Tag: summer

Summer 2021 is an in-between time.  Some of our ministries to children and their families have started to transition to some gatherings in person, some remain online and some are dormant.  Our families are feeling stressed and their new routines may not involve church life, but most of the students have returned to in-person learning.  It is time to help feed their spiritual journey, flex their faith muscles (which will help them deal with their stress), and build their connection to church. 

Here are some Summer time ideas that can help you in your ministry feed your congregation:

1. Online Summer Camp based on a popular movie: families watch the movie on Sunday, then Monday through Friday they enjoy activities, Bible Story, crafts, videos, puzzles, and one or two Zoom get togethers each day.  To add an in-person gathering, finish Friday with a gathering outside.  With the movie, I tie each character or situation the character faces with a Bible character and give the day a theme based on that.  This year I am doing “Toy Story”.  Last year, I did Willy Wonka”.  Last years was very popular!  The whole camp for 30 children cost less than $33 a day.  To purchase the plan for last year’s Willy Wonka Summer Camp, email me at lauren@laurensline.com .  The cost is $5.
2. Vacation Bible School:  Consider doing outdoors with less children.  For music, teach the motions and include a CD in the price for each family.  Have tables set up for crafts.  If doing snacks, do prepackaged.  Children just want to be together!
3. Books with a Purpose: I am leading a program for parents and their children on dismantling racism.  We start with a webinar for parents only with techniques to help them have the conversation.  We have a book list with 4-5 books for each age group (infant-preschool, early elementary, and older elementary ages) with a Reading Guide for each book.  We check in to see how it is going, send out an email with tips each week, and offer ideas to enhance the conversation.  We close with a webinar for children and their parents focused on honest discussion and some activities.  In September, we are having a panel of three of the authors to discuss their books.
4. Outdoor Children and their Families Worship: gather in an area park.  Everyone brings their own chair or blanket and a picnic. I put out dots or pool noodles to show the distancing.  We start with a worship service, then move to a lunch, and then families can enjoy the park.
5. Outdoor Movie Night: Set up a drive-in at your church and enjoy a family movie night.  Each family brings their own blanket or chairs to sit in.
6. Offer your families Devotions and Formation using www.laurensline.com/family-devotions-formation/  Each week a new Devotion is put up.  Includes Bible Story, meditation, prayer, discussion questions, and optional activities.
7. Plan for the Fall!  Work on building activities and formation for the Fall.  Build the excitement with newsletters, emails, and Zoom calls.

As Summer 2020 promises to be challenging for all of us, here are some more ideas (see Helping Families Keep Church During the Summer) to connect families during our time in physical/social distancing. 

Camps, Vacation Bible Schools, and all the plans that usually make up our Summer, are not going to happen this year except on line.  Here are some activities that involve us getting off line, but still growing in faith.

Bible Story Treasure Hunt:  Each family gets a Bible Story to read and a poster board.  After a family reads their story, they design a picture to show their story.  They place the poster board in a place that can be seen from the road.  Each family participating gets a list of families addresses, stickers, and a list of the stories (one a page) with some questions on it.

The families drive around and find the poster.  They guess which story it is, answer some questions, and then put a sticker on the page to show they completed it.  Publish the names for your families of those who completed the hunt.  Get families to take pictures of their posters.

Bible Story Scavenger Hunt:  Each week, families receive a different Bible story.  After reading it, there is a list of objects that go with the story (David-sheep, musical instrument, rocks, sling shot, very tall person, crown, etc.).  Each child or family, checks off when they spot all of the objects that go with the story.  Put the first names of the children who complete it in the church newsletter.

Church Member Tag:  Place a picture or an object in the front door of a family.  Send them an email or leave a letter that says they are it.  They must complete four challenges before they can “tag” another family to be it.  The challenges: using the object or picture (after it has been cleaned), come up with silly things from Bible Stories to do with it.  Once the challenges are complete, they place the picture or object at a family of their choosing, sending an email or letter to tell them they are it.

Loving our Neighbor: Get a list of older people from your parish and let them know that they are on a list of love.  Families can choose from the list and do a good deed: make a meal, do yard work, weed a garden, get groceries or do a small act.

LEGO Bible Build:  Each week, send out a Bible Story and ask the families to build a LEGO representation of the story.  Have them send in the pictures and create a photo page for each story.

Many families travel for long periods of time during the Summer or use Summer as a chance to withdraw from activities to rest.  As we are currently in an unusual Summer, with social distancing facing our Summer, it is more important than ever to find ways for families to practice and grow in faith.  If the activities or kits come from their Church, then it connects them to their church family and reminds them they have a place that cares for them.

Usually, I would do a “Church on the Go” bag filled with activities and ways to worship while away.  But being away from the building is the “normal” for Summer 2020. Beyond live-streaming, here are some ways to help families keep “church”.

*Flat Jesus or bendable Jesus:  Mail out to each family (or have a pick up location) a Jesus to color, or one that is completed and laminated or a toy bendable Jesus (click on link to find this).  With it come these instructions:

               1. Give them three or four parables to read, suggesting one a week.  Give a few “I wonder” or discussion questions with each parable.  They are to take their Jesus and find ways to show the parable.  Give them a place (email, dropbox, etc.) to send these photos then at the end of the Summer, make a parable book to give out (using copy machine, Shutterfly, etc.)

               2.  Give them the “I AM” statements and have them show who Jesus was, doing as above through taking pictures. Have some discussion questions for each “I AM” statement.

               3. Give them some of Jesus miracles or a paraphrase of the Sermon on the Mount. Let the families take photos of the things they are thankful for and where they find God.

*Give them a picture of your altar (5 x 7 at least) along with copies of Morning Prayer and readings.  Before the family does Morning Prayer together, have them create a sacred space including the picture of the altar.  Give them a theme for each week to decorate the space or table (i.e. God’s creation: collect flowers, rocks, pictures of animals or stuffed animals).  Tell them that even though we are not together, we are all the church and our worship is beyond places. 

*Send out a coloring page of a stained-glass window or outside of your church.  Have the families use that as a template to color.  Have it say on the back, “We prayed for you today.  Church Name loves you.”  Have them pray for people and leave it on their doorstep.

*Give them some short lines from Psalms that are about joy and love.  Have them write the lines on a rock, decorate the rock with paint or permanent marker, and leave in places where they go.  Each week, release another psalm with a prayer the family can say over their creation.

*Choose a Bible story for the Summer theme.  For each week for six weeks give them something to do with that story.  For example, the first week would be telling the story with some discussion questions.  The second week would be a craft that goes with the story.  The third week would be a science experiment that goes with the story.  The third week would be an outreach project that goes with the story.  The fourth week would be a game that goes with the story.  The fifth week would be food focused (make something).  The sixth week would be a video of the story or watch a recording of someone talking about the story.