Men's Breakfasts and Women's Events: Why Comedy Brings People Back

Every men's ministry leader knows the Saturday-morning math. You need the guys who are already coming, plus the ones who keep saying "next time," plus the neighbor somebody has been trying to get through the door for a year. Women's ministry leaders face the same challenge with a different calendar: the fall kickoff, the spring tea, the annual retreat, each one competing with soccer games, work and simple exhaustion.

The events that win that competition have one thing in common: people want to come, and they're glad they brought a friend. Laughter is one of the most reliable ways to get there.

Why comedy works for men's and women's ministry

It lowers the bar to the first visit. "Come hear a speaker" is a tough invitation for someone who isn't sure about church. "Come to breakfast, there's a comedian" is an easy one. The guest who would never sign up for a study will come for bacon and a laugh.

It opens people up. Men in particular often sit through an event with their arms folded. Ten minutes of laughing at the same jokes about marriage, kids, getting older and the honey-do list, and the room changes. People talk to the person next to them. The small-group question that follows lands on softer ground.

It's shared experience. Clean, observational comedy is built on the ordinary parts of life everyone recognizes. That's exactly what ministry events are trying to create: the sense that we're all in this together.

People talk about it afterward. A good laugh is the kind of thing guys mention at work on Monday and women text their friends about on the drive home. That's free promotion for your next event.

Event ideas that work

For men's ministry

• The comedy breakfast. A hot breakfast, a 30- to 40-minute clean comedy set, then a short word from a pastor or a men's leader. Done by 10:00, so everyone still has their Saturday.
• Fathers and sons (or fathers and daughters) night. Comedy about family life lands with every generation at the table. Add a game-show segment that puts a few dads on the spot.
• The kickoff for a men's study. Launch a fall or January study with an event so fun that the first session of the study feels like a continuation, not a commitment.
• Wild-game dinner or chili cook-off. Comedy is the perfect closer for a big, loud evening event.
• Men's retreat. A comedy set on the first night breaks the ice and turns a cabin full of strangers into a group.

For women's ministry

• The fall kickoff or spring brunch. A brunch, a comedy set, and a short devotional. Invite-a-friend events like these are where many women first connect with a church.
• Mothers and daughters event. Material about family, holidays and the joys of raising kids works across generations.
• Women's retreat. Comedy on Friday night relaxes the room before Saturday's sessions, and gives the weekend a memory everyone shares.
• Women's conference. A comedy segment between keynotes resets a long day and keeps attendees in their seats for the afternoon.
• Girls' night out. A dessert night with comedy and a game show is an easy, low-pressure invitation for neighbors and coworkers.

How to fit comedy into the program

The comedy should serve the event, not take it over. A few guidelines:

1. Put it early. Comedy is the warm-up, not the finale. Let it open the room so the message, testimony or study that follows lands with a relaxed, engaged audience.
2. Keep the set the right length. At a breakfast, 30 to 40 minutes is plenty. At a retreat or conference evening session, 45 to 60 minutes works well. (How big should your comedy show be? goes into more detail.)
3. Tell us the theme. If your retreat is on friendship, rest or marriage, our comedians can steer the set toward it and hand the room to your speaker with a natural transition.
4. Plan the handoff. Decide in advance who comes up next and what they'll say first, so the energy carries straight into the rest of the program.
5. Keep it clean, all the way. "Clean" should mean nothing you'd hesitate to bring your pastor, your mom or your teenager to. Every Crosseyed Comedy show is 100% clean, every time.

Making it an invite event

The point of a men's breakfast or a women's brunch isn't just to feed the regulars. Make the invitation part of the plan:

• Ask every regular to bring one person. Make it the explicit goal from the first announcement.
• Give people something to share. A short clip, a graphic and two sentences they can text are far more effective than a bulletin announcement.
• Price it so no one hesitates. A free event with a love offering, or a low ticket price that covers the meal, keeps the door open.
• Follow up. A thank-you message and an invitation to the next gathering turn a first-time guest into a regular.

For more on filling the room, see why a comedy night is the best outreach event your church will run this year.

Questions leaders ask

Will the comedy be appropriate for a mixed-age group? Yes. Our material is written for adults but clean enough for every generation, so a twelve-year-old and a grandparent can laugh at the same jokes.

Can you do just a short set? Absolutely. A 20- to 40-minute set is our most common format for breakfasts and brunches.

We're a small group. Is that okay? Yes. A breakfast for forty men and a conference for a thousand women both work; we size the show to the room.

Do you do men's and women's events outside Arizona? Yes. We're based in the Phoenix area and travel nationwide.

Ready to plan the event people actually invite their friends to? Send us your date and we'll take care of the laughs.