Summer youth ministry is strange, isn’t it? Students are wrapping up school. People are dusting off their flip-flops. Families are gearing up for their beach vacations. While summer is amazing, there is one issue — church attendance is spotty at best. Many youth ministries slow down during summer to accommodate recurring vacations, camps, and the chill-summer mindset. But… what if we didn’t slow down this summer?
Let’s seize this summer season!
Seize the summer season by helping your students grow by using some fun and unique strategies. This is about so much more than bonfires, pool days, and Vacation Bible School. Here are a bunch of Summer Youth Ministry Ideas (and free resources) to help you have the best summer ever. Click or tap on any of the images below to view these free summer youth ministry resources
EVENT RESOURCES
SUMMER CALENDARS
As you plan amazing events for your students this summer, you want to be sure people actually show up. A well-designed calendar can be a simple, but effective, game-changer for your summer schedule. Simply download, customize, and print!
SUMMER FUNDRAISERS
The summer season is a great time for fundraisers. They bring your students together, get parents involved, and raise money for upcoming events! This is designed to be a quick reference guide for fundraising with little preparation. These files will give you access to branding, social media graphics, forms, and other content to ensure you look like a rockstar.
SUMMER EVENT: THRIFT PROM
One of the best ways to get students to youth group during the summer is by hosting fun events and it doesn’t get much more fun than thrift prom! This bundle includes directions and graphics to help you plan, set up, and host a tacky thrift prom for your students.
SUMMER EVENT: COLOR WAR
This has always been our biggest event of the year. Students love Color War. This is a fun event to plan in the summer that guarantees to build excitement and participation. This bundle includes a full instruction eBook with tips, print-outs, and graphics to help you pull off the perfect Color Wa at your church.
CURRICULUM RESOURCES
STUDENT GROWTH TRACK
This 6-session growth track will help your students take their Next Steps in their relationship with Christ. The growth track concludes with an interactive workshop that helps students examine their values, gifts, and experiences — culminating in a purpose statement for the following school year.
BIBLE STUDIES
Many of our Bible studies have been recorded as 15-minute messages that include discussion guides! With our video library, you can host Bible studies without any preparation, or empower a student to host a Bible study of their own! Visit our free video library or download our free app for access to all of our Bible study content.
YOUTH MINISTRY CURRICULUM
Summer provides youth pastors with plenty of office time. Use this time to strategically plan your preaching calendar for the upcoming school year! Pray for your students, consider what messages God is placing on your heart for them, then prepare your sermon series. This will give you so much more time throughout the year to focus on relationships with students and families.
SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS
As youth pastors, we need to reach our students where they are. Many of our students will be on social media more than they’re in church this summer, so let’s fill their feeds with encouraging and godly reminders! Choose a free graphic bundle to create awesome content for your Facebook or Instagram.