Download the Top 12 back-to-school church event ideas for 2024
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The back-to-school season is an exciting time of year. Many kids are excited to get back to school to see friends and beloved teachers, and parents are excited for the sense of calm that comes with normal rhythms and routines.
The beginning of the school year also presents tremendous opportunities for local churches to serve their communities. Has your church considered hosting any back-to-school events this year? Do you need some good back-to-school event ideas for your church? Good news—we’ve got you covered with 12 great ones below!
Let’s walk through some great back-to-school church event ideas for kids, parents, students, and more that would serve your local community well and likely lead to more people connecting with your church.
Kids in your community who are headed back to school likely have some mixed feelings. Some kids are probably ecstatic about getting back to learning and spending time with friends. Other kids are likely dreading the responsibility and stress that can come with the workload of school. And yet another group of kids are likely feeling “all of the feelings.”
Here are a few back-to-school event ideas to serve kids heading back to the classroom:
Ice Cream Social
An ice cream social can be a great way to send kids back to school with a sweet treat and maybe some new friends too! Some kids may be stressed about making new friends at school or reconnecting with ones they had last school year. An ice cream social before the school year starts would help ease their fears and hopefully help them meet someone they’ll see in their school hallway.
Welcome Back Show & Tell
When your normal Sunday school programming resumes around the beginning of the school year, consider inviting the kids in your Sunday school program to do a bit of show and tell about their favorite parts of summer break. This would be a fun icebreaker activity, especially if you have some kids who are visiting your church for the first time.
Sports Day
A popular trend for many children’s ministries is ending the summer with an engaging “Olympics-like” event (whether or not the Olympics are currently happening or not). Encourage kids in your church to invite friends to an event that feels sort of like a field day at the church—including a variety of sports and activities in which the kids can compete.
Parents are as engaged in the back-to-school rhythms as their children are, even if they aren’t the ones heading back to the classroom. Because of that, it would be good for your church to consider planning some back-to-school events for parents as well.
Here are some back-to-school event ideas for your church to serve parents:
Parenting Support Group
While some parents may be relieved that their children are headed back to school, some are surely struggling with the transition (especially parents whose children are going to a new school or maybe have trouble with school in some way). Consider starting a support group for parents in your community.
Back-to-School Prayer Night
Parents love to pray for their children, and as the school year begins they’re likely praying many different prayers for their children. Also, praying together is an effective way to build community among believers. Host a prayer night before or as the school year begins to bring parents together for mutual support and encouragement.
Tech Savvy Parenting Class
With a new school year come new challenges around technology for parents and children alike. Many parents likely recognize their children have unhealthy relationships with technology (social media specifically). Host a night for parents to equip them to lead their kids to use technology (phones, social media, etc.) wisely throughout the school year.
For high school and college students, the beginning of a new school year is one more step toward independent adulthood, a career, and all that comes with life after school. Here are some back-to-school event ideas to consider for those students:
Career Day
Some high school students are already considering what career they may pursue, and most college students are certainly weighing their options. What would it look like for your church to hold a career day? It could be a great service to many students and an opportunity for your congregants to share about their professional lives.
Study Skills Workshop
Most would agree that in the latter years of high school, and certainly in college, the workload and overall rigor of schooling ratchets up to a new level of difficulty that benefits from improved discipline. A workshop dedicated to improving study skills and educational discipline could be a great back-to-school event for your church to provide.
College Prep Night
Every community is different, but if your church is situated in a community in which many are applying to college, and perhaps as a first-time college student in their families, your community may benefit from a night dedicated to helping students and their parents prepare for and apply to colleges.
Beyond all of those who are directly impacted by the beginning of a new school year, other church members may want to get involved and help. Here are some general back-to-school events your church may want to explore to serve the larger community:
School Supply Drive
Students at every level need school supplies of some sort, and the costs of such items only continue to increase. Consider tapping into the generosity of your church members to collect school supplies for those in need.
Health Screening Day
It is important for students to have their health screened and to receive the required vaccinations for school attendance, but some families may have a hard time getting to the doctor’s office or affording healthcare. Consider partnering with local healthcare providers to serve your community in this way.
Neighborhood Clean-Up
Everyone feels better when their living space is just a bit cleaner, and this applies to our neighborhoods as much as it does to our homes. Consider how your church may be able to help clean up your surrounding community to encourage a fresh start to the season ahead.
Getting into the back-to-school spirit and mindset is easier for some than others, which is understandable. But there are dozens of ways your church can serve your local community with back-to-school events that equip their heads, hearts, and hands for success as the new year begins.
Looking for an easy way to plan your events? Subsplash provides a comprehensive event management solution built to meet your church’s unique needs. From RSVP tracking to collecting non-charitable payments, this integrated platform makes planning effortless for both your free and paid church events. [.blog-contact-cta]Reach out to our team[.blog-contact-cta] today to get started!
