5 Ideas to Celebrate Dad on Father's Day

Photo by Kelli McClintock on Unsplash

Father’s Day is next week, and your church may be thinking of some ways to celebrate dad. In a lot of churches, this day is overlooked. Especially since so much time and resources were spent on Easter and Mother’s Day, this day gets the scraps. However, Father’s Day can be made just as special as these other two days with some intentionality and creativity.

I’ve seen a lot of churches do great things to honor their dads, all trying to make the day fun and exciting. With that in mind here are 5 ideas to celebrate dad in your church this Father’s Day from super easy to huge event.

5 Great Ideas  

1. Father’s Day Video

Playing a video to honor the fathers in your church is a simple and affordable option that won’t detract from the rest of the service. You can make your own or buy one for $10-$20 from Worship House Media.

Play this video as part of the announcements, the sermon bumper, or just part of the welcome and announcements. Make sure it matches the tone of your service. You don’t want to pick one that’s deep and meaningful and then follow up with something light and airy or vice versa.

2. Father-Child Quiz Game

While Easter and Mother’s Day can feel serious, Father’s Day can be a lot of fun. So, play a game! I've done this at several of the churches I've served in with great success.

Invite a few dads and their kids of various ages to answer questions about each other.  Kind of like the Newlywed game, but with parents and kids.  You never know what the kids will say, and it will be either hilarious when they get the answer wrong or endearing when they get it right.

A game like this can take 5-10 minutes out of service so it will need a little more planning, but it’s a fun way to mark the day. At church number 3 we recorded it during the week so we could cut it down and keep it moving.

3. Dad’s Root Beer and a Moon Pie

Many churches give a gift to moms on their day. Whether it’s a flower or cute trinket it’s something moms enjoy. However, for dads it’s harder to find something they all like. So, staying in the theme of fun instead of just giving dads something, give everyone something special.

I’m from Georgia, so a Moon Pie is a classic treat. It’s basically a giant marshmallow cookie sandwich covered in chocolate, strawberry, or banana frosting. They’re delicious.

So as a treat as everyone leaves for service, we give out a Dad’s brand of root beer and a moon pie. It’s super sweet and fun to eat. The carbonation in the root beer dances with the moon pie like nothing else. (Maybe Coke and Peanut M&Ms, but that’s another post).

If Moon Pies aren’t your thing, you could make root beer floats for the same effect. You’ll find families hanging out in your lobby talking and laughing while they enjoy a sweet treat.

4. Chili or Grill Cook-Off

Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

There are some guys who love to grill and even more who love to eat. So, host a chili or grill cook off and invite your men to come make some of their best meals. It’s a great time to get together and enjoy a meal together and people will stay longer for lunch.

Make sure to give our prizes for best tasting, spiciest, best dressed, whatever you want.  It'll create competition and everyone will want to try some so they can vote for their favorite.  

5. Car Show

My second church did a car show every Father’s Day. This is not something you can pull off in a week and used as many volunteers and resources as VBS, but it made the day really big and exciting. After we did it several years in a row, Father’s Day was our second highest attended Sunday all year.

We would invite people to show off their cars, trucks, bikes, and classic cars and then park them on our campus. We had two services, so we would provide a longer time in between so people could enjoy the show and vote on their favorites. The truck above won Ladies Choice two years in a row.

At the end of our second service, we’d invite everyone back in for the message and awards ceremonies. We had car guys give their lives to Christ and start coming to our church. It was a huge win for the summer.

Don’t let Father’s Day pass by without doing something to recognize the dads in your church. Whatever you do, it will be appreciated. The day can be a day of fun and fellowship as you enjoy the warmer temperatures outside.

What are some things you do at your church for Father’s Day?