Friendsgiving is a joyous occasion that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. I went to a Friendsgiving multiple years ago and it was a really great time. I got to talk with my friends and catch up with them as well as make some new friends.
If you have not had a Friendsgiving yet, this is your sign to have one this year. Start up a group chat and start discussing details about where it will be, who will bring what, and the day of the event.
If you are in doubt about having Friendsgiving this year, here are five reasons to have one with your small group.
1. Time to Reconnect and Form New Friendships
One reason to have a Friendsgiving with your small group is it gives you time to reconnect with friends and form new friendships.
A small group can have a wide variety of members; therefore, it is the perfect time to talk with some friends within the group that you have not had the chance to speak to in a while and it is a time to meet new friends.
If you are catching up with a few members of the group that you haven’t been able to see in a while, make sure they know they are loved and cared for. Even if you have been busy with small group planning, work, or other aspects of life, make sure they know you are always available for them.
If you are forming new friendships at Friendsgiving, try to find someone who is not talking to anyone. It could be they are shy, or they don’t know anyone well enough to talk to yet. Be a friend to them and talk with them for a little bit.
This will help them feel loved and valued. It will also make them feel like one of the group. If you allow this person to remain sitting alone at your small group’s Bible study, it will be a bad reflection of not only the small group but also a bad reflection of Christ.
Even if it is uncomfortable or you have a bit of social anxiety yourself, challenge yourself to talk with this person anyway.
If they are sitting all by themselves throughout the entire event, they might not come back for any more small groups. Choose to be kind, caring, and loving to this individual.
Jesus wants you to make sure all people feel loved and cared for. If you have a Friendsgiving this year, make sure to include everyone in the event and don’t leave anyone out. Reconnect with friends and form new friendships.
2. Gets Everyone into the Holiday Spirit
A second reason to have a Friendsgiving with your small group is that it gets everyone into the holiday spirit. Friendsgiving is normally related to Thanksgiving; however, when we think of Thanksgiving and Christmas, we normally think of the “holiday season.”
Having a Friendsgiving around Thanksgiving or in between Thanksgiving and Christmas will help everyone get into the holiday spirit and bring more joy to the small group.
Maybe you could use the weeks leading up to your small group’s Friendsgiving to do a Bible study on different verses covering thankfulness in the Bible.
In this way, when it is time for Friendsgiving, everyone will already be able to know many things they are thankful for.
The holiday spirit only comes during this time of year, and it is best to cultivate it while it is around. If things have been tense or depressing lately in your small group, hosting a Friendsgiving will be able to lighten the mood and make things feel less tense and depressed.
If you decide to host the Friendsgiving, make sure you stay committed to it and don’t back out last minute. If you back out last minute, it could make your entire small group feel as though it was something they did to cause you to back out.
Therefore, be intentional and stay committed to having a Friendsgiving this year with your small group.
3. Makes Your Small Group Feel Loved
A third reason to have a Friendsgiving with your small group is because it makes your small group feel loved. Feeling loved is a beautiful thing because you feel seen, known, and cherished. This can do wonders for the members of your small group.
Each member in your small group is going through something this year and it could be they need a break. It could be that you might need a break too.
Having a Friendsgiving will be a beautiful way to relax and make your small group members feel loved. The small group community is there to help, support, and be there for each other. Friendsgiving is a way to return the love back to them.
If you are the leader of a small group, know that a Friendsgiving could be the perfect holiday event for your small group this year. Especially if you have not had a Friendsgiving in the past, you definitely need to have one.
It is a great way to know your small group members on a deeper level and help them feel loved. As followers of Jesus, we need to love others as Jesus loves them. Hosting a Friendsgiving with your small group is a small drop in the ocean of the love Jesus wants us to show others.
4. Shows Your Small Group You Are Thankful for Them
A fourth reason to have a Friendsgiving with your small group is it shows your small group you are thankful for them. Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving is all about giving thanks for people and blessings in your life.
What is a better way to do this by showing your small group you are thankful for them by hosting a Friendsgiving?
Having a Friendsgiving will be the perfect addition to your yearly events with your small group and it could start a yearly tradition. It is always important to share with your small group members that you are thankful for them.
The best way to share thankfulness is to convey it in words and actions. You will be sharing thankfulness to your small group in action by hosting a Friendsgiving and you will convey thankfulness in your words by telling them how thankful you are for them at the Friendsgiving.
At traditional Thanksgiving events, everyone shares what they are thankful for. In the same way, at your Friendsgiving, everyone can take turns sharing who and what they are thankful for. When it is your turn, don’t forget to thank God and each of your small group members by name.
5. To Start a Yearly Friendsgiving
A fifth reason to have a Friendsgiving with your small group is to start a yearly Friendsgiving. By having a yearly Friendsgiving, it will give your small group something to look forward to each year.
It will also be a centerpiece of your yearly schedule and a day to catch up with everyone in your small group. Friendsgiving is normally casual, and everybody will feel comfortable coming.
It is not a fancy occasion nor is it something that costs a fortune. By having a first Friendsgiving, you will be able to have more Friendsgiving in the future.
Once you try out having a Friendsgiving with your small group, you will see how much fun it is. If you are in doubt, give it a chance and see what you think.
Even if it sounds a bit overwhelming at first, take it step by step and think more about the joy you will have by hosting a Friendsgiving for your small group. Small groups are there for us through the highs and the lows.
By having a Friendsgiving, you will be able to repay them for their support, kindness, and compassion. Try hosting a Friendsgiving this year and see if you count down the days to your next annual small group Friendsgiving.
For further reading:
20 Thanksgiving Games for Everybody to Enjoy
5 Craft Ideas to Try This Thanksgiving
7 Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving When Your Family Lives Far Away
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Drazen Zigic
Vivian Bricker loves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures.