Use Your Spiritual Gift – Event Planning

Last week I wrote about planning and hospitality during our Pastor’s anniversary celebration.   The celebration went well.  We had one local speaker and two speakers from out of town.  I enjoyed the planning stage of the event and look forward to the next one.  This is one of the reasons I write so much about hospitality and planning for our guests.  In case you haven’t guessed, my spiritual gift is administration.

I love to plan events.   Every little detail is important; the smallest detail can make or break a successful event.  Even though I enjoy it, I must admit that event planning is a lot work.  It doesn’t just happen.  A lot goes into the planning, organizing and executing the event.  A good team is worth its weight in gold.

I am a strong believer in ministries selecting staff and volunteers based on their spiritual gifts.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration . . . (1 Corinthians 12:27-28)

God gave each of us at least one gift, but just like He doesn’t make us accept Christ, He also doesn’t make us use our gift.  We choose whether or not to use them.  Proverbs 18:16 says “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.”  Using my gift, has allowed me to travel the United States and abroad.

Check List & Time Tables

A check list is an essential tool for event planning.  Check lists keep you on track and remind you of what’s been done and what needs to be completed.  Some things to include in an event planning checklist are:

• budget for event
• honorariums to be paid
• anticipated income
• date of event
• venue for event
• site visit (if applicable)
• caterer or cook (if applicable)
• meal service/set-up (if applicable)
• audio visual needs
• number of people expected to attend
• guest speaker/psalmist/musician
• travel arrangements for guest
• travel to and from airport (inbound and outbound)
• hotel reservations
• hospitality basket
• registration fees (if applicable)
• registration set up
• product table
• volunteers needed
• marketing (website, flyers, post cards, radio/tv ads . . .)
• event set-up and breakdown
• post event evaluation (what worked, what didn’t, how to improve)

A time table takes the check list to another level.  Time tables are especially good for teams because they keep everyone on task. Use a time table to to assign tasks and establish deadlines. A time table tell you when a task needs to be completed and by whom.

A final word about building your team.  Even though event planning is mainly planning and organizing, that does not mean each team member needs to have the gift of administration.  Your team needs people who are creative and people with the gift of helps.  The more diverse your team, the better.

When we plan events at our church, I work with our business manager.  Even though we both have the gift of administration, our gifts are a little different.  She is people oriented and I am task oriented.  Together we make a good team.  We bring in other people who are creative and some with the gift of helps to round out the team.

These are some basic event planning tips that will get you started with your event.  For questions, please use the comment section.

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Tags: Administration, event planning basics, spiritual gifts