How to Host a Youth Group Pizza Party

The youth group in my church hadn't gotten together since school ended last year. They had performed well in school the previous year, but everyone was so busy during the summer that they didn't get to celebrate their educational successes. The youth coordinator decided to have the kids over for a pizza party. The kids would get a chance to cook one of their favorite foods-pizza and have fun doing it together. This article gives youth group coordinators or parents of youth group members a guide to hosting a night of fun and pizza for their deserving young people.

Choose a place for the get-together. Our youth group coordinator hosted the pizza party in her home. We have only seven kids in our church youth group because our church is small. If your church is larger, using the fellowship hall would be more practical. For smaller groups, let the kids invite a friend to share the experience with them.

Select the toppings ahead of time. I e-mailed the youth coordinator with a list of toppings that my sons preferred. You can contact each youth group member or have them fill out a sheet at church that will give them a chance to write down what they want. During the event, use a whiteboard to list all of the toppings that are available that night for the pizzas: pepperoni, hamburger, green peppers, onions, cheese, sausage, and etcetera. Use store bought pizza dough like Pillsbury or have ingredients on hand for the kids to make their own homemade dough.

Create the pizzas. If a group of kids want the same toppings on their pizza, let them work together. Give each team a pizza pan. If they are using prepared pizza dough, let them roll out the dough and shape it to the pizza pan. Next, add the pizza sauce. The sauce can be spiced up with crushed red peppers and dried oregano. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with cheese. Kraft makes a shredded pizza cheese in a two-cup bag. If the kids want a different taste, offer shredded Monterrey Jack or Colby cheeses in addition to shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

Now it's time to decorate the pizza with toppings. Our kids created combinations like: onion/green pepper/pepperoni, onion/hamburger/pepperoni/extra cheese, and pepperoni/pineapple/extra cheese. The fun is seeing how many different pizza topping combinations the kids can come up with. Once the pizzas are ready, it's time to pop them in the oven. Follow the instructions on the pizza dough package for baking time and temperature.

Sharing time. While the pizzas are baking, get the kids together for a powwow. If it's been a while since they've been together, let them tell about their summer vacation or current accomplishments in school. Ask about any current issues going on in their lives that they may want to talk about. Make sure that you stress the fact that anything they say in the group will be held in the strictest confidence.

Meal time. Once the pizzas are done, it's time to chow down. To bring a healthy component to the meal, add a salad to go along with the pizza. Now, the kids can laugh and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Don't forget dessert. Our youth coordinator created a very sweet pudding-like tart and offered several toppings to decorate them: Gummi bears, Oreo™ cookie pieces, caramel syrup, fudge syrup, and nuts. Yummy!

Capture the moment on film. At the end of the night, take a group photo to remember the occasion. The parents have shown up, you are tired, and it's time to send the whole bunch home. Good night.