We scoured the internet for Father's Day ideas for church, so you didn't have to!
It's easy to get stuck in the same clichés and tired ideas, but our Dads are working hard to sacrifice all year long. We want to keep finding new ways to remind them that their leadership matters.
We've included the three most unique ideas we could find for saying "thank you." Plus, you'll find graphics to go with each idea. Take these ideas to your next planning meeting and keep getting creative!
Build on top of these three ideas with things like:
- Bacon and Donuts: start the morning off with two things Dads love. Don't make it the highlight of the morning since these have become cliché Father's Day tropes. But, including one or two classic "Dad" foods is never a bad idea.
- Include pre-service slides that tell stories from Fathers who keep quiet but work hard to serve the church community.
- "Dad Jobs" Bulletin board: Invite Dads to put their business cards or names and jobs on a bulletin board for others to peruse. We often avoid talking about work at church, and yet this is where Dads (and really everyone) spend much of their time and energy.
- Create a "Work Station" where Dads can get prayer specifically over their work and vocation.
- Add a Punder-dome competition between services where Dads can throw down Dad Jokes and compete for the best puns.
Don't forget to take advantage of our other free Father's Day resources:
Idea #1 - Give your Dads a Supply Bar
Instead of handing out mugs or keychains, create a supply bar in the lobby and let them restock on small, useful items.
Include a stack of groceries bags so they have something to fill and a sign that says "take 3-5 items" so that it doesn't get cleared out in the first 20 minutes.
Consider these categories to keep it inexpensive:
- Fasteners and Hardware: include screws, wood glue, picture-hanging hooks, anchors, washers, bungee cords, s-hooks, and hose clamps
- Tape and Adhesive: include duct tape, electrical tape, painter's tape, gorilla tape, super glue, or epoxy
- Small Tools: tape measures, pencil sets, utility knife blades, sharpies, mini flashlights, or magnetic pickup tools
- Garage and Workshop: batteries, sandpaper, shop towels, work gloves, safety glasses, twine, light bulbs, or steel wool
- Auto: Tire pressure gauges, microfiber cloths, ice scrapers, and air fresheners
- Outdoor and Grilling: Skewers, charcoal lighter cubes, sunscreen packets, and bug spray wipes (*avoid cheap grill brushes as these have proven to be very dangerous)
- Random "Manly" Extras: beef jerky, energy bars, gum, leather conditioner wipes, golf tees, fishing hooks/lures, pocket notebooks
Idea #2 - Build-a-Blessing Jenga Tower
This is simple and powerful. Grab one of the large, oversized Jenga towers designed for outdoor play. On each block write a quick, simple prayer that kids can say over their Dads.
Some ideas:
- Pray for dad's work
- Pray for dad's health
- Pray for dad's friendships
- Pray for dad's faith
- Pray for dad's heart
- Pray for dad's mind
- Pray for dad's rest
- Pray for dad's safety
- Pray for dad's joy
- Pray for dad's patience
- Pray for dad's leadership
- Pray for dad's marriage
- Pray for dad's words
- Pray for dad's choices
- Pray for dad's calling
As families come into church, invite them to add a block to the Jenga tower. Before you know it, the tower will be surrounded by kids laying hands on their dads and praying over them.
Invite two or three older youth students to lead this station and show kids how to pray over their Dads.
Idea #3 - "Back In My Day" Play Space
Gather boyish, childhood toys and games that span over the decades. Keep it staffed so that kids and chaos don't take away the fun for the Dads. Allow men to relive joyful memories and reminisce with one another about their favorite Star Wars figurine or childhood memory.
Use the lists below to find toys from key decades:
1960s Ideas (for Dads in their 60s and 70s):
Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys, Erector sets, Slinky, Etch A Sketch, Spirograph, Lite-Brite, Hot Wheels (the original redline cars if you can find any), Matchbox cars, GI Joe (the original 12-inch figures), Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots, Mr. Potato Head (the original with the real potato), Operation, Mouse Trap, Battleship (the original pegboard version), View-Master with reels, balsa wood gliders, cap guns, jacks, marbles, yo-yos (Duncan), baseball cards from Topps 1960s sets if you have access.
1970s (for Dads in their 50s and 60s)
Stretch Armstrong, Evel Knievel stunt cycle, Big Wheel, Weebles, Sit 'n Spin, Simon, Merlin (the handheld), Speak & Spell, Star Wars figures (original Kenner), Six Million Dollar Man, Shogun Warriors, Micronauts, Pong, Atari 2600, 8-track tapes, Pet Rock, mood rings, Wacky Packages stickers, Hot Wheels Sizzlers, slot car tracks.
1980s (for Dads in their 40s and 50s)
This is the goldmine decade. Transformers, GI Joe (the 3.75" figures — Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander), He-Man and Masters of the Universe, Thundercats, M.A.S.K., Voltron, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, original NES with Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt/Zelda, Atari, ColecoVision, Intellivision, Game Boy (original brick), Tiger handheld electronic games, Speak & Math, Rubik's Cube, Pound Puppies, Garbage Pail Kids cards, Wacky Wall Walkers, Stomp Rockets, Nerf footballs (the original orange ones), Slip 'N Slide, Big Wheel, BMX bike accessories, View-Master, Lego sets (Classic Space, Castle, Pirates), Construx, Lincoln Logs, Lite-Brite, Operation, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Trivial Pursuit. Baseball cards: 1984 Donruss, 1986 Topps, 1989 Upper Deck (the Griffey rookie is the holy grail), Fleer, O-Pee-Chee.
1990s (for Dads in their 30 and 40s)
Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, N64, original PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Game Gear, Tamagotchi, Pogs and slammers, Beanie Babies (lay a few out — every dad knows someone who thought these were a retirement plan), Pokémon cards (1st edition Base Set if anyone donates), Magic: The Gathering cards, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers figures, Mighty Max, Polly Pocket (for the dads with sisters), Hot Wheels track sets, K'NEX, Lego (Bionicle came late 90s), Skip-It, Moon Shoes, Super Soakers (the original SS50 and SS100), Nerf Crossbow, Sky Dancers, Crossfire, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Mall Madness sound effects on loop if you want a laugh. Baseball cards: Upper Deck holograms, Topps Stadium Club, Score, the entire overproduction era that everyone still has a binder of in their parents' basement.
Early 2000s (Dads in their 20s and 30s)
Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PS2, original Xbox, Furby (the talking one), Bop It, Razor scooters, Heelys, Bey Blades, Yu-Gi-Oh cards, Pokémon cards (Neo Genesis era), Lego Bionicle, Crazy Bones, those slap bracelets that came back, Tech Decks (finger skateboards), Magic 8 Ball.
An extra: "Identify this" table
Include a table of items that kids and Dads from different generations may not recognize. Include a rotary phone, film canister, cassette adapter for car tape decks, floppy disk, card from a Rolodex. This is the perfect place for Dads to bring their kids over and teach them about "back in my day..."
