Adult Valentine Banquet Ideas to Use at Church

If your church wants to host an adult Valentine's Day banquet, you'll need a theme, decoration ideas, ways to publicize the event, a list of acceptable activities and an operating budget. Some churches don't allow dancing, for example, so including a dance floor would violate church policies.

Several themes work for a church Valentine's Day banquet. Consider whether you want to appeal to married couples, singles, a particular age group or a mixed group. If your couples are mostly married, your theme could focus on marital love and include themes such as: how we met, remembering our wedding day or energizing our relationship with God's love. Dating couple themes include the Dating Game and God loves us so we can love others.

Consider setting tables up to seat one or two couples together if the couples are married or three to four couples together if the group contains mostly singles. Seat people with similar ages together. Leave enough room for people to move freely between tables.

Red and pink carnations offer a less expensive decoration than roses and they look nice longer. Set a small vase with a single flower for each couple and a Bible verse attached with a ribbon. Let them know they may take the flower home. Alternately, use one small, decorated flowering potted plant for each couple to take home. Use scriptures such as John 13:34, John 15:9-12 and 1 Corinthians 13:13 to decorate your tables and as banners in the room.

If the meal is catered, ask kids in your youth program to serve as wait staff. Encourage the couples to tip those who serve them as they would if this were a nice restaurant. If you ask couples to bring covered dishes for the banquet, set up several long serving tables along one wall where people can travel down both sides of the table. You may still want a small number of wait staff to help keep glasses full and empty plates picked up.

Ask each couple to bring a recipe card for a healthy, loving relationship -- such as love, understanding and compassion. Encourage them to share these with other couples sharing the table. The couples might include appropriate biblical references on the card.

After the meal, invite the couples to participate in some entertaining games. Consider options such as Bible Pictionary, Bible Scattergories, Bible Outburst or similar games. Couples who don't know the individuals sitting at the table with them can get to know some new friends.

Consider having a Christian entertainer come in after the meal as an alternative activity. The entertainer could incorporate romance and relationship into the humor. Another entertaining activity could include karaoke. One partner might serenade the other or couple and groups could sing songs about love. Churches that allow dancing might encourage couples to share a dance or two together.