Youth Christmas Party Ideas

GUEST WRITER: DANA SCHWENDEMAN

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But for youth workers, the holidays may welcome more anxiety and dread than peace and joy. There can be a lot of pressure to organize the most spectacular youth Christmas party that will compete with families’ overstuffed schedules. Youth workers may be more prone to burnout during the holidays and lose focus on ministry goals or community needs. It can become more challenging to balance fun elements with faith topics.

Every year, I must remind myself to let go of the “cruise director” mentality and focus on the value of youth Christmas parties for families in my ministry. The value of these gatherings is different in every ministry context, and they change year to year as the group of youth changes. Here are three points of focus I have found to help me relieve holiday pressure when planning youth Christmas gatherings. I hope they are helpful to you, too! 

Ministry Goals

What goal does this youth Christmas party meet in your ministry? You may be trying to welcome more youth to your program, help them explore their creativity, or empower caregivers to talk faith with them at home. Your youth Christmas gathering can help achieve some of these goals. Keep them in mind when organizing your gathering.

Community Needs

What needs can this youth Christmas gathering meet for your ministry community? Youth may need a space to connect and feel comfortable being themselves. Caregivers may seek a special place to spend time with their youth. Basic needs like food or safety may be a priority for your setting. The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to reach out to youth and their families to ask how to make your youth Christmas gathering a better fit for them. This is an important focus because the value of your gathering depends on it meeting the needs of youth and their families.

Intentional Planning

What sort of gathering would be worth your energy? The truth is there is only so much of you to go around. This is especially true during the holiday season. With this in mind, organizing a youth Christmas gathering with intention by thinking about how many volunteers your ministry has, what your budget may be, and where your energy levels will be is essential to battling the dreaded holiday burnout. My number one intention every year is to keep it simple.

Here are three simple youth Christmas party Ideas:

• Coloring and Movie Night – Invite youth to vote on their favorite Christmas movie and host a relaxed, easy-to-put-together gathering. Coloring can be an excellent way to meet the creative needs of your group, and it’s stress-relieving for adults and teens alike. Make popcorn, put out a coloring poster, and chat with youth about art as a form of worship as the movie plays in the background. This type of youth Christmas party may even be an opportunity to discuss the importance of self-care and tending to mental health during the holidays.  

• Caroling in Your Community – If your ministry goals include reaching out to your neighbors, caroling may be the perfect fit for you. Caroling is also a youth Christmas activity families can do together. Making memories while spreading cheer, hope, and love to those who may need it is a mission your youth can be proud to be a part of. Check out this helpful resource if caroling would be a good fit for your youth Christmas party.

• Cookie Baking – Bring youth and caregivers together for a fun gathering centered on food. Some of our best holiday memories are made in the kitchen, so why not bake at your youth Christmas party? Discuss how food played a large part in Jesus’ ministry and pray for those without basic needs during the holidays.

I hope these ideas are helpful to you as you balance fun and faith in a youth Christmas party. Remember, you are the expert on your ministry context and know how to create meaningful, impactful experiences for your youth. Whether you focus on building relationships, meeting community needs, or simplifying the season to preserve your well-being, what you do matters. Your efforts provide a space where youth and their families can connect with one another, deepen their faith, and experience the love and joy that this season represents. 

Be kind to yourself as you plan, and trust that even the simplest gathering can leave a lasting impact. Blessings to you and your ministry this holiday season!

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