How to Throw a Motivational CAN Event

Working on what we CAN do, especially through Christ can be such a motivational theme for an event. This could be a great theme for a weight loss or exercise class party. You could also take this theme and do a “Canning” for a bridal show and have a food drive for the couple.

Be All You Can Be Event Theme

I love theme concepts where you can go in all directions. Don’t you?

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure here.

CAN Event Concept

—Originally Posted June 23, April 2018
—Updated June 2020

The event themes on the website can be used for showers, parties, women’s ministry retreats and activities, or church functions. Each theme will have one or several possible spiritual applications. I give you lots of info and ideas—You pick just a few to enhance your event. More ideas can be used for showers and parties, but less is always more for ministry events.

Theme Title Ideas

  • All Things Through Christ
  • Be All You CAN Be
  • “Bee” All You Can “Bee” (See the bee theme for more ideas)
  • CAN-tabulous!
  • Canning (bridal shower specific—-do a food drive for the couple)
  • Do What You Can! (Meeting with an outreach focus)
  • God Can do Anything but Fail
  • Greater is He
  • In His Strength
  • Jesus Can (or God Can)
  • Knowing God Can
  • Motivated
  • Nothing is Impossible
  • Under CANstruction (Building your life with “I cans”  and “God cans” instead of “I can’ts” and “God can’ts”)
  • Sweet as CAN Be or “Bee” (See the bee theme for more ideas)
  • What Faith Can Do
  • What God Can Do
  • Yes, We Can!
  • Yes, You Can!
  • You Can Count on God
  • You Can Walk by Faith
  • You Can!

Spiritual Applications

  • Focus on doing all we can through the power of Christ.
  • Focus on being the best we can be by relying on Christ.
  • Focus on getting past the “I can’ts” and focusing in on the “God cans”.

Theme Verse Suggestions

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

“…for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 (KJV)

“…because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”  1 John 4:4 (KJV)

Devotional Starters and Workshop Ideas

Simple Decorating

  • Flower arrangements or plants in cans (any type of can)
  • For an exercise motivation event, use small sports and exercise equipment such as small weights, exercise balls, etc.

Icebreakers

Yes. You Can!
Download the Yes, I Can! Game (pdf)
Download the Answer Key (pdf)

Can Knock-Down
Stack up empty cans and give out some balls or bean bags to toss.

Milk Can Toss
Give out ping pong balls to toss into a milk can from a distance.

Skit Idea

  • Make a can telephone (two cans with string)
  • Have two ladies talking back and forth.
  • One can be negative saying “I can’t do this or that….”
  • The other one can be positive saying that “God can…”  “move mountains”  “work in mysterious ways”, etc.
  • End with the positive one quoting Philippians 4:13.

“I Can” Bucket List

  • Have bucket lists forms for everyone to fill out. You could make it specific such as spiritual goals, exercise goals, weight loss goals, etc.
  • I do have one printable bucket list that I made during Covid-19. Find it here.

Discussion Starter Questions

  • What part of your life do you feel like you have the least motivation?
  • In what part of your life do you feel like you have the most motivation?
  • What’s your favorite motivational quote?
  • What’s your favorite motivational word?
  • What’s your favorite motivational Bible verse?

Download these discussion questions and more in a pdf file.

Music

  • And Can it Be (Charles Wesley)
  • Can Others See Jesus in You? (Leonard C. Voke)
  • God Can do Anything but Fail
  • You Can Smile When You Can’t say a Word  (A.H. Ackley)
  • Nothing is Impossible (Eugene L. Clark)
  • It is no Secret (what God can do) (Stuart Hamblen)

Favor Ideas

  • Small canning jar filled with candy or small goodies.
  • “Recycle” stickers
  • Reusable Grocery Totes
  • DIY handcreams or lip balms in mini aluminum can containers

Door Prizes

  • Large tin of popcorn
  • Can opener
  • Can of any fun food/drink such as coffee, nuts,etc.
  • Soup bowels or containers
  • Large soup ladle
  • Set of soup spoons
  • Can crusher
  • Exercise items such as small weights, elastic exercise bands, etc.
  • Weight loss or exercise tracker
  • Can-ful of Fun:  Recycle a large coffee can or number 10 can.  Line with tissue paper and  fill with lots of small goodies.
  • Soup Gift Basket:  Various types of canned soups, a couple soup bowls, a couple soup spoons

Just for Fun

Recycle
Have everyone bring in their cans to recycle.  Put the money towards your women’s ministry or a good community project .

Do a can craft.

  • Recycled cans for windchimes
  • Decoupaged cans
  • Chalkboard painted cans
  • Flower arrangements in coffee cans
  • Check Pinterest for ideas.

Canned Food Drive

  • Decide on a cause.
    • Put toward your church food closet if you have one.
    • Make up grocery bags to give to those needy families within your church or community that you are aware of.
    • Donate it toward a local food bank.
  • Have a few “rules” such as…
    • no dented cans
    • no rusted cans
    • no expired/outdated cans
    • no sugar sweetened canned drinks
    • If you open it up to more than canned products you might have other things such as no opened packages, etc.
    • other
  • Decide what foods you will accept.
    • You must decide whether to open it up to more than canned goods.
    • You must decide what foods you don’t want such as… no fresh produce…no bulk foods (it becomes a hassle to repackage so I don’t suggest it)
  • Decide where it will be stored if necessary and how long it will be stored before turning it over to your cause.

Trash Can Clean-up
Make it a church clean-up activity or a community clean-up activity.

Canning Activity
Get together to can jelly or salsa, etc. in small jars.

“Canning” Bridal Shower
Collect canned food (and more) for the future bride and groom. You can also do this shower after the couple is married and back from the honeymoon. Just a twist on a house-warming—it’s all food to stock their pantry, fridge, and cupboards for their home.

You can also use this in connection with a basic bridal shower—just have everyone bring 2 or 3 canned food items along with their bridal shower gifts.

Tip—-Tell your guests to only bring items they would eat themselves!! It is okay to have a “Not Accepted” list for things like sardines, Spam, and Vienna sausages that are not always broadly welcomed in everyone’s cupboards. Just don’t make that list too long. I’d say no more that 6 not accepted items at the most. If you know a food your couple is allergic to, put that on the list. If you know of something the couple absolutely hates, put that on the list.

Also remind your guests to bring cans that are not rusted, dented, and have not expired.

Food and Serving

  • Bake breads or cakes in tin cans
  • Canned drinks
  • Snacks served in cans such as pretzel rods, etc.
  • Silverware placed into cans
  • Candy
  • Candied apples
  • Candied nuts – such as pecans or almonds
  • Cantaloupe
  • Snack – Can of Pringles
  • For a weight loss/exercise party, be sure to use healthy food choices and leave the sweet treats for another time.

Photo Sources

  • Want the photo used for the page title of this theme?  Find the original at Unsplash here.
Julia Bettencourt Blog Divider

Thanks for stopping in.  Please leave any extra suggestions for this theme in the comments.  I’d love to hear what ideas you have!

Creative blessings,
Julia

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. So thanks for checking out the above Amazon products. See my advertising policy here.

A big thanks to those of you who visit my Amazon product links. This helps me pay for my website hosting, so I appreciate it!