7 Ways to Have a Great Summer at Your Church (Without Going Crazy by Labor Day)
Summertime can be one of the most rewarding times of the year for a congregation. It can also be one of the most frustrating. As many school calendars stretch further into the summer, our calendars at church often get bunched up, and when it is all over, we are left wondering if we accomplished anything lasting.
Of course, anything done to God’s glory is a good thing, but are there ways we can make the summer have a great impact? I want to share 7 for you to consider, even for this upcoming summer.
1. Think outward service first. A lot of times, we tend to fill out the church calendar with things that are more inward focused. Those make us feel good for awhile, but how much better would it be to serve others this summer? The memories and the motivation would last longer, for both the church members and those who received the kind service.
2. Remove an event. I know, that’s almost blasphemous! But with summers getting shorter, why do we still feel the need to fit in every traditional event, other than it is tradition. VBS, a Gospel Meeting, a mission trip, summer camp, and a fun outing…all in 7 or 8 weeks? Could you do without one of those this summer?
Or…
3. Move an event. Why says all those things have to be done in June and July? Could you move the mission trip to fall break? What about making VBS part of winter vacation instead of summer vacation? These are some ways to maintain traditional events, but not bunch them all together over a handful of weeks.
Or…
4. Combine events. I know a lot of people balk at this idea, but what about having a VBS in the day, and Gospel Meeting at night? A lot of mission areas do similar things with great results, and it might work where you are, too.
5. Make full use of Sunday afternoons. How many weekday or weeknight activities (that take time from families) could be completed, and done well, on Sunday afternoons? Service projects, fun outings, and other shorter activities are perfect for those “dog day” Sunday afternoons, and then the calendar during the week is not so full.
6. Utilize technology. If there is any part of the year where people need to be kept up to speed, it is the summer. Use whatever means you possibly are able to get news to people, and to let them stay connected to Bible classes and worship, especially if you preach through series during the summer.
Speaking of that…
7. Rethink “series” in the summer. I have had to force myself to rethink how I teach Bible classes during the summer. It is nearly impossible to teach verse-by-verse, simply because so many people in the class are in and out…including me! It is not impossible, but it hard to preach a series that “builds on itself” during the summer, and that includes Wednesday night summer series. I think it is good to have themes for various things (sermons, summer series, and of course Bible classes), but think in terms of lessons that stand alone. If someone misses a lesson, they are not playing catch up the next week. They can simply jump in and still feel part of the class or the lesson series.
There are many other ways to handle the summer months, but they key is to always be looking for ways to improve to the glory of God. Let’s avoid sticking stuff on the calendar and doing the status quo “just because we’ve always done it;” instead, focusing on how we can do all things with excellence to His glory.
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