Summer is officially here and that means your small group meeting schedule will probably get interrupted for the next three months–and that’s ok. We all need seasonal changes of pace to keep things fresh. Mark Batterson says that, “A change of pace + a change of place = a change of perspective.” A summer of not meeting every week in a home or classroom will give your leaders time to recharge and be inspired for the fall groups semester. In the meantime, although groups may not be meeting every week for a study, they should stay connected. Here are four summer activities that can keep groups engaged.
1. Have fun!
Go to a ballgame. Celebrate the Fourth of July fireworks together. Get together for a picnic. Race cars at an amusement park. We can sometimes suck all of the fun out of group life, and summer is a great time to put it back in. Encourage your groups create memories this summer through just having fun together.
2. Go on a short-term missions trip together.
Nothing bonds a group better than being on mission together. The trip does not have to be international. There are massive needs in communities all around us. Partner with an organization that is already making a difference in that community and take your groups on a weekend missions trip.
3. Serve a local missions organization.
There are food pantries, youth centers, and other missional organizations in almost every community. Pick out a Saturday in June or July to serve as a group. If it’s a great experience with an organization making a real difference, commit to an ongoing relationship.
4. Do an online study.
Choose a study on smallgroup.com, but instead of meeting together every week for the discussion, set up a Facebook group page to go through it online. Your group members can watch the video on their own, and then post comments on the page. A great study to try this summer would be, “Crazy Grace for Crazy Times” by Pastor Derwin Gray.
By getting creative and thinking outside of the small group box, your group members can still stay engaged in community this summer.
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