Team building for church staff

Good team building for church staff lands in the quiet weeks after Christmas and Easter, includes the volunteer leaders who carry the ministry with you, and stays family-friendly and alcohol-free. A host can run a painting workshop in your fellowship hall, every campus can join one hosted game on video, or a craft kit can go to each home.

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Church staff painting small canvases around a fellowship hall table while colleagues join on a laptop video call

Ministry team building activities, three ways

Pick the shape that fits your staff, your campuses and your budget. Each one runs about an hour with a live host or instructor, and prices are live from our catalog.

In person, in your fellowship hall

A host comes to your church with the supplies, runs the hour and cleans up. Painting workshops run in 30 US cities and hosted games in 17. Book about 2 weeks ahead.

Every campus on one video call

Each campus joins from its own office or from home. Zoom by default, or Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request. Nothing ships, so book about 2 weeks ahead.

A craft kit at every staff home

A box goes to each person's home address, then a live instructor leads the session on video. Continental US shipping is included. Book about 3 weeks ahead.

When church staff can step away: 2026 to 2027

Christmas and Easter are your busiest weeks, so staff events land in January and after Easter. The dates, with the day to book by.

  1. Dec 24 to 25, 2026

    Christmas: not the week for a staff event

    Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24, 2026, and most church staff spend December on services, rehearsals and volunteers. Plan the thank-you for January instead, and book it before the office goes quiet.

  2. Jan 12, 2027

    The January reset

    Once the Christmas services are done, a hosted hour in the second week of January lets the team rest together. For Tuesday, January 12, 2027, book a kit workshop by December 22 and a hosted game by December 29, 2026.

  3. Feb 10 to Mar 28, 2027

    Lent and Holy Week

    For churches that keep Lent, it runs from Ash Wednesday, February 10, to Easter Sunday, March 28, 2027 (Easter date from the Farmers' Almanac Easter table; Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter). Holy Week fills the calendar, so keep anything before Easter short: one game in a staff meeting.

  4. Apr 13, 2027

    Two weeks after Easter

    Give the team a week to recover, then celebrate. For Tuesday, April 13, 2027, book a kit workshop by March 23 and a hosted game by March 30, before Holy Week. Churches that follow the Orthodox calendar mark Pascha on May 2, 2027, so move it to mid-May.

  5. Aug 2027

    A retreat day before the fall season

    Many churches restart weekly programs in September. A staff retreat day in August sets the calendar and gives new staff a day with everyone. Book it in early July.

A small staff and a big circle of volunteer leaders

Most churches run on a few paid staff and many volunteers. Four things that help one event work for both.

  • Sunday is a workday

    Church staff work weekends, so many take Monday or Friday off. A Tuesday to Thursday daytime slot reaches the most staff.

  • Volunteer leaders come in the evening

    Small group leaders, worship volunteers and ushers have day jobs. Invite them to a 7 pm hour on a weeknight instead.

  • One package, more guests

    A hosted game is one price for up to 25 guests. A staff of 8 can bring 17 volunteer leaders for the same price.

  • Spouses and families welcome

    Staff spouses carry a lot of the year too. Add them to a game at no extra cost up to 25 guests, or order them a kit.

Church staff retreat ideas: one day at the church

No travel, no hotel. Use your own fellowship hall, keep the morning for planning, and let a host run the afternoon.

For two days away, see retreat activities.

A staff retreat day

  1. 9:00Coffee and catch-upStart slow in the fellowship hall. No agenda for the first half hour.
  2. 9:30Look back at the seasonWhat worked at Christmas or Easter, what to drop, who needs a break.
  3. 11:00Plan the next seasonPut the big dates on one calendar: kickoff, holidays, volunteer training.
  4. 12:00Lunch togetherOrder in, or ask a volunteer team to host it.
  5. 1:00The hosted hourA host runs a painting workshop or team trivia in the same room. Remote campuses join a virtual game instead.
  6. 2:30Send-offEnd early. Staff who work Sundays need the afternoon back.

Multi-campus churches on one call

Campus staff often meet only at all-staff gatherings. One hosted hour can bring every campus together without a travel day.

  • One link for every campus

    Each campus joins the same hosted call, from a conference room or from home. No travel day, no shuttle.

  • Teams mixed across campuses

    Ask the host to mix campuses on each team, so people who only meet at all-staff meetings play together.

  • One booking, one invoice

    Book once for every campus. Pay by card with a 50% deposit, or by invoice against a purchase order.

  • A big staff in one hour

    For a church with 100 or more staff, a multi-event program runs several activities at the same time.

What it costs on a church budget

Eight is a small church staff, 25 a staff with volunteer leaders, and 50 a multi-campus team. A hosted game is one package for up to 25 guests; kits are a base fee plus a price per kit.

Total price for the whole group, by headcount
Canvas PaintingIn person at your church8 people$1,19025 people$2,12550 people$3,500
Trivia with a Twist!Hosted virtual game8 people$97525 people$97550 people$1,195
Cookie DecoratingKit workshop, shipped to each home8 people$95525 people$2,17950 people$3,979

Totals for the whole group from live catalog prices. Kits to Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, Canada and other countries cost extra. Need a number for your finance team or elder board? Get a free quote.

Family-friendly and alcohol-free

What we kept on this page, and what we left off.

A charity or community group with the same needs? See team building for nonprofits, with grant tips and the nonprofit calendar.

  • Every activity on this page is alcohol-free, chosen that way on purpose, so you can invite anyone.
  • Everything here is a game, a craft or a short talk, with nothing tied to one tradition, so it fits any church.
  • Games are played in teams, so nobody has to perform alone and a teenager can play next to the senior pastor.
  • Want a devotion or a prayer time? Your own leaders run it before or after; the host runs the activity hour.
  • Tell us on the quote form if children or teens will join, and we will suggest activities for a mixed-age group.

Church staff team building questions

What is good team building for church staff?

An hour that asks nothing of a tired team: a host-led painting workshop in your fellowship hall, a hosted game every campus joins on video, or a craft kit sent to each home. Plan it for January or after Easter, invite volunteer leaders, and keep it alcohol-free.

How much does church staff team building cost?

It depends on the format and your headcount. Trivia with a Twist! for up to 25 guests is $975, and a Cookie Decorating kit workshop for a staff of 8 is $955, with continental US shipping included. You see the full price before you book.

What are good church staff retreat ideas?

Spend the morning looking back and planning the next season, eat lunch together, then give the afternoon to a hosted activity like a painting workshop or team trivia. End by 2:30 pm, because Sunday is a workday.

When is Easter 2027, and when should we plan a staff event?

Easter Sunday is March 28, 2027, and Orthodox Pascha is May 2, 2027 (Farmers' Almanac). Plan the staff event about two weeks after your Easter, and book it before Holy Week: a kit workshop by March 23 and a hosted game by March 30 for a Tuesday, April 13 event.

Can several campuses join the same event?

Yes. A hosted virtual game runs on one video call that every campus joins, on Zoom by default or Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request. You book and pay once for all of them.

Are the activities family-friendly and alcohol-free?

Everything on this page is alcohol-free and built around games, crafts and short talks with nothing tied to one tradition. Tell us if children or teens will join and we will suggest activities that suit a mixed-age group.

Can a host come to our church?

Yes. Painting workshops run in 30 US cities and hosted games like team trivia in 17 (see in-person events). The host brings the supplies and cleans up; you provide the room, tables and chairs, and a screen for the games.

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