By Bethany Pitman
In the church, summer is a time that is more relaxed. Attendance typically drops during the summer as families travel and use Sundays for outdoor activities. Below are some ways to keep people engaged during the summer months.
- Post services online. Of course, it is ideal to have people in church, but many families will not attend each week. This allows families to watch or listen while driving in the car or on vacation. If there is a comments section, it might be fun to ask from where people are tuning in.
- Post a short two-to-three-minute midweek message from the pastor on social media and ask a question that involves engagement in the comments section.
- Create a scavenger hunt for kids to do while on vacation and offer a prize they can pick up when they return with pictures of a successful hunt.
- Create a “Flat Pastor” for people to take with them on their trips. Encourage them to take pictures with their flat pastor and post the pictures on social media with a certain hashtag.
- Consider changing the worship schedule to offer a service on Monday or Wednesday nights.
- If possible, reach out to each family individually at least once throughout the summer and ask how things are going.
- Plan a family fun night at church and bring in something special like bounce houses, shaved ice, homemade ice cream, etc. Include a time of worship before the event begins.
- Post children’s messages from Sunday school teachers online.
- Create a “Greatest Hits” playlist or CD so families can use it while traveling.
- Similar to many libraries’ summer reading programs, offer a schedule for reading the Bible or a collection of Christian books. As kids log their reading time, they can work toward a half-way-point prize and a prize at the end of the reading.
Editor’s note: CTA carries a wide variety of devotion books that could provide yet another way for your people to stay engaged in summer reading and in the Word.
