Family Life Ministry Moment: Summer Plans
It’s almost SUMMER!
Sunshine! Vacations! No more school! No more homework!
No more youth group… No more Sunday School…
How does your congregation handle summer programming?
Many churches feel the same concerns. “We can’t find volunteers for summer Sunday school or youth group,” or “Our leaders need a break—we don’t want them to burn out.”
Those are valid concerns, but they raise the question: What happens to faith formation in the summer?
Do families still gather for worship? Is adult Bible study still happening or does it pause completely? If everything stops in the summer, it can communicate that spiritual life runs on the same schedule as school. Instead of stopping programming completely during the summer, what if we simplified and became more intentional?
Perhaps instead of multiple classrooms, Sunday mornings could shift to a shared, intergenerational experience. Children, youth, parents, and older adults gathering together, singing, praying, and hearing God’s Word together. This intergenerational gathering could take the whole Bible study time, or the younger children and youth could head outside or to another classroom for games. This doesn’t necessarily require more volunteers, just a different approach. Another idea could be a joint children’s and youth Sunday school, led by older youth or a senior adult. Read a Bible story, sing a song, and head outside to play! Nothing complicated, but intentional.
Summer offers more flexibility, and often more openness to connection. This can be an opportunity to build relationships across generations. For families, especially those with young children, this matters deeply. If adult Bible study continues as usual, but nothing is offered for children, what are parents supposed to do? Stay home? Skip study? Consider the impact of ongoing Sunday programming pre and post Vacation Bible School (VBS). What if a new family shows up the Sunday after VBS, and finds nothing for their children? What message are we sending to these families? These are the quiet moments where congregations either strengthen or unintentionally weaken a family’s connection to the life of the congregation. What if instead, we simplify, and become intentional with our summers, communicating clearly, “Something is happening here every Sunday, and you belong!”
Deb Jurchen serves the District as Congregational Consultant for Family Life Ministry. In this role, she will share articles and resources to encourage congregations to connect with and serve the families in their community. Click here to learn more about Family Life Ministry.