Games for a Christian Valentine's Banquet

Though many people associate Valentine's Day with roses, chocolates and mailboxes stuffed with love letters, the holiday is also a prime opportunity for churches to gather for banquets and a celebration of Christian love. Many common Valentine's Day games can be adapted for a Christian banquet, such as charades or Pin the Heart on Jesus. Remember that games can be serious and silly at the same time! Children and adults can enjoy many of the same games together at a Christian Valentine's banquet, but you should include a mix of games with a message of God's love to engage all participants.

Select eight to 10 widely known Bible verses about God's love, such as John 3:16. Copy the verses onto small strips of paper and place in a bowl. Divide participants into teams of two and give each participant a single chopstick. Teams must work together to remove the strips of paper from the bowl without using their hands. The team that removes the most strips of paper and correctly identifies the most Bible verses wins.

Ask several couples to volunteer to act out famous scenes from the Bible involving married couples. The couples will be given the names of two Biblical characters to act out on stage. Other participants will raise their hands when they recognize the Biblical couple being acted out. The first person to correctly identify the couple wins.

Adapt the common party game Pin the Tail on the Donkey for a Christian Valentine's banquet by altering the central images. Draw or cut out a cartoon image of Jesus and give each participant a heart-shaped piece of construction paper to attempt to place over the figure's heart while blindfolded.

Bingo is a popular game for large crowds of all ages. Adapt the Bingo board to reflect Christian themes of God's love using words, images or symbols. Provide candy hearts for place markers. Provide further encouragement and Christian instruction throughout the game by quoting an applicable Bible verse about God's love each time a new square is called out. Encourage families with smaller children to work as a team.