The Joy of Community: How to Host a Devotional Bingo Night for Your Women’s Ministry

Finding a different way to celebrate

Being born on the fourth of July, celebrating my birthday can be challenging. Between vacations, holiday traditions and celebrations, I have spent most of my birthdays at an Independence day picnic.

I prefer not to make a big fuss for my birthday, though I do like to celebrate it in a meaningful way.

Thinking about how I wanted to mark the occasion this year, I remembered an idea I had.

Devotional Bingo.

What is Devotional Bingo? I am glad you asked. It is something I dreamed up over a year ago when thinking about ways I wanted to connect and fellowship with the women who attended our church ministry for women's Bible study.

Ok, that tells you more about how it came to be than it does what it is, so let's get to the good stuff.

Prior to the Event: Planning & Preparation

• Define the Logistics (Who, When, Where)

  • Group Size: Keep it intimate with 5–6 women so everyone can relax and participate. Break larger crowds into smaller sub-groups.

  • Timing & Venue: Pick a date and place (your home, church, etc).

• Send the Invitations

  • Keep it casual—a quick text message with the date, time, and location works best.

  • Host Tip: Look for special moments, such as a long-distance friend visiting town, as the perfect anchor for a gathering or a birthday.

• Prep the Bingo Prizes

  • The Books: Decide whether you will supply the devotional books or ask each guest to bring a copy (new or gently used).

  • Extra Prizes: Keep small backup items on hand for repeat winners (e.g., pens, journals, candles, tea bags, or mugs).

The Event: Flow & Facilitation

• Welcome & Warm-Up

  • Open with light introductions, drinks, and simple snacks to help everyone settle in.

• Gameplay & Special Moments

  • Rules: Every first-time winner selects a devotional book. Continue playing rounds until every guest has won a book.

  • The Host's Role: Serve as the Bingo caller so guests can fully engage in conversation.

  • Interactive Connection: Have guests take turns sharing a story—such as how they first met you—while the game is being played.

After the Game: Food & Fellowship

• Unwind Together

  • Transition from the game into open fellowship over food, coffee, or dessert.

That's it: simple, fun and deeply meaningful.

As we all sat around the table outside with our snacks and drinks, I watched my friends make new friends and I was overcome with God's goodness. My heart was full, overflowing with gratitude and love.

In a world where true connection can feel rare, I want to encourage you to slow down. Host a simple in-person gathering, invite people into your space, and let yourself be blessed by the community that unfolds.

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works"

Hebrews 10:24

Journal Prompt

Reflect on a recent moment where you felt surrounded by true community.

What made that moment feel welcoming and how can you recreate that feeling for others?

Is there a way you love spending time? Can you host a simple get together with a few friends or neighbors that allows you to do the thing you enjoy in the company of others?

Pro Tips:

• Put all devotions in the middle of the table. Let the ladies look through them at the start of the game.

  Encourage them to find one or two they might want. This will keep things moving nicely when they win. They will already have a book in mind they want to win.

• Guests decided in advance that everyone would play 1 bingo card at a time.

• We have a local discount store that sells devotions for under $5 each. My local library also has free books on a table that I found a couple devotions to add. Be creative. You do not need to spend more than you can afford. Don't forget, you can also have each guest bring one they are finished with.

Connect

Email

hello@michelewanamaker.com

© 2025. All rights reserved.

Grab your free workbook

And sign up for our newsletter

I'd love to hear from you