5 Harvest Themes for Church this Fall

Are you excited for the annual harvest festival? We sure am! 

Pick out your best clothes, invite your friends, and decorate according to the harvest themes you want for your church. The Harvest festival is a time to celebrate all the good things God has given us. We celebrate this day by singing, dancing, praying, decorating our church, and helping others. 

Since we are thankful to God for all the blessings He’s given, let’s make it a point to share our blessings to the less fortunate. People would bring food from their homes, and share it to the people in need. You can even plan on hosting your harvest festival in church. 

Hosting a Harvest Festival at your church is a fun and strategic way to engage families in your community. Celebrate the Harvest Festival with different themes as an alternative to a Halloween celebration, Thanksgiving celebration, or incorporate this during a church event in the fall. 

Before you start planning the festival, don’t forget to ask for help from your community and church members. Create a committee to handle different tasks for the festival. Once you’re able to do so, decorate your church according to your chosen harvest themes. Don’t forget to set up different activity booths attendees will love!

1. Lord of the Harvest

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”

Matthew 9:35-38

Harvest season doesn’t only happen once a year; it happens all the time. How? Whenever we receive our paycheck, receive a gift, or wake up each day—everytime we receive a blessing, we experience harvest. 

The passage above teaches us that the harvests we receive each day don’t belong to us, but to God because he is the Lord of Harvest. Once we recognize God as the Lord of Harvest, we recognize that He gave us hands to work, He supplies our needs, and our family is His family. He gives us these blessings to share and bless others in return.

How to Decorate

Decorate the church with colorful cutout or printed leaves. Hang posters with Bible passages, such as Matthew 9:35-38 and Psalm 85:12. Decorate the room with flowers and wreaths, and use fall-themed colors, like light orange and red. You can have these interior designs as a basis.

1. Cutout leaves design
2. Bible passage
3. Glitter leaves 
4. Sunflower centerpiece

Activities for this Theme

I am Grateful For…

Hand each person a pen and paper, and let them draw what they’re grateful for. Gather them around a circle, and let them share their works to the group. This activity is a good exercise to be grateful for the things God has given. 

Share Your Gratitude

Have participants bring a valuable object they’re grateful for, and are now willing to pass on to others. Gather them around a circle, and have them share why they’re grateful for it or how it helped them. After everyone’s had their turn, display the items for any one of the participants to pick. This way, your item can be a blessing to others, just as how it was a blessing to you.

Corn Husking Relay

Divide the players into two teams, and divide the corn into two equal piles. The number of corn in each pile should correspond to the number of players per team.

Each player must run to the pile, remove the stalk, and husk it. Once a player is done, they must race back to the line along with the corn. The next players must do the same until a team finishes husking the corn pile. 

2. Wheat and Barley

Barley and wheat are two main crops prominent in the Scriptures. In the sixteenth century, farmers began growing wheat for food, and barley as a fodder crop. The Bible mentions barley as the main food of the poor. It was particularly mentioned in the story of Boaz, a very successful farmer, as he honored the Lord through his daily work and left some barley for the poor.

How to Decorate

The neutral and nude tone of decorations have become popular on social media the past year. Even houses are painted in nude and neutral colors, and decorated with dried plants. 

You, too, can apply these color palettes to your church harvest themes. Decorate your venue with dried wheats and barley, and place them on white vases. Add some rattan baskets, and hang cut-out leaves on the walls. Lastly, you can create a DIY hanging wheat for your entrance. 

Here are some designs and ideas you can incorporate for this theme:

1. Hay Bonfire
2. Wheat bouquet 
3. Wheat-themed dining room
4. Hanging wheat

Activities for this Theme

Dough Making Contest

This is more of an activity for the kids than adults, but it’s fun nonetheless! Give kids a cup of flour, water, a bowl, and food coloring to make their own playdough. 

While they’re in the process of creating, tell them the importance of wheat to make the food, and how to create dough out of it. After mixing the flour, water, and food coloring, have them knead their doughs until they become sticky enough to create different shapes. 

Create a Wheat Box

You know how you used to play on the sandbox when you were a kid? Well, you can enjoy the feel of sand by just using wheat! Well, wheat flour, that is. All you need to make your wheatbox is a gallon or two of wheat flour, olive oil or baby oil, and a hardwood box or plastic bin big enough for children to play in. Don’t forget to place in some beach toys and hidden treasures for them to enjoy!

Candy Corn Spoon Race

Divide the players into two teams, and have them form a line. Place a basket filled with candy corn in front of the line, and place an empty one at the back of the line. Give each player a spoon, and set the timer for five minutes. 

When the coordinator says “Go!”, the player nearest the corn-filled basket must scoop a spoonful of candy corn and pass it to the player behind. This goes on until it reaches the last player, who then must dump the contents of the spoon into the empty basket. Continue to transfer the candy corns until the timer ends. The team to transfer the most candy corns wins the game!

3. A Fruitful Harvest

“They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.”  

Psalm 107:37-38

It’s only fitting that you apply this Fruitful Harvest theme to your celebration. Guests will understand God’s love wherein He protects, shelters, and provides us nourishment. He doesn’t only give us gifts for physical nourishment, but for spiritual nourishment as well. With this Fruitful Harvest theme, you can glorify God and spread His word by sharing to the community the works and lessons God taught His people. 

How to Decorate

To decorate your space, you can hang cutout fruits, and tie them on a string. Hang these cut-out on your walls from one end to another. Inflate balloons, place pumpkins on the table, and a pot of chips. You can also hang Bible verses on the walls and entrance.  Also, scatter fall leaves on tables as decorations and write “Fall in Love With Jesus” on a bulletin board. 

Below are inspirations you can use for your decors:

1. Fireplace design
2. Vegetables basket
3. Table decorations
4. Fruit garland
5. Citrus balloons

Activities for this Theme

Planting Activity

Teach kids and adults alike the importance and benefits of planting. Incorporate a planting activity in the middle of your program, and have guests sign up to plant a variety of trees, fruits, and vegetables. Prepare your flower box and seeds beforehand. They can bring home what they planted or you can donate them to your local park.

Fruit Bean Bag Toss

Decorate the cans with paint and fruit shapes beforehand. This works just like a carnival game. Stack the cans to form a pyramid, and place them a meter away from the players. Each player gets three bean bags, meaning they have three chances to topple the cans. Give prizes to those who get to topple all the cans. 

Create Watermelon Magnets

This is a creative activity that would keep both adults and children busy. Cut red styrofoam plates into fours, and cover the edges with green tissue paper. Use a marker to put watermelon seeds and paste a magnet on the back. You now have a cute watermelon magnet!

4. Apple Harvest Theme

It wouldn’t be a fall party without harvesting apples! Get you and your church mates to celebrate fall with this Apple Harvest Themed Party. This is also a great way to teach kids that everyone is the apple of Jesus’ eye. 

Despite the sins we’ve committed against Him and our neighbors, He will always be there to forgive us and teach us that we should do good and avoid evil. 

Furthermore, He teaches us that everyone is equal in His eyes. We are all loved dearly despite our past mistakes. This is clearly seen in the following Bible verses:

“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings”

Psalm 17:8

“He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.” 

Deuteronomy 32:10b-11

The passages also teach us that God always watches over us. He even created us in His image and likeness to show us that we are all apples of His eye. He didn’t simply just create us—He created us to be a reflection of his character and personality. This means we laugh because God laughs. We cry because God cries. Lastly, He loved us too much that He sent His only son, so we can be redeemed.

How to Decorate

Decorate the venue with large apple cutouts on the wall, gingham red tablecloth on the buffet table, and bowls of apples and apple-like backdrops. You can also use actual apples to create your own cost-effective decorations because, once the party’s over, you can eat them! 

Don’t forget to serve apple-themed desserts and goodies, such as apple pie, apple cocktails, and fresh apples.

Pick and choose from among these do-it-yourself decorating ideas:

• Write “You Are the Apple of Jesus’ Eye” on the apple cut-outs before putting them on the wall. 
• Pull out any apple design dish towels and pot holders
• Create an apple basket centerpiece
• Make apple cups to serve drinks to guests.

Below are some designs from you can follow:

1. Apple plates
2. Apple-themed buffet table
3. Apple bouquet vase
4. Apple piñata
5. Paper apple garland

Activities for this Theme

Apple Scavenger Hunt

Before your celebration, gather several different varieties of apples. You can even try painting the apples to match with the team’s colors, and hide them around the venue. 

Divide the players into teams. Assign a corresponding apple color each team must look for. The first team to collect all of their colored apples wins the scavenger hunt.

Apple Balance Race

Players must balance an apple on their heads, and walk from one point to another without dropping the fruit. Players who drop their apples, have to start over. 

There should be two teams with equal members for this game. 

Apple Slingshot

Set up a target in an open space (a meadow or a yard), then divide the players into two teams. Have each player place their apple in the slingshot, and launch at the targets. Whoever gets to hit the target first, wins. 

5. Harvest Moon Theme

“Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.”

Isaiah 30:26

The term Harvest Moon came from farmers who benefited from the moon’s extra light, which helps them harvest their crops. It is larger and more colorful than other moons of the year because of the tilt of the earth and reflections from the atmosphere. Harvest Moon is also often called Wine Moon since the grapes are plump and ready for collecting during this time. 

The moon has been mentioned a couple of times in the Bible. In Isaiah 30:26, it was associated with healing and repentance. It can also mean rebirth and fruitful harvest. 

This fall, plan your party in the theme of Harvest Moon. Let it be a lesson that everyone can heal and repent. Just like the Harvest Moon, God is a source of light and He will lead us away from darkness. Moreover, He provides us sustenance by shining a light on the plants for them to grow. 

How to Decorate

Hold your party at night to further embody this theme. Create a bonfire outside, and decorate the trees with fairy lights. 

Don’t forget to hang a moon decor on the ceiling if you’re holding your party indoors. You can try creating your own by cutting a large circle out of poster board and painting it silver, white, or light yellow. Add cutout stars, full of glitter on the walls. For the posters, print a sign that says, “Jesus is the Light of the World,” and put it on the walls. 

Ideas for your Harvest Moon decorations:

1. Harvest Moon Welcome Poster
2. Harvest Moon Buffet Table
3. Stars decoration

Activities for this Theme

Donut Moon Game

This game is perfect for couples, especially when they play it at night! Have the players pair up, and give each pair a moon-shaped donut hanging on a string. 

Facing each other, and without using their hands, the players have to eat the donut. The first pair to finish first, wins the game!

Moon Rock Relay Game

This game is similar to the Egg on Spoon race, but instead of eggs, you’re using rocks. Give each player a spoon, and divide the players into two teams. Have each team form a line. 

On the facilitator’s mark, the first player on the line must walk towards the pole, make a u-turn, go back to the line, and transfer the rock to another player. The first team to finish the relay, wins the game!

Hot Moon Game

Have everyone sit in a circle, and pass the hot moon rock while the music is playing. Whoever is holding the rock when the music stops, loses the game. Continue this until only one is left. 

You can also add a twist to the game. Instead of removing the player, you can have them read a Bible verse, and share with the group their thoughts. If the person has already been called, they have to pick another who hasn’t shared yet. This way, everyone gets to participate.

Other Activities to Incorporate in Your Church Harvest Themes 

Bible Pictionary

Divide the group into teams, and have each person write scenes from the Bible. Once done, fold the paper and place it in a bowl for the opposing team. 

Each member from the opposing team must pick a paper from the bowl, and draw the scene on a board while other members guess. If they guess it right, they get a point. The team that gets the most points within 10 minutes wins the game!

Bible Perfect Pairs

Make your Harvest themes for church more interactive by engaging every guest. Write down the names of famous Bible couples, and place them in separate bowls according to gender. Have the guests or players draw one name according to their gender. 

Just like playing Human Bingo, let them walk around the venue to ask each other qualities, which may give a hint on who they are. The first three pairs to find each other wins the game!

Holy Headbands

If you’re into Heads Up, this game is for you. Grab some post-it notes, and write the names of Bible characters on each one. Have the players pair up, and have them assign who would guess the name. The guesser must ask questions to know who the character is, while the other must only respond yes or no.  

Conclusion

These church harvest themes are good for any occasion you celebrate during fall. A church party or festival with harvest themes can be a perfect alternative to Halloween, and you can also apply it during your church’s Thanksgiving party. 

If you’re planning to give these church Harvest themes on our list a try, tell us how it went. What are the ideas that inspired you?