is this for? All young adults.
- When is a good time for this? A weeknight evening (beginning around 7 or 7:30 p.m.).
- Publicize the Program:
- This is a great event to come together with other parishes to offer on a regular basis. It could be a weekly event for a month in the summer to rotate between church locations.
- This is also an easy event to promote via e-mail and social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Prayer for Program Planner: Loving God, as we prepare to lead young adults in prayer this evening, allow us to be instruments of the Holy Spirit as we draw ever closer to you. Amen.
Community Building: After an opportunity to pray together, young adults have the chance to socialize with friends, or meet new people, and enjoy the summer weather outdoors.
Make It Happen
- The set-up for Outdoor Vespers and Vino can be as simple or as complex as your space and time allows. Vespers can be done with participants sitting in folding chairs, on the ground, or standing. The presider should have a podium from which to speak. The lectors and other readers can come to the podium when it is their turn. If the rest of the group is sitting, there should be a chair for the presider to sit in when he/she is not speaking. Participants can all hold taper candles that are lit from a Christ candle, if that is desired. A table or focal point can be set up in the front. It could include any or all of: large pillar candle, statue or icon of Christ, Mary, or a saint, a plant, etc.
- Set-up for the social can include tables for people to sit at or people can stand. A table or two to set up the food and drinks should be arranged in a convenient location, separate from the prayer space.
- Volunteers should welcome people to prayer and hand out worship aids. Other volunteers can be in charge of setting up food and drinks and greeting people as they come socialize after Vespers.
Ideas
- This is a great opportunity to promote other programs or to have people sign up to help with service, social, or other young adult activities, or to sign up for parish ministries.
Help
- Vespers Order of Service — Sample Presider Script (PDF)
