How to Host a Women’s Ministry Tea

This post was updated in 2021.

Are you looking for ideas for your upcoming women’s ministry tea?

Many Women’s Ministry Teams host a Mother’s Day event to honor all women – biological, adoptive, and spiritual mothers. Other teams host teas at Christmas.

In this post, I’m sharing the details of our Mother’s Day Tea:

• Our event schedule
• Our event details
• Gift and door prize ideas
• How to host a table event
• Icebreaker ideas
• Including younger and single women

Our former church in North Carolina had an incredible turnout year after year for our Mother’s Day Tea, usually exceeding our expectations and seating capacity.

Schedule:

In order to better accommodate the crowd, this particular year we hosted the Tea twice – once at 10 AM and again at 2 PM. The event lasted no more than 2 hours, giving us plenty of time to restock the food and reset the room.

As in most years, all mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, and friends were invited to attend. We rarely put an age limit on the event.

Event Details:

Theme: Steeped in Him

Registration Fee: $6 (covered cost of food and most, if not all other expenses)

Décor: Teapots and teacups and saucers gathered from homes and purchased at thrift stores.

Our menu:

• Vegetarian Quiches
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Uncrustables
• Freshly Cut Vegetables
• Fresh Fruit Salad
• Scones
• Assorted Tea Cakes (cookies)
• Petits Fours
• Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Our schedule:

1. Prayer and Welcome
2. Tea Time
3. Special Crafts and Photos
4. Story Time (for little ones)
5. Speaker 1
6. Speaker 2 (feedback was 1 speaker was plenty)
7. Prayer and Dismissal

Favor: Custom-made tea bags with our theme, verse, and logo.

Favorite Feature: Photo Booth – one of our women let us borrow a large box of fancy tea and derby-type hats. Our decorating team set up a beautiful backdrop with white chairs. We uploaded the photos online for all to see.

Icebreaker Game: Pass the Package

Crafts for the kids: Paperfolding Victorian fans and tea-themed coloring pages

Looking back, there are two things I would do differently:

1. One of our time slots was much lower in attendance than the other. We definitely should have removed the extra tables so it didn’t look quite as empty.
2. Our photo booth was a HUGE hit – but it needed to be a little taller and a little wider to hide the fellowship hall wall.

Hosting a Tea with Table Hosts

Many teams prefer to enlist the help of table hostesses. Table hostesses are usually responsible for the table decor and table setting.

Check out these posts for all the details on hosting a table event:

Table Event: Hostess Responsibilities
Table Event: Planning Teams
Table Event: Planning Timeline

For additional planning help, check out my Women’s Ministry Event Planning Course.

Gift and Door Prize Ideas for Your Tea

Your team may wish to purchase gifts for your speakers and door prizes for your attendees.

Here are a few ideas:

The Door Prize Basket
The Gift of No Dishes (Mother’s Day Version)
Creative Ideas for Door Prizes
15 Creative Ways to Giveaway Door Prizes

You’re sure to find some inspiration for your group.

Icebreaker Game Ideas for Your Tea

As I mentioned above, we played a game at our tea.

Here are a few ideas for icebreakers at your tea:

Mother’s Day Left Right Game
Mother’s Day Pass the Package
Icebreakers & Games

If you’re hosting a Christmas Tea, be sure to check out this big list of Christmas icebreaker games.

Including Younger and Single Women

While teas remain popular with the seasoned (older) members in our churches, you may find your younger women aren’t necessarily interested in teas. Your team may want to examine whether or not your younger women and single women are attending. If so, why not?

• Is your tea lacking the depth that many women are looking for?
• Is the focus on the decor and dressing up (including wearing hats)?

Simple changes such as bringing in a younger speaker, relaxing the dress code, emphasizing the biblical message, including a service project, and taking the focus off of motherhood (if it’s a Mother’s Day Tea) can expand your reach.

Even changing the name of your event from a “tea” to a luncheon, breakfast, or fellowship may draw a wider group of women.

What tips do you have for hosting a tea? Please share them in the comments.

You may also want to read:
Photo Booth Ideas
31 Christmas Fellowship Ideas