In many ways, summer can still be carefree for students. Of course, students travel, work, and participate in band and sports, but not every student is away every day. The summer months provide an excellent opportunity to build relationships, form a community, enjoy some free, warm-weather activities, and help keep students connected.
The mission trip, summer camp, and regular ministry opportunities are on the calendar – that’s great! But have you considered these simple ideas to make the most of your summer? It doesn’t have to break your budget, and it doesn’t have to be all on you. It can be your ministry team, volunteers, small group leaders, or interns working together to connect this summer!
Lunch Or Ice Cream
Set a day and time, pick a local restaurant or ice cream place, and let students know you’ll be there. Everyone can buy their own, hang out, and have lunch, and it’s a great way to bring a friend along, too!
Late Night At Church
Plan a late-night event following a student ministry meeting or another church event. The late night could be some games, food, or a movie. End at a decent hour and send everyone home. This is another great way to invest in community and relationships.
Event T-Shirts
Order some t-shirts with a summer theme scripture or a list of upcoming ministry events and dates for the school year. You can give these away or sell them.
Summer Small Group Series
Create a special small group for the summer. Perhaps a girls’ group, a guys’ group, or a special discipleship meeting with some student leaders, held a few mornings during the summer. You can also do a fun/light series for your regular student ministry meetings. Another fun thing might be to give away an “attendance” prize each time your student ministry meets in the summer. You can easily obtain donations of gift cards or other items to give away. We recently received an awesome donation of a bunch of free treats coupons from our local DQ! (see item #1 – haha)
Social Media Series
Create a summer hashtag and host a fun social media series. Ideas might include interviewing a different student each week, posting a weekly picture of one of your leaders, or hosting a contest featuring the craziest pictures from students throughout the summer. Choose a hashtag to maintain unity and encourage people to share.
Serve Together at VBS (Or Other Special Event)
Is there a way to serve together at your church this summer? Some student ministry groups assemble to help with VBS or other kids’ camps. Sign your students up and then go out to lunch together after the last day.
Meet With The Pastor
Plan to meet with the pastor during a summer special event. Maybe it could be an ice cream party at the pastor’s home or an invitation for the pastor to come talk with the student ministry some Sunday evening. Does your pastor have a hobby or interest that could be shared with the group? A day during the summer is an excellent opportunity for students to experience the informal side of church leadership.
I’d love to hear about your plans this summer – please add your student ministry schedule highlights to our FB YOUTH MINISTRY NETWORK!
