There is something magnetic about a 25-foot long dessert. It’s an event designed to draw a large number of people because it’s fun, energetic, and everyone loves ice cream. The 25-Foot Banana Split works because it’s a high-visibility activity that breaks down barriers and creates a natural platform for you to introduce your ministry, share a personal testimony, and present the Gospel. It’s less about a formal meeting and more about an unforgettable shared experience that leaves students wanting to come back for more.
Outreach Tips
- Start advertising at least a week or two before the event. Use social media, classroom announcements, and high-visibility flyers. Have your students invite their friends – word of mouth is always your best advertising.
- Buy new vinyl rain gutters from a hardware store. They are lightweight, cheap, and easy to snap together. You’ll use a long line of tables to spread them out over 25 feet.
- You don’t need to cut the gutters to hit your exact footage. Just overlap the ends of the 10-foot sections until you reach your desired length. It’s faster and keeps the gutters reusable for next time!
- Line the gutters thoroughly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. If you line it well, cleanup is a breeze. You just roll up the foil and toss it. If you don’t, you’ll spend an hour scrubbing chocolate syrup out of plastic tracks.
- To keep things sanitary, line the foil-covered gutters with individual bowls. Students build their split inside their own bowl within the gutter track. It’s safer, healthier, and much more practical.
- Set up your tables so students can access the gutters from both sides. This doubles your space and makes the event feel much more high-energy.
- Use this simple formula: Estimate 2 feet of gutter for every person per side. When you put people on both sides, you can roughly estimate 1 foot per person. So if you expect 30 people to show up, you’d want roughly 30 feet (15 people on each side of the banana split)
- Keep the ice cream in deep coolers until the very moment the “Build” begins. This ensures students are scooping ice cream, not soup.
Sample Shopping List (For 25 Feet)
- Infrastructure: 3x 10ft vinyl gutters, 2 rolls of heavy-duty aluminum foil, 50-75 Styrofoam or plastic bowls.
- Food: 4–5 gallons of vanilla ice cream, 25–30 bananas, 3 large bottles of chocolate syrup, 4 cans of whipped cream, 2 jars of cherries, and 1 large container of sprinkles.
- Hardware: 10–12 ice cream scoops and a large box of plastic spoons.
- Hospitality: Name tags and markers for the welcome table.
Sample Outreach Schedule
- 6:30 PM: Setup & Construction: The crew assembles the gutters (overlapping them), lines them with foil, and places the individual bowls inside. Position tables to allow access from both sides.
- 7:00 PM: Welcome & Hangout: As students arrive, have leaders at a welcome table with name tags. Greet everyone, introduce yourself, and help new people feel welcomed.
- 7:15 PM: Game: Kick off a high-energy game to get everyone laughing and comfortable.
- 7:30 PM: Testimony & Gospel Talk: A student shares their story, followed by a Gospel presentation. Have everyone fill out their comment cards before moving over to the banana split. It is often helpful to randomly draw from the comment cards at the end and give away a few simple prizes. It helps motivate people to fill out the cards.
- 7:45 PM: The Great Build: After you collect comment cards, invite everyone to find a place at the banana split. Give students a 5-minutes to build their best banana split using the scoops and toppings. Consider giving prizes for the most creative, ugliest, or best “Team build” sundaes.
- 7:50 PM: The “Dig-In”: Everyone grabs a spoon, takes their bowl, and hangs out.
- 8:10 PM: Cleanup: Roll up the foil, toss the mess, and you’re done!
The 25-Foot Banana Split is a classic campus outreach for a reason: it’s visual, it’s collaborative, and it’s delicious.
Activity: The Student-Led Build
The magic of this event is that the students are the ones building it. Instead of watching leaders make a sundae, the students share the scoops, pass the chocolate syrup, and collaborate on a massive scale. By giving them a time limit (e.g., “You have 5 minutes to build the best section!”), you create a fun, chaotic energy. Using individual bowls inside the gutter track keeps things hygienic while maintaining the visual of one continuous, massive dessert.
Pre-Event Games
To get the energy up before the big build, run one or two “Banana Split” themed games. These are designed to be funny, messy, and great for capturing photos for social media.
The “Human Sundae” Challenge: This is the ultimate messy-factor game. Lay two or three brave volunteers down on a plastic tarp on their backs. Give them a trash bag “poncho” to protect their clothes. Their partner has 60 seconds to build the most “beautiful” sundae—directly in the volunteer’s mouth! Use whipped cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and a cherry on top. The crowd votes on the most artistic (or most hilarious) creation.
- Pro-Tip: Keep paper towels and a “wash station” (a bucket of water or wet wipes) nearby for the volunteers!
The “Blindfolded Feed-Your-Friend”: This is a classic for a reason. One student sits in a chair wearing a trash bag “poncho.” Their partner stands behind them, blindfolded, and reaches their arms around the seated person’s neck (like they are the seated person’s arms). The blindfolded “arms” then have to try to feed the seated person a small bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup and whipped cream. The first team to finish the bowl wins.
Short Talk and Gospel Transition
Since the ice cream is still tucked away in the coolers, the students will be attentive. Have a student or leader give a 3-5 minute talk.
- The Hook: “We all love a massive dessert like this because we’re all looking for things that satisfy us. We look for it in food, in grades, in relationships, or in our weekend plans.”
- The Pivot: “But just like this banana split, those things are ‘sweet’ for a moment and then they’re gone. We’re left hungry for something more.”
- The Gospel: Briefly share how Jesus offers a satisfaction that doesn’t fade. Explain how we can have a relationship with God through Him.
- The Close: “To help us plan better events and to get your spoon, take 30 seconds to fill out the card in your hand. We’d love to connect with you this week.”
Comment Cards
Hand these out during the talk. Make sure everyone has completed their card before the build begins. This is your primary way to see who is interested in a Bible study or wants to know more about the Gospel.
After the Event
- The 24-48 Hour Rule: Contact every student who indicated interest on their comment card within two days.
- Coffee Appointments: Meet up with those who had spiritual questions to go through a Gospel booklet.
- Invite to Community: Personally invite attendees to your next small group or weekly meeting.
