1. Make Decorations 

Start the evening making your New Year's decorations. Get some construction paper, glue, markers, etc. Buy adult-size headbands and wrap them in tinfoil. Make a sign that says Happy New Year and fasten it to the tinfoil. This can be their homemade celebratory hat. Search the Internet to make noisemakers as well. Sometimes, the noisemakers in the store are way too loud. Allow your friends, including children, to make these noisemakers and allow them to go around the house blowing wildly. They will love having their own homemade decorations while your friends might enjoy a little quieter celebration.

Photo credit: ©Unsplash Aaron Burden

2. Play Games

Games are a great way to pass the time while waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square. You can pull out some classic board games or invent some games to play together. For example, a great party game is called Doubles. Buy some simple, fun items like candy, little toys, or other items. Strive to spend five dollars or below for each item. Get one whole roll of Saran Wrap. Wrap each item tightly and add them in together until you've created one large ball. Each player gets to unwrap the ball while the person to their left rolls the dice. As soon as the person gets doubles –meaning two of the same number—they shout "doubles," and the Saran Wrap ball goes to the person to the left. This continues as each person to the left rolls the dice while the person to the right unwraps the ball. This continues until each item is unwrapped. As the items are unwrapped, the person who unwrapped them gets to keep it. Keep this going until the entire ball is unwrapped, and you get to the end of the prize at the end. You can make the prize a small gift card, cell phone charger, or anything your guests might like. Search the Internet for other games that you might like to play that perhaps your friends have never played before. Take a unique spin on musical chairs and put a special prize at the end. Or start with one less chair than the usual game calls for, making it even more important for people to grab their chairs. The possibilities are endless!

3. Encourage Each Other

When friends are done with the games, have people get into the room in a circle. Once each person enters your home, have them place that blessing that they wrote on the piece of paper, fold it up, and place it in a jar. Take turns pulling out one blessing and reading it to the rest of the group. The person who wrote that blessing tells the story of what God did to bless them. It can be as big as overcoming a health crisis or as small as finding a new job. Relish in all the ways God has blessed your friends and family throughout the new year. Rejoice with each other and encourage that God is not done blessing them in the new year.

4. Reflect

While everyone is in the room, have each person reflect on the previous year. Have each person share one high and one low of the year. Encourage each other if a person has had an incredibly good year. Show your support if someone's had a bad year. It is comforting to know people have a community of support around them whenever they're going through trials, no matter the day of the year.

If your friends are Christian, ask them in what ways they would like to get closer to God in the New Year. Ask them to also state their New Year's resolutions or goals that would help them become better in the New Year. Ask them to say the resolution and one way they will seek to accomplish it. Ask the people in the room to keep each other accountable. This is a great way to keep connected throughout the year, even if you can't get together in person.

Additionally, if a particular person struggled with an especially difficult year, gather around them and pray. There's no reason your party can't still be fun when we include the Lord in it. We want people to leave our home (and our presence) different than when they came. A great way to do this is to learn more about their lives and what they're struggling with. Be a person of hope and pray for them when they need it. Periodically check in with them throughout the new year through text or e-mail just asking how they are and asking about that specific situation. In what ways did God resolve it? If there is a praise item to report, report it to all the rest of the members of the group. Allow that to encourage them as they struggle to find God's place in their own lives.

5. Sing Songs

Rent a karaoke machine and let your friends play karaoke. It might be good to limit the secular songs because of the content. But some songs can be funny. For example, ask someone to sing "Happy" by Pharrell Williams or "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin. Ask people to get into it and get silly if they want. The goal is to have fun, not to be competitive. Although you will have competitive people in the room, healthy banter is OK; trash talk is not. Stop rude comments at the start, or establish some ground rules before you begin. This will help keep the mood in a spirit of friendly competition rather than doing whatever it takes to win. Have people support one another and not degrade others when they lose.

If you or someone in the group is particularly musical, they can bring their guitar, and you can sing songs together. You can sing praise songs or sing secular songs. If someone has an instrument and can play, they can know the songs ahead of time so that they can play them for the person. Encourage people to clap along in support of the person singing. Games and singing are two ways to lift people's spirits, especially if they dread going into the new year.

As some may dread New Year's Eve as they don't have a place or people to celebrate with, make your house the host for a great New Year's Eve party. Get everyone involved in activities that will help them get to know one another and help them keep their mind off the year ahead. Above all, keep Christ in the center and allow people to feel free to share the highs and lows of their year and know that they will be in a group of support that will take interest in them throughout the year.

1. Make Decorations 

Start the evening making your New Year's decorations. Get some construction paper, glue, markers, etc. Buy adult-size headbands and wrap them in tinfoil. Make a sign that says Happy New Year and fasten it to the tinfoil. This can be their homemade celebratory hat. Search the Internet to make noisemakers as well. Sometimes, the noisemakers in the store are way too loud. Allow your friends, including children, to make these noisemakers and allow them to go around the house blowing wildly. They will love having their own homemade decorations while your friends might enjoy a little quieter celebration.

Photo credit: ©Unsplash Aaron Burden

2. Play Games

Games are a great way to pass the time while waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square. You can pull out some classic board games or invent some games to play together. For example, a great party game is called Doubles. Buy some simple, fun items like candy, little toys, or other items. Strive to spend five dollars or below for each item. Get one whole roll of Saran Wrap. Wrap each item tightly and add them in together until you've created one large ball. Each player gets to unwrap the ball while the person to their left rolls the dice. As soon as the person gets doubles –meaning two of the same number—they shout "doubles," and the Saran Wrap ball goes to the person to the left. This continues as each person to the left rolls the dice while the person to the right unwraps the ball. This continues until each item is unwrapped. As the items are unwrapped, the person who unwrapped them gets to keep it. Keep this going until the entire ball is unwrapped, and you get to the end of the prize at the end. You can make the prize a small gift card, cell phone charger, or anything your guests might like. Search the Internet for other games that you might like to play that perhaps your friends have never played before. Take a unique spin on musical chairs and put a special prize at the end. Or start with one less chair than the usual game calls for, making it even more important for people to grab their chairs. The possibilities are endless!

3. Encourage Each Other

When friends are done with the games, have people get into the room in a circle. Once each person enters your home, have them place that blessing that they wrote on the piece of paper, fold it up, and place it in a jar. Take turns pulling out one blessing and reading it to the rest of the group. The person who wrote that blessing tells the story of what God did to bless them. It can be as big as overcoming a health crisis or as small as finding a new job. Relish in all the ways God has blessed your friends and family throughout the new year. Rejoice with each other and encourage that God is not done blessing them in the new year.

4. Reflect

While everyone is in the room, have each person reflect on the previous year. Have each person share one high and one low of the year. Encourage each other if a person has had an incredibly good year. Show your support if someone's had a bad year. It is comforting to know people have a community of support around them whenever they're going through trials, no matter the day of the year.

If your friends are Christian, ask them in what ways they would like to get closer to God in the New Year. Ask them to also state their New Year's resolutions or goals that would help them become better in the New Year. Ask them to say the resolution and one way they will seek to accomplish it. Ask the people in the room to keep each other accountable. This is a great way to keep connected throughout the year, even if you can't get together in person.

Additionally, if a particular person struggled with an especially difficult year, gather around them and pray. There's no reason your party can't still be fun when we include the Lord in it. We want people to leave our home (and our presence) different than when they came. A great way to do this is to learn more about their lives and what they're struggling with. Be a person of hope and pray for them when they need it. Periodically check in with them throughout the new year through text or e-mail just asking how they are and asking about that specific situation. In what ways did God resolve it? If there is a praise item to report, report it to all the rest of the members of the group. Allow that to encourage them as they struggle to find God's place in their own lives.

5. Sing Songs

Rent a karaoke machine and let your friends play karaoke. It might be good to limit the secular songs because of the content. But some songs can be funny. For example, ask someone to sing "Happy" by Pharrell Williams or "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin. Ask people to get into it and get silly if they want. The goal is to have fun, not to be competitive. Although you will have competitive people in the room, healthy banter is OK; trash talk is not. Stop rude comments at the start, or establish some ground rules before you begin. This will help keep the mood in a spirit of friendly competition rather than doing whatever it takes to win. Have people support one another and not degrade others when they lose.

If you or someone in the group is particularly musical, they can bring their guitar, and you can sing songs together. You can sing praise songs or sing secular songs. If someone has an instrument and can play, they can know the songs ahead of time so that they can play them for the person. Encourage people to clap along in support of the person singing. Games and singing are two ways to lift people's spirits, especially if they dread going into the new year.

As some may dread New Year's Eve as they don't have a place or people to celebrate with, make your house the host for a great New Year's Eve party. Get everyone involved in activities that will help them get to know one another and help them keep their mind off the year ahead. Above all, keep Christ in the center and allow people to feel free to share the highs and lows of their year and know that they will be in a group of support that will take interest in them throughout the year.