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Church Summer Program Ideas

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4 Low-Cost Summer Program Ideas for Families
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Contributor

Contributor
Shellie Riggs Jordan

Shellie Riggs Jordan is the director of the southeast office in Seymour. She is an American Baptist pastor who served 14 years at First Baptist Church in Seymour as the minister of youth. Prior to her time at FBC, Shellie was the director of youth and children’s ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Seymour. To her work with the Center, Shellie brings more than 24 years of experience working with youth and young adults, as well as a strong background in ecumenical ministry.  

Shellie holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University and a Master of Divinity from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. She loves to travel and explore new cultures. She also loves spending time with her husband, Brent, and their kids, Gabe and Casey. Shellie lives in Seymour.

Church Summer Program Ideas

There are many religious leaders who are looking to take advantage of the summer months. After all, this can be a great time to spend sessions outdoors. Given that many religious organizations are focused on embracing a higher power, it perhaps only makes sense that religious services might benefit from taking place in a spot where everyone can appreciate the planet in all its beauty. Therefore, this can be a great opportunity for religious leaders to get creative. How can religious leaders take advantage of the warm, beautiful, outdoor summer sun and pleasant evenings? That is where church summer program ideas can be helpful.

Many religious groups are looking for church activities for youth. After all, one of the potentially biggest challenges of running a religious organization today is the act of getting in touch with the younger generation, as they can sometimes be thought to have shorter attention spans, expect more from religious services, and to be looking for religious services that are able to better relate to them. Therefore, it might be a good idea for religious leaders to brainstorm ideas to incorporate youth groups into their summer services. For example, it might be a good idea to take youth groups on overnight camps. This can represent a great time to separate them from computers, phones, and the internet, allowing them to be better focused on nothing but the religious service.

There are plenty of other creative worship ideas, as well. For instance, outdoor activities do not necessarily have to take place overnight. Sometimes, it can be good to provide members with an opportunity to relax, get away from the everyday routine, and get in touch with the world around them. That is where day hikes can prove to be helpful. If there is a mountain, or even a hill, in the local area, this could be a great opportunity to take the worship services and move them outside. By getting creative, it may be possible for religious groups to take advantage of everything the summer has to offer.

Church Camp Activities

There are many religious groups that are looking for ways to help out members of the congregation during the summer. One way for them to do exactly that is to offer a church summer camp. After all, when school is not in session, a lot of parents may be looking for ways to provide child care for their children, as they cannot simply leave them at home unsupervised all day. That is where church camp activities can be helpful.

There are plenty of youth camp activities ideas that religious leaders can take advantage of. For example, it may be helpful to brainstorm a few youth camp theme ideas. Then, they can incorporate a different theme every week of the summer. This can be a great way to provide youth group leaders with areas that they can focus on as the summer moves along. With access to church camp themes, it is possible to get creative, encourage kids to dress up, and get in touch with religious texts.

There are plenty of church youth camp activities that religious leaders can incorporate. It can always be a good idea to try and get kids up and moving. That way, they can focus more on what is happening in front of them instead of looking down at their phones. In addition to providing a great source of exercise, this can represent a great way to help members of the congregation out by providing them with access to childcare.

Summer Church Activities

Speaking of summer church activities, what are a few fun church activities for families? Even though it is great to provide childcare, it can be even better when religious groups are able to get the entire family involved. For instance, it might be a good idea to have a cookout during the summer from time to time. Why not put on a potluck, occasionally? Then, every member of the congregation can perhaps be encouraged to bring a gift. This can be a great way for people to get to know one another, in addition to spending time outdoors.

There are other creative church events to consider, as well. For example, a lot of religious groups are looking for ways to get kids more involved. It might be a good idea to have a field day, from time to time. That way, kids can learn about the importance of exercise, even if their activities have a religious theme to them. It might be helpful to reach out to members of the congregation and see whether they have any extra sports equipment lying around. Then, religious groups can use this equipment to put on a special athletic event. This is just one of the many summer church activities that religious leaders should perhaps consider putting on.

Summer Church Programs

There are plenty of other summer church programs out there, as well. When it comes to outdoor worship service ideas, it might be helpful to set up a projector outside. Then, think about putting slideshows on the screen, recording song lyrics on the screen, or even providing instructions so that everyone can participate. With access to a projector, a screen, and an open field, this can be a great way to help everyone get to participate.

There are plenty of church family camp activities, as well. When it comes to church day camp ideas, it can be good to think about ways to incorporate water. After all, during the summer, it is likely going to get hot outside. With this in mind, it can be critical to think about ways to prevent kids from overheating. As an example, why not think about taking a trip to the pool? Then, it is possible to play a game at the pool that has a religious theme to it. Naturally, it can be good to make sure that all the kids can swim; however, it might even be a fun activity to offer some lessons to the children, if they need to learn. This can be yet another great way to help parents save money, while also teaching a valuable life skill. There are plenty of ways in which religious services can incorporate the water. All it takes is a bit of creativity.

Summer Themes for Church

It can also be a good idea for religious leaders to think about summer themes for church. When summer camp programs have things to them, it is possible to help keep everyone on the same page. One potentially helpful thing to consider involves church in the park ideas. Take a look at the local area and see if there are any parks available. Then, see if it is possible to play games during the worship service. This might be a great way to help get kids involved as the religious services to unfold this summer.

It might even be possible to think about summer church festival ideas. As an example, religious leaders may want to see if there are any local food trucks, and then inquire if they would be willing to participate in their services. Sometimes, food trucks will be willing to provide a discount to religious organizations. Then, it might be possible to rent some inflatable equipment, see if anyone can deliver certain props, and then have a giant party. If religious groups have a festival in the park, they might even be able to attract other people to join the congregation. This can represent a great way that religious leaders can take advantage of the summer months and expand their religious groups. Religious leaders may simply have to get creative if they want to expand the congregation.

Children's Ministry Summer Programs

It might be helpful to take a look at a list of church activities for children, as well. A lot of parents could be looking for ways to keep their children busy during the summer. As an example, it might be possible to put on educational programs for the kids, from time to time. Even basic school subjects such as English, Math, and Science can all come with a religious twist to them. It might simply require a bit of creativity to implement. There may even be teenagers who might be willing to step up and lead a small summer group through the church.

There are plenty of virtual church ideas, as well. Particularly given the current environment, some parents may not be comfortable with their kids leaving the house. Therefore, it can be a good idea to see if there is a way to get kids involved in virtual church activities. That way, children can still have access to religious education, even if they are unable to physically come to the church. Of course, this may also require a bit of advanced equipment. See if there is anyone in the congregation who would be willing to share some of the stuff that they have with the church. That way, religious groups may be able to put on a full summer camp for children.

Creative Church Service Ideas

In the end, it can be a good idea for religious leaders to think about how they can take advantage of the summer. That is where creative church service ideas can be helpful. There are plenty of summer ministry ideas, as well. It can be a good idea for religious leaders to take a look at what the members of the congregation would like. It might even be helpful to pass out of surveys, in order to see what members of the congregation need most. This could be helpful in trying to plan interactive worship ideas for the summer.

Religious leaders might also want to take a look at creative online worship ideas. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available on the CRG, where religious leaders can take a look at what other congregations have had success planning when it comes to the summer. Then, it might be possible to even put a twist on a few of these ideas and put them to use in other areas. Religious leaders might want to prioritize educational content for younger members of the congregation. Particularly for parents who are looking for childcare for the summer, this can be an area where religious groups are able to be helpful. It simply requires a bit of creativity.

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