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Looking for a new way to reach out and share the Good News with your friends and neighbours? How about a small get-together in your own home or the home a friend?
A coffee party that counts is an informal, nonthreatening gathering attended by non-Christians who have come as guests of Christian friends. The event involves special activities (such as crafts), food and a brief talk from a speaker on the reality of a personal faith in God. What an opportunity! Here are some tips for planning your own:
1. Prepare
• Planning for an outreach event should begin at least one month ahead of the event itself.
• Just as Jesus involved His disciples in His plans, pull together a team of Christians to help you.
2. Pray
• Pray specifically for the right location, date, time, speaker and special feature.
• Pray for those you invite, that God would prepare their hearts for what they will see and hear, and a supernatural working of the Holy Spirit to bring people to know Christ.
• Pray individually and as a group.
• Pray for wisdom (James 1:5).
3. Put it together
• Decide what type of event to have (i.e. morning coffee, evening dessert) and when.
• Prepare with the people you have chosen to help you.
• Select a special feature and, possibly, a theme(i.e., for a Christmas coffee brunch you may choose to make grape vine wreaths or holiday hors d'oeuvres; for a Valentine's feature you could make greeting cards and stationery with stamps). A theme may be worked out with the speaker you choose.
• Identify and secure the resources you will need: location, speaker, feature, music, materials, decorations, refreshments.
• Decide on your guest list and send out invitations.
• Prepare responses: thank-you's, hostess gifts, evangelistic gifts for the guests to take home, comment cards and follow-up letters to guests who prayed to receive Christ or requested more information.
Your coffee party format could look something like this:
20 minutes - Greeter
• welcomes guests as they arrive
• directs each guest to name tags and punch/coffee/tea
3 minutes - Hostess
• welcomes the guests
• introduces herself
• acts as an emcee, or introduces the emcee
2 minutes - Emcee introduces special feature (craft or demonstration)
20 minutes - Special feature
5 minutes - Emcee
• thanks special feature person(s)
• presents hostess gift
• asks blessing on the food
• mentions that the speaker will speak in about 30 minutes
30 minutes - Brunch/lunch/dessert
5 minutes - Emcee
• calls ladies back together for speaker
• introduces speaker
20 minutes - Speaker - gives personal testimony
Five minutes - Emcee or speaker explains comment cards
Five minutes - Emcee
• a thanks speaker
• thanks host for opening her home
• thanks guests for coming
• presents one more hostess gift
• encourages guests to stay and visit and mentions gift for them as they leave
Close - Greeter
• offers evangelistic gift (booklet, Women Today magazine, Life Story tape, Christmas Digest) to guests to take home with them
When the party has ended, celebrate with your team and praise God for His faithfulness. A coffee party that counts is a great way to develop your friendships with people who need to know Jesus. Don't miss out - plan one today!
For a complete guidebook on how to have a coffee party that counts email: womensource@ccc.org. If you would like more information on evangelistic gifts to give at your coffee party, email orders@ccc-van.crusade.org
