The birds are singing, the grass is green, and summer is almost here. Do you know what that means? It’s time to celebrate the end of a great choir year!

From August or September until about May, choir members of all ages faithfully gather, week in and week out, for rehearsal and worship. They sing, they smile, but most of all, they give their time to the work of the church and its music ministry.

It’s a commitment and often one that includes the whole family.

This alone is something worth celebrating.

But then there’s the wonderful work that you do together throughout the year—the music you learn, the songs you sing, the worship services you lead together, the pieces of life's journeys you share, the community you build.

There’s something special about church music ministry. Something worth celebrating every chance you get.

Here are four things you can do to celebrate your singers and their families and the end of the choir year this spring:

1 | Potluck/Picnic

Invite families to gather in the church parking lot, at a nearby park, or in someone’s backyard for an informal potluck supper or picnic. Ask each family to bring a dish to share - macaroni and cheese, broccoli salad, potato salad, fresh fruit, veggies and dip, pulled pork sliders, deviled eggs, etc.—and use paper products for easy clean-up.

Plan a few fun activities for the children—water balloon games, chalk, hula hooping contest, sack race, bubbles, etc., and set up some outdoor sound equipment so you can have music playing (live music is even better if you have people who can do it!).

2 | Favorites Night

Use your last choir rehearsal of the school/church year to sing everyone’s favorites from the year. Pull out music you’ve sung during the last year and have your group vote for their favorites. For children’s choirs, ask for requests (in advance) for favorite games to play, as well.

End with an ice cream party (for kids) or a few desserts to share (for adults).

3 | Community Service Project

The end of the choir year is a wonderful time to do a community service project together. Use your regular rehearsal time to serve dinner in a local soup kitchen (and maybe sing a few things for the guests!) or make sandwiches for a summer lunch program. Or, pick a Saturday early in the summer to do an outdoor project like Habitat for Humanity or yard work for a shut-in member of your church community.

Throw a birthday party for homeless children at a local family shelter, host a community yard sale to benefit a local charity, or put on a short musical program with guest musicians and perhaps people from other churches in your community to benefit an organization in need.

4 | Choir Appreciation Night

Host a special evening event to celebrate your hard-working volunteers and all that they do for your church’s ministry. This might be the members of your adult choir or all your choir teachers and leaders (or both!). Have a catered dinner, a few door prizes, and a special take-home gift for each person (a handwritten thank-you note would be a lovely addition!).

Choose a theme (e.g. Italian night, murder mystery, Oscars/red carpet, etc.) to help guide your decisions for food, decorations, and gifts (and be sure to look on Pinterest - there are tons of ideas, free printables, etc.).

Plan a short program for some time during the evening with special awards to hand out—things such as: Amazing Artist, Kind-Hearted Caretaker, Heart of Gold, Most Creative, Best Listener, etc. Be creative!