Family-Friendly Event Ideas for Summer Ministry

This post is part of the Children's Ministry Toolkit - a collection of resources for building strong and vibrant children's ministry, brought to you by Faith Formation Ministries.

Summer is a great time to change the pace of ministry. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to bring families and generations together. Here are some ideas.

• Mornings at the Park: Pullman CRC in Chicago, Illinois, has offered “Pullman at the Park” on a weekday morning for anyone who wants to come for a couple of hours. They choose a different park each week in the areas where church members live and where there are picnic tables and things for kids to do such as a pool, splash pad, playground, basketball or tennis courts, etc. People from the congregation bring snacks and drinks to share. 
• Summer Night Series: Maybe this summer you can plan a Summer Night Series: a once-a-week or once-a-month event that consists of a simple picnic supper, ice cream dessert, and a movie. If possible, plan this outside, projecting the film on a large exterior wall. Here is a great idea for BaMiP (Books and Movies in Pajamas) nights. 
• Day Trip Adventures: Plan some day trip adventures for parents and kids around your local area. Provide lunch or ask them to bring picnic lunches and give a short devotional around a theme. 
• Campouts: Plan some parent(s)-and-kid(s) campouts throughout the summer either on the church lawn, at a local park, or in a campground. Everyone brings their own camping gear and food, and you plan simple devotionals around the campfire each night.
• Looking for an out-of-the-box idea that engages families in the summer? Check out this article from Buildfaith.org: This Summer We Took VBS “On Location.”

Have questions? Our Children's Ministry Catalyzer would love to talk with you about faith formation in children at your church. Email [email protected].