Why You Shouldn’t Take Summers Off

The days are getting longer and even if the temperature doesn’t feel like it, summer is coming soon. That means teens are thinking about a summer break from school, but it shouldn’t mean a break from ministry.

Summer is an odd season because it’s different from the rest of the year. People change their schedules and some even disappear for a few months. I know I used to think, “If the teens are off then should I be off too?”

The answer is a clear, “NO“. In fact, summer is the perfect opportunity to grow as a leader and a ministry. To take full advantage of what the summer brings you need to:

GET EVERYTHING ON THE CALENDAR EARLY

If you haven’t already, start plotting out the entire summer. That should include:

• All camps and retreats
• Team meetings and training
• Your vacation and days off

If you leave your scheduling until last minute you’ll lose control over your calendar. It will fill up quickly and you’ll be wearing yourself out before September hits.

START COMMUNICATING THE CHANGE

During the summer people like to shut down and they’ll assume you are doing the same. That’s why it’s important to get the word out that while summer is different your ministry will go on.

Start with your volunteers so you don’t hit the summer flying solo. Then talk to parents and let them know what dates they should mark down on the calendar. Lastly, spend time with the teens getting them excited about forming memories over the summer.

DELEGATE AND INVEST IN YOUR LEADERS

While you need programming for teens in the summer it’s probably more important to invest in your leaders. With summer there are more options to invest because you can be indoors and outdoors. A few suggestions might be:

• A hike or a ropes course
• Attending a baseball game or going to an amusement park
• Hosting a cookout or potluck

Go beyond just hosting meetings and doing something social. Take the extra margin you might have from a scaled down program to invest in your volunteers.

EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING

Programming in the summer shouldn’t stop, but it should look different. It’ll break up the monotony of a September to May program and give you an opportunity to try something new. The reason this season is optimal is that:

• People are a little more laid back in the summer
• Your teens might be looking for something fresh
• Numbers are a little lower which can be more manageable

No matter what you do, try something different so that you can freshen up your ministry by the fall.

Don’t let summer sneak up on you, start plotting ahead. Yes, you might need a breather, but don’t quit. Take the opportunity to start something new, and experiment a little so that you can take the ministry to the next level.

What do you typically do with your summer months?

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