When summer planning began last winter, our Children’s Ministry team made an exciting decision: to partner with our local community to ENGAGE individuals beyond our campus and outside of Sunday mornings. One of the most joyful ways we do this is through Driveway Parties, in tandem with our town’s Family-to-Park Movie Nights every Thursday in June and July.

What’s a Driveway Party?

It’s a one-hour neighborhood gathering hosted by a church family on a Thursday—any time between 10:00am–11:00am through 6:30pm–7:30pm. Hosts invite neighbors, classmates, and friends through social media, texts, and fliers. The only “treat” needed? A handful of freeze pops at the end!

Our church supports hosts by:

  • Creating a personalized graphic to promote the party.
  • Sharing the event with our MCC family and inviting folks to attend as ambassadors of Jesus through service, storytelling, and play. Our church kids, and their families, are the best advertising for our children’s ministry.
  • Providing all the fun and faith tools for a joyful, Jesus-centered experience!

A Typical Driveway Party Schedule:

  • 3:30pm – Arrive & set up in the shade
  • 3:50pm – Start hand/leg painting (we skip face painting so it can be seen!)
  • 4:05pm – Group welcome & introductions
  • 4:10pm – Song with motions (Ex: “Power Shuffle”)
  • 4:15pm – Quick game (Heads/Tails with a quarter or Rock, Paper, Scissors)
  • 4:20pm – Another motion song (Ex: “Praise the Lord Everyday”)
  • 4:25pm – Jesus story with listener participation
  • 4:30pm – Prayer teaching (from a greeting of “Dear Lord” to “Amen” which means ‘that’s the truth)
  • 4:35pm – Sharing the gospel through colors, books, posters, or symbols
  • 4:40pm – Prayer rock response (write or place in neighborhood)
  • 4:50pm – Read-aloud: “His Grace Is Enough” or “Wherever You Go…” by Melissa Kruger
  • 5:00pm – Freeze pop snack!

Why We ENGAGE

Our Driveway Parties are more than fun—they’re first-touch events designed to:

  1. Show God’s love through generosity and gospel storytelling.
  2. Teach and model how to share Jesus with others.
  3. Offer all four parts of worship—teaching (the Bible), serving (games), holy habits (song & prayer), and table life (snacks & games)—in a playful, outdoor, developmentally-appropriate way.

ENGAGE is the first step in our church’s discipleship rhythm:

ENGAGE → CONNECT → FORM → SEND → (repeat ENGAGE!)

By engaging our community where they live and play, we live out our name—Macland Community Church.

Just last week, a local pastor shared with us the heartbreak of having no children in their congregation. Driveway Parties are one beautiful way we go to the children and their families, bringing the love of Jesus to their very streets.

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Romans 10:14