Hosting a church tea can be a great way to build community within a congregation. Typically, more women than men will attend the tea, so be prepared to tailor the theme of the tea around the needs of the women in the church. Finger food, tea and gentle music provide a great atmosphere for friendships to grow.

Hosting a Mothers' Day tea party is a gentle way to honor the mothers in your congregation. Encourage church members to bring their mothers to the event. At each table, have the ladies nominate one of their members for "Mother of the Year." Give away prizes for mothers in the following categories: most children, longest married, shortest courtship, oldest and most spunky. Consider inviting a speaker to come and deliver an encouraging message.

Have any June brides sitting in your pews? Honor them all at once before their big day. Attendees can wear white clothes to reflect the bridal theme. Encourage all attendants to bring their own marriage advice to share. Consider inviting a musician to come and play soft classical music in the background for guests to enjoy.

Tea is not exclusive to the United Kingdom. Help share knowledge of your church's missionaries by hosting a tea with tea from each region in which your church sponsors a missionary. Major tea regions include China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. Each table can feature a different tea and materials telling about the country and the mission. If possible, invite a missionary to come and share about their experiences and how tea is part of their new culture.

Tea parties are a past-time of many little girls, so don't forget to host a tea party just for them. Create elegant invitations for little girls to come to the tea with a favorite stuffed animal and a parent or grandparent. Serve finger-food and warm tea. Make sure each table has room not only for the parents and children, but that the stuffed animals are given a reserved seat as well. This is a tea for children to delight in.