October’s Ministering Bingo: Free Printable

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October practically hands us reasons to reach out to the people we minister to.

General Conference gives us messages to share and talk about. Fall brings soup recipes, pumpkins, changing leaves, and plenty of excuses to get out of the house. And by the end of the month, there are fall festivals, Halloween treats, and neighborhood activities happening everywhere.

So this month’s free October Ministering Bingo is filled with simple ways to use all of that to connect with the people you minister to.

Some take less than a minute. Some involve dropping something off. Some get you out doing something together. And a few simply help us slow down long enough to learn a little more about the people we’ve been asked to care for.

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One of the tricky things about ministering is that our assignments can look wildly different.

You might minister to someone who has been your friend for years. You already know her favorite treat, what’s happening with her kids, and whether she wants you to come through the front door without knocking.

Or you might have been assigned to someone you barely know.

Maybe you've exchanged a few texts. Maybe you don't know what she likes, what she needs, or even how she feels about Church right now.

That's one reason we make these Bingo boards. The squares aren't assignments. They're idea starters. You don't need to do all 24 of them, and you definitely don't need to force an idea that doesn't fit the person.

Instead, look through the board and ask yourself, Which of these would actually mean something to this specific person? Write their name next to it and remember.

Maybe that's a quick voice message. Maybe it's running errands together. Maybe it's dropping off her favorite seasonal treat. Maybe it's simply learning one new thing about her.

And yes, one square says to offer a hug or another kind gesture because knowing whether someone is actually a hugger is useful ministering information too.

General Conference falls right at the beginning of October, which makes it an easy place to start.

Instead of feeling like you need to deliver a formal Conference message, try something more natural:

• Ask what stood out to her.

• Share a quote you loved.

• Print a favorite quote and drop it off.

• Tell her about something you heard that you want to remember.

If you don't know how interested she is in Conference, that's okay too. Choose another square and keep building the relationship. That's the nice thing about having 24 choices.

Then there's everything else October brings. The rest of this month's board is deliberately a mix.

You can trade favorite soup recipes, send a photo that says fall to you, tell her about a local event, ask about her favorite childhood Halloween costume, deliver a Halloween or fall surprise, decorate pumpkins together, or invite her to participate in one of your family's fall traditions.

There are practical ideas too. Offer to pick something up while you're already out. Take a treat to her workplace. Run errands together.

And there are quieter ways to minister: ask the Lord how you can help her, tell her something you admire about her, or act immediately when you receive a prompting.

Ministering doesn't always need an event attached to it. Sometimes the important part is simply paying attention.

Two Free October Ministering Bingo Boards

Just like last month, we've made two versions.

The first is completely filled in with 24 October ministering ideas and a free space. Print it and start wherever you want. Try for five in a row, pick one idea each week, or ignore the Bingo part entirely and use it when you need an idea.

The second is our DIY October Ministering Bingo board. The squares are blank so you can fill them with ideas that actually fit the women you minister to. We especially like the DIY version for ministering companionships. Sit down together and fill it in based on your actual people rather than coming up with one generic plan for everyone. You can do each square together or divide some up to do individually, keeping one to do together. Make it work for you.

More Ideas for Your DIY October Board

If you're filling in your own board, here are some additional October ideas that aren't on the completed printable:

• Share the Conference talk you most want to study again.

• Ask about a favorite General Conference tradition.

• Mail a real handwritten note.

• Leave a hot cocoa packet with a little note.

• Invite her to a fall festival or pumpkin patch.

• Have a quick porch visit.

• Ask what she's looking forward to this month.

• Share something from Conference that gave you hope.

• Bring a small bag of her favorite candy.

• Invite her family over for a simple game night.

• Remember something she has coming up and check back afterward.

• Send her a picture of the changing leaves.

• Ask about one of her favorite fall traditions.

• Offer to bring something when you're already headed her direction.

• Invite her to lunch or to grab a drink.

• Learn the name of someone or something important to her.

• Share something that made you laugh this week.

• Leave an encouraging note on her porch.

• Ask if she'd like company for something she already needs to do.

• Invite her to join you for a local October activity.

Don't worry about making your DIY board impressive. A square that says “Ask about her dog” can be better ministering than something much more elaborate if her dog happens to be the center of her universe.

Use the Bingo Board With Your Ministering Companion

This can also be a really easy way to get past the classic:

“So...what should we do for ministering this month?”

Pull up the board together and pick something.

Even better, talk about the women you minister to first. What do you already know about each one? What would she enjoy? Is there something happening in her life you should follow up on? Is there a square that would help you get to know her better?

You may end up choosing completely different ideas for each person. That's a good thing.

Use It for Ministering Interviews or Relief Society

The filled-in board can also be a helpful tool for ministering interviews or a Relief Society discussion, especially for someone who wants to minister but isn't quite sure what that looks like.

Sometimes “reach out to the people you minister to” feels surprisingly vague. Do I text her? Visit? Bring something? What do I even say?

Use the board to make it more concrete. Look through the squares together and talk about different ways to begin. You could send a quick voice message. Ask about her weekend. Invite her along while you run errands. Drop off a little surprise. Learn something new about her. Act on a prompting.

You don't have to start with a big visit or a profound spiritual message. Pick one square together that feels doable and start there. As you get to know someone better, figuring out how to minister to her gets easier.

Download the Free October Ministering Bingo

Both October boards are free: choose the ready-to-use Bingo board with all 24 ideas already filled in, or download the DIY version and create your own.

Our standard terms allow you to print up to 30 copies. If you're using the Bingo board for your ward or Church class and your group is larger than 30, you have our permission to print enough copies for everyone in that group.

Stick one on your fridge, send one to your ministering companion, use it during interviews, or choose a square when you realize October is disappearing much faster than expected.

You don't need to finish the board.

Just use it to notice one more way to show someone that she matters.

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