Is hosting a Friendsgiving a desire you feel like has been set on your heart, but you feel a little overwhelmed with the planning and need some direction of where to start? Well, hopefully by the end of reading this you feel inspired and ready to get started!

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” – Matthew 18:20

There is something beautiful and holy about when we gather together especially when we chose to be intentional with that time! We were built for community, we need each other’s stories and gifts. Hosting a Friendsgiving is the perfect opportunity to gather together with the people whom you love, share in a meal, and share the presence of each other. 

There aren’t any “rules” for hosting a Friendsgiving, it can be 2-3 people, it can be 10+ people. You can use Thanksgiving themed food or you can do other types of food. There is no one specific way you need to host it. Let’s dive into some steps you can take to get ready to host a beautiful Friendsgiving!

5 Steps to Hosting an Intentional Friendsgiving

Step One: Find a Location

Pick a space you want to host. The place you decide to host will determine the number of people you can invite. Some ideas are the house you live in, a friend’s house, a nearby park, or your local church. Think about the space, and what you want your Friendsgiving to feel like. Once a space is picked, more planning can begin!

Step Two: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Ask the people you are inviting to help pitch in! You don’t have to do everything on your own, let’s be honest – it can be a lot of money to provide food and get some decorations! Some ideas are asking the people who are coming to bring a dish so that you don’t have to provide all of the food. You can assign who brings what, or have people bring their favorite dish to make! Another idea to save some money is by asking the people you invite to pitch in some money for decorations/food. Ask some of your friends if they already have some decorations that you can use and see if a few of them can come early to help you set up and get prepared! 

Step Three: Set-up 

Maybe you are asking yourself right now, decorations? What kind of decorations? Well, I am a lover of aesthetics and making people feel like they are at home! You want to make your guests feel welcomed and comfortable. Grab some flowers from a local grocery store, put them in some vases or mason jars that you have. Use blankets & pillows that you have or that you can borrow from your friends to make the space feel inviting and warm. Gather the candles around your house, grab some at the dollar store, or borrow some from your friends to create warm lighting. Get out your Christmas lights early even and string them somewhere, everyone loves twinkle lights! 

Step Four: Be Intentional

Now, maybe you’re thinking, “we have food and dessert, then what do we do?” Well, there is no “right” way to throw a Friendsgiving. It is what you want it to be and what you make it to be. If you want to just eat and enjoy each other’s company, perfect! That is totally fine, and everyone will have such a wonderful time! But when you make the time to add in a level of intentionality sometimes the memory of THAT Friendsgiving might stand out amongst the rest. Here are a few ideas on how to do just that:

• OVERALL GRATEFULNESS: Take the time to gather everyone’s attention and go around the table saying what you are thankful for: this year, this season of life, today, etc. You can choose for each person to share just one of those, or if it is a more intimate setting then go for all three!
• IN THE MOMENT GRATITUDE: Provide each guest with a pencil and paper, have them write down 10 things they are thankful for in that very moment and then go around the table and have each person share! 
• PERSONAL THANKSGIVING: Provide each guest with a pencil and paper, have them pick a name from a hat, and write to that person why they are thankful for them in their life!
• QUIET REFLECTION TIME: Either before or after dinner, put on some worship music and allow space for yourself and guests to slow down and really think about what they are thankful for and then offer up those things in worship to the Father!

Step Five: Invite Jesus into the Space

With being the host, it can be easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself! It is normal to want everything to be perfect and for everyone to feel welcome, but remember to have grace with yourself through the process. It is important to incorporate prayer into hosting. Invite Christ to be present in the space and in your heart. Set the tone of the space by praying for the food and for the time you will be spending together. Time together with the people you love, gathering in thanks of each other is so powerful! 

Have Fun!

How are you feeling? Ready to get the planning started? I know I am! As you contemplate and pray about the idea of hosting a Friendsgiving let your mind be opened to what God wants to do through you. Let His presence overwhelm your heart and your mind. We are all in such a need of community and togetherness right now. Ask Him to tune your heart to align with His and listen for the ideas He places in your mind. He wants to use you in this time to cultivate a space of open arms and open hearts. And be REALLY open to who He invites you to invite into your space – it might be someone out of the blue or someone who doesn’t “fit” but it could be JUST what that person needs in this season!