Are you struggling for ideas for celebrating Father’s Day at your church? 

Maybe you’ve never seen Father’s Day done really well, celebrated only with clichés (golf- and football-themes, ties, and BBQ gear) that don’t really hit on the heart of fatherhood. Maybe you’ve experienced or witnessed the pain of a day that reminds some of broken relationships and absent dads. 

Here’s the truth about celebrating Father’s Day at church: No one exhibits or demonstrates Fatherly love more than God Himself (2 Corinthians 6:18). Your church community is the perfect place to not only honor and celebrate dads, but to touch on the love of a perfect heavenly Father. 

With a little creativity and excellent execution, your church can host a memorable and honoring Father’s Day. Here are seven ideas for celebrating Father’s Day this June. 

Father’s Day Ideas for 2022

This year, Father’s Day falls on June 19th. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start celebrating earlier in the month, or host an event on another weekend. 

Here are seven ideas for celebrating Father’s Day during your Sunday service, or if you’d like, on a Sunday afternoon, Saturday morning, or weekday evening. 

1. Highlight fatherhood in the message. 

Some of us have amazing biological fathers who cared for us, affirmed us, and taught us integrity and character. But fatherhood can be a painful topic for others. More than one in four children in the U.S. live without a father. Even adult children struggle with their dads. And pscyhologists find that issues that adults experience can often be traced to having strained relationships with their dads. 

Acknowledging that Father’s Day can be painful–and that some (or many) dads don’t measure up to Biblical fatherhood–shows empathy and authenticity. The very, very good news about this is that we are all loved and known by a perfect Father.

The Bible is packed with Scriptures on the Father nature of God. Here are a few jumping points for talking about the character of God as a Father. 

• I will be a father to him, and he'll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I'll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. But I'll never remove my gracious love from him. (2 Samuel 7:14-15)
• I will guide you in the way of wisdom and I will lead you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and when you run, you will not stumble. (Proverbs 4:11-12)
• There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. (Deuteronomy 1:31)
• Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (Hebrews 12:7)
• But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

Teaching on these Scriptures on Father’s Day can help remind your church community that Biblical fatherhood is about love, gracious discipline, guidance, care, strength, and compassion. 

2. Host a BBQ for dads and their children. 

It may be rare in some families for dads to get one-on-one time with their kids. A special BBQ or picnic can be a great opportunity for dads to have quality time with their children, enjoy a tasty lunch, and feel celebrated. 

Here are some ideas for a Father’s Day BBQ that rocks. 

• Ask for volunteers. To plan a BBQ picnic with a ton of kids, ask for volunteers who can help with preparing food, serving, and watching children (By the way, if coordinating with volunteers is a struggle, Tithe.ly can help you manage and check in your volunteers quickly and efficiently). 
• Play games. Dads like doing things with their kids. Cornhole, bocce ball, and frisbee are all fun picnic games that most kids can participate in. Provide a few activities that keep energy levels and participation high. 
• Keep it simple. Choose a simple, delicious menu. Grilled chicken and burgers, chips, and watermelon are all tasty and require minimal prep. 

Finally, take a few moments at the beginning of the event to give vision for celebrating fatherhood. Honor different dads in your church community, speak from Scripture on fatherhood, and affirm everyone. This is a day to celebrate!

3. Celebrate dads in children’s ministry. 

Too often, Father’s Day can feel like an afterthought to children. Focusing on the topic of fatherhood in children’s ministry can give kids an opportunity to connect with their dads and understand the heart of God. 

Here are some ideas for celebrating Father’s Day in your children’s ministry:

• Homemade frames, cards, and keychains are easy gifts that kids of any age can make for their dads. You can integrate Scripture into these gifts to create a “teaching moment” for young children on God’s heart for us as a Father.
• Preparing a play or singalong just for Father’s Day is a fun way to prepare for the special day. Re-enacting the story in Luke 15 or singing “How Great the Father’s Love For Us” are two ideas that draw on Scripture to celebrate Father’s Day. 
• Interviewing children about their dads and then creating a short video to show on Sunday morning is a sweet way to highlight and honor dads in the church. 

Finally, remember to be sensitive with children who don’t have dads. Find ways to support those children through quality time with father figures or male mentors in the church. 

4. Host a friendly tournament or competition. 

Hosting a tournament, game day, or individual competition can be a fun, creative way to bring your church community together for Father’s Day. 

Though we may not be accustomed to competing in church, a friendly spirit of competition can have a positive impact. Psychology Today says that “good competitiveness….can bring out the best in people.” Coordinating an activity where dads, kids, and male mentors in the church can participate in a game can foster camaraderie, drive, and intentionality. 

Here are some ideas for a Father’s Day event that rocks. 

• Create a tournament. A tournament with tiers for different ages and levels of athleticism creates a competition that everyone can participate in. You can even create teams based on different ministry teams and ages, just for fun (leadership team, worship team, volunteers, youth ministry). 
• Plan a game day with different activities. A field day with all different types of activities–tug of war, dodge ball, soccer, an egg toss–is a good way to bring everyone on board, and keeps the focus off of a single game.
• Host a contest. Competition doesn’t have to center around sports or athleticism. Host a contest for best burger, best business plan, best original song, or best t-shirt design for fathers and their children. 

Ultimately, Father’s Day can be a great opportunity for community-building and fun. Planning an event outside of church can also give busy families an opportunity to celebrate without having to plan something themselves. 

5. Free coffee!

If your church has a fancy coffee bar with lattes and espresso, then give the dads free coffee on Father’s Day. Everyone can appreciate a hot beverage (or cold brew), and even something as simple as a free cup of coffee can help dads to feel appreciated. 

Other free stuff your church can give out: Books, merchandise (such as hats, t-shirts, or mugs), or even tickets to an upcoming conference or workshop event. 

6. Build something together as a church. 

Like a game or competition, building something together can help build camaraderie and impart a sense of purpose to community. If you’ve got a few dads in your community that are handy with a toolbox or woodworking, leverage those skills to build something–a shed, new signage, a large picnic table, or even a church garden. 

Building something together is certainly a more labor-intensive way to celebrate Father’s Day, but the pay-off is significant: a finished product that commemorates fatherhood in your community. Plus, the activity can help teach kids–and other dads–in your church practical skills and new confidence. 

7. Create a mentorship program. 

If your church has a strong discipleship culture, then you’re already aware of the power of effective mentorship. If your community hasn’t honed in on discipleship in specific, practical ways, then Father’s Day may be a great opportunity to grow this kind of culture. 

Mentorship empower your church members to use their God-given gifts to teach and influence others towards Christ. 

A mentorship program can:

• Bring men together in a way that’s healthy, constructive, and encouraging to others. 
• Have constructive impact on youth. Youth with mentors are 52% less likely to skip a day of school, and 46% less likely to use illegal drugs. 
• Bring a much-needed father element to mentorship. There are far more female mentors than males. There are twice as many boys waiting for male mentors in the Big Brothers of America program than there are girls waiting for female mentors in the Big Sister program. 
• Cause a “multiplying effect” on mentorship. When kids experience the power of mentorship, they are more likely to replicate the same experience for others as they get older. 

Father’s Day can be used as a launch date or kick-off party for a mentorship program that specifically focuses on mentoring young boys. If you’re in a community where fatherlessness is more common, this can be particularly powerful. 

Father’s Day: An Opportunity to Build Community

At the end of the day, any holiday is simply one more opportunity to build community in your church. People are craving more connection than ever, and the church has the power to help meet this need. Don’t get hung up on staying within the boundaries of what feels appropriate for a specific holiday. Instead, think about the needs of your church members. 

If a Father’s Day picnic would be a much-appreciated opportunity for fathers and children to connect, then plan for a churchwide event. If kicking off a mentorship program would be a more sensitive and practical way to celebrate Father’s Day, then take steps to organize a sustainable mentorship program in your community. 

Celebrate Father’s Day with Tithe.ly

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate Father’s Day, it’s important to stay organized and efficient. If you’re planning an event, giving away something for free, or launching a new program, you need technology to help you plan, delegate, and promote. 

Tithe.ly can help you plan for Father’s Day in the following ways:

• Tithe.ly ChMS can help you keep track of workflows, communicate with staff, and coordinate with volunteers for Father’s Day.
• Tithe.ly Apps can help you easily promote your Father’s Day event or program by reaching your church members directly on their mobile phones. 
• Tithe.ly Media provides fresh, free graphics and media to help you quickly and conveniently create a package of promo graphics for Father’s Day. 
• Tithe.ly Events makes it quick and easy for church members to register for your event, and helps you stay organized. 

The best part? Tithe.ly is an affordable solution that can help you run an event without draining administrative time or energy. All of the tools above–and more–can be used for just $119 a month. To learn more about Tithe.ly, click here.