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