5 attractional events on a budget.

Our Connect Groups are Bible study focused. But what if the person you invite has never attended a Bible study? We want to create an open invitation to individuals outside of Church culture. This is where attractional events come in.

Attractional events are organized opportunities for people both in and outside of the Church to experience your group dynamic in a safe setting. Once relationship is established and they have been exposed to the different personalities in your group, it’s much easier for someone to say yes to attending your normal, Bible study, Connect Group.

You don’t have to spend a lot to have fun in Springfield. It takes a little investigating to find cheap things to do, but we’ve done some of the work for you.

Here’s 5 attractional events for your group on a budget.

1. Trivia Nights

   Trivia may or may not be your niche, but it’s a great opportunity to develop teamwork and, in most cases, its completely free. Trivia has become quite popular in Springfield and surrounding towns. It’s important to check ahead of time for any registration or reservations. It’s up to each individual to order food if they choose. Overall, it’s a fun, budget friendly, event that requires very little work for you.

2. Lazy Dinner Party

   The keyword here is “Lazy.” This means no dressing up and no expensive meals. This is a relaxed, potluck style dinner that can take place at anyone’s house. Throw on some background music and let the conversations begin.

3. Game Night

   Phase 10, Pictionary, Apples to Apples, all fun games to play with your Connect Group. Game night is as simple as you make it. You can request that everyone brings food, or if you are feeling generous, order some pizza and call it a party. (Don’t forget our gluten free friends ;-)

4. Backyard BBQ / Bonfire

   Always subject to the weather, Backyard BBQ’s and Bonfires are easy to throw together, even last minute. A large pack of hotdogs from Sams in fairly cheap. You can ask those who attend to bring a side. Don’t forget BYOC (bring your own chair).

5. Knights Action Park (Driving Range, Mini Golf, Batting Cages, Go Carts)

   Amusement parks aren’t just for kids. Knights Action Park features a driving range priced at $5 for 45 golf balls or $17 for a “bunch of balls”. Mini Golf is another option priced at $8. Re-live your MLB dreams at the batting cages for $1 (10 balls), or get your Nascar going with the Go Carts for $4.50. This outdoor option is great for nice summer days or nights. Tell them Destiny sent you for normal priced admission.

Do you have ideas for attractional events on a budget? Let us know here.

5 easy missional events that make a big impact.

Unless you have a an evangelists heart, doing outreach in our city can seem daunting. However there are very simple missional events you can do with your group. We’ve compiled a list of ideas that require little to no money and only last an hour or so.

Here are the top 5 easy missional events.

1. Water Bottle Handout

   A case of water is around $5 and provides you with 25-30 bottles to handout. That’s 25-30 people that you can bless with water. Pick an area of town to bless everyone you find outside. They could be homeless or not. Everyone drinks water and it’s a fun blessing to give out. Add a “Jesus loves you and we do too” is a nice touch. Want to take it a step further? Listen to the Holy Spirit for opportunities to pray for others. Make sure to ask permission before praying or laying hands on someone.

2. Ronald McDonald House Meal
   

   The Ronald McDonald house is a huge blessing to families with children in the hospital. This is a vulnerable time for parents and families. There are daily volunteer opportunities to cook a large meal for the current residents of the house. Make sure to give them a call and find out when you and your group can help.

3. St. John’s Breadline

   The St. John’s breadline serves meals to the homeless in Springfield. They always need help serving food and picking up plates. This is a simple event because you don’t have to cook or buy food. Call the breadline to find out when you can serve.
   

4. Giving out Gift cards

   This is an inexpensive option if everyone in your group is willing to give $5.00. If you don’t feel comfortable giving out cash, gift card’s for nearby restaurants are a great way to bless the homeless in Springfield. You can attach a note to the cards with a prophetic or encouraging word to make the blessing a little special. As mentioned previously, if you feel the Holy Spirit leading you, ask a recipients permission to pray or lay hands on them.
   

5. School Supplies

   Springfield has many families that don’t have the funds for school supplies each year. You don’t always have to wait for the new school year. A brand new backpack is fun for a young student! New crayons, pencils, and notebooks can be an encouragement for child to work hard in school.

Do you have ideas for easy missional events? Let us know here.

Top 5 restaurants that you can use to host your connect group.

Having four people in your connect group makes it much easier to meet at a restaurant or coffee shop. But what should you do if you have 5+ attendees in your group?

One thing to remember is that we want to be honoring to any establishment we visit. Staying too long at a restaurant during a busy time can prevent sales if a table is taken up longer than a meal usually lasts. This can be perceived by that manager and wait staff as disrespectful. But there are ways around this.

The list below features restaurants that don’t have wait staff and coffee shops that stay open late.

Here are the top 5 restaurants that have the perfect space for a connect group.

1. Ginna’s Cafe (Scheels)

   Ginna’s cafe has daily lunch specials, has decent coffee, and of course has great desserts. What makes Ginna’s cafe a great spot for your group is its large dinning space. Rarely is it busy enough to fill up. Another perk is that Scheels plays Christian music.
   

2. Pizza Ranch

   Pizza Ranch is a great location on the south side of Springfield. Though smaller than its neighbor, Golden Corral, it offers a reasonable amount of space making it easy for groups of 8 or less. If your group is much larger than that you can inquire on reserving one of their private rooms. Management is used to seeing Bible studies taking place.
   

3. Starbucks (Clearlake)

   Starbucks stands out from other coffee shops due to it’s late hours. Though there are many Starbucks locations in Springfield, the Clearlake location has a large table that seats 8. If you need to charge your phone or bring a laptop, the table is equipped with outlets running along the sides. This spot can be taken up quickly during busy hours, so you’ll need to arrive a little early to make sure it’s available. A north-side location just opened up as well and may be a good backup if the Clearlake location is packed. Finally, coffee.
   

4. Culvers

   Culver’s has tables that can be pushed together to accommodate smaller groups. Traditional American food and desserts make it easy to invite other’s to your group. They have no wait staff so you don’t have to be concerned with a tip.
   

5. County Market Coffee Bar (Carpenter St)

   This space is not known to many. This Carpenter street County Market location has an upper level eating area. They serve Kaldi's Coffee Roasting Company brews and other snacks. Thought the store hours list 5am - Midnight, the cafe hours may vary.
   

Did we miss anything? Do you have a favorite public meeting location that falls under this category? Let us know here.