It’s officially summer in the Northern Hemisphere! It seems that the older we get the more power summer has to overwhelm us. As a small group leader this is something necessary to discuss with your small group hosts and participants. Summer doesn’t mess around. Things like kids being out of school, family vacations, beautiful weather, and holidays can cause a disruption in our normal routines. There is a common habit in small groups to go on a hiatus when summer rolls around. To many, small groups are something that adds value to their lives but when summer comes along most groups put up their “closed for summer” signs. This is a problem. What would happen if we told our family members “sorry, I’m on a hiatus from our relationship?” Better yet, what if we told this to God? That’s simply not what small groups was intended for. The desire for small groups is to come alongside one another, grow together, encourage each other, and support one another in our life and faith journeys.
As small group leaders, we need to communicate the importance of small groups. We can do this by reminding them that small groups are a design Christ modeled for us and are necessary in every season of life. Below are a 3 fun ways to make small groups work in the busy summer season:
Make Small Groups Summer Proof!
Summer is an exciting time but it does come with some rearranging in our schedules. With every new season, we must reevaluate our priorities or else even the most important things will slip out of our control. Be flexible with your small group schedule. Meaning, it is okay if you meet once a month in the summer when you usually meet every week during the year. Meeting once a month in the summer is better than neglecting to meet at all. Small groups do not have to go on a hiatus, it can continue without causing more stress to your summer. Which brings me to our second point…
Do FUN Activities Together!
It is really hard to go through summer without planning fun activities! Remember that small groups thrive when they start seeing beyond sitting in a circle and discussing a study. In other words, do fun things together! Healthy small groups are friends and desire to spend time with one another. Encourage your small groups to create memorable moments together especially in this summer season! Below are some ideas for small groups to enjoy life together:
- Have a bonfire that includes s’mores and prayer
- Enjoy a beach or pool day
- Have BBQs (many of them!)
- Grab Ice-Cream together
- Attend a Baseball Game
- Take a bike ride to lunch or dinner together
- Go hiking
- Plan a weekend camping trip
- Try having small group at a different location each time you meet.
Celebrate Together!
Fourth of July is the perfect opportunity for small groups to enjoy quality fellowship together. Good food, great people, a firework displays, and warm weather…what’s not to enjoy? Find things to celebrate together whether it is the start of summer, the end of school, a birthday, a holiday, etc. Summer is a special time, enjoy celebrating it with your small group!
The idea of this post is to open the eyes of small groups to see the opportunities to get their small group involved. We want to cultivate those relationships so that when different seasons come, they are well prepared for it. In small group terms, that means having a community of support ready to be the hands of feet of Christ to one another in those seasons. Take full advantage of this summer weather and schedules; create opportunities for growth in your small groups!
