The following are suggested theme ideas to help spark additional interest in your monthly Prayer Connection meetings. To create further interest, you may want to prepare special Prayer Connection invitations and sign-up sheets to be placed on your Resource Table.
January: Popcorn Prayer Connection: “Pop into the New Year.” Weave “popcorn” terminology into the wording of your invitation. Serve several kinds of gourmet popcorn with appropriate hot drinks. Have “popcorn” prayers: short prayers popping up all over the room.
February: Presidential Prayer Connection: Celebrate presidents’ birthdays as you focus on prayer for our current President/Prime Minister and country leaders.
March: Wearin’ O’ the Green Prayer Connection: Serve Irish Crème Coffee and Shamrock cookies. Another idea for this spring month: invite those who will attend to bring a small potted plant for an exchange.
April: International Taste-In Prayer Connection: Serve coffees from other countries. International coffees, such as Kona coffee from Hawaii, are readily available from specialty stores. A mocha dessert finishes off the “Coffee” theme. For the welcome time, have several women share what Friendship Bible Coffees have meant to them.
May: Tea-For-You Prayer Connection: Serve a variety of teas from unusual teapots. You may even hold your Prayer Connection in the home of someone who has a collection of teapots or teacups.
June: Berry Special Prayer Connection: Weave the word “berry” throughout your invitation. The hostess could serve strawberry waffles (Eggo in the toaster kind) and top with fresh strawberries or have a fresh berry pie etc.
July: Stars and Stripes Prayer Connection: Create a patriotic theme and stress prayer for our nation at this Prayer Connection.
August: A Slice of Summer Prayer Connection: Make this an outdoor event and serve slices of watermelon for refreshments with lemonade, etc.
September: Back-to-School Prayer Connection: Use school terminology, books, and pencils, bell (e.g. “The bell rings at 9:30 a.m. sharp…”) on your invitation. Consider optional use of book bags, lunch pails or brown bags to decorate. Have some focused prayer time for the schools, school officials and teachers in your community.
October: Pumpkin Patch Prayer Connection: Pumpkin bread or cake, etc. will be well received at this Prayer Connection time with a hot spiced cider drink or apple juice. Give a small pumpkin filled with fresh flowers as a prize to the person who brings the most guests. Another idea for the fall season: have an Apply Dandy Prayer Connection featuring some favorite apple desserts.
November: Ginger ‘N’ Spice Prayer Connection: Burn cinnamon scented candles, serve warm gingerbread, ginger snaps or fresh apple spice cake, etc. and spiced cider.
December: For this special month, consider planning an ornament exchange or perhaps a Victorian Prayer Connection in a special setting such as a Bed and Breakfast. Use traditional Christmas décor to make this Prayer Connection fun!
Additional Theme Ideas:
Chocolate Lover’s Prayer Connection or Death by Chocolate Prayer Connection: Serve “chocolate” coffee or hot chocolate with a delicious chocolate dessert – or invite women to bring their favorite chocolate item. It may be a fun to have some Hershey Kisses on the Resource Table to encourage the outreach meeting guests to stop by and sign-up to attend.
On the Deck Prayer Connection: Host the Prayer Connection on someone’s deck and serve coke floats or another summertime refreshments.
Ideas for Boosting Attendance:
- Invite women to bring their favorite dessert/fruit tray, etc.
- Ask one woman to open her home, another to bring the refreshments, and another to make special name tags. It is good to ask women who usually do not attend. Finding out that hosting a Prayer Connection can be simple and fun is a great way to encourage women to open their home and to invite their friends and neighbors to attend.