Ah, summer. The weather is warming up, the kids are at home, and life altogether seems a bit more hectic (okay, maybe more than a bit). Suddenly, your family’s schedule looks radically different, and so do the schedules of all of your friends.
When it comes to staying connected with your small group, summer can be brutal. Everyone is running a thousand different directions and just can’t seem to make those Monday night studies work anymore.
But, what can you do instead? We want to help you stay in community this summer in a way that’s manageable. So, here are six ways that you and your group could stay connected this summer:
1. Create a Hiking Group
Who doesn’t love a day in the great outdoors? Enjoy the beautiful weather that this season brings by getting the ladies together for some hiking days. Choose a different trail or park each week to explore together, discussing life surrounded by the beauty that God has created in nature.
2. Form a Book Club
Instead of following a set Bible study, why not try forming a book club instead? You might find that following a book together comes with more flexibility as you and your fellow group members are on the go. Plus, it gives you something to read while you’re laying by the pool! (Need some suggestions on what to read? Try searching “Book Notes” in our search bar!)
3. Bring the Family
Finding a babysitter to keep the kiddos can be a challenge, not to mention expensive. Rather than calling up your sitter, try creating family days for you and your group! Schedule a group picnic for the whole family, a barbecue, or a day at the park. The possibilities are endless—just make it a summer rule that the whole family is invited.
4. Volunteer
Summer is the prime time to find areas in your church and community to serve. Once a month, serve someone with your group, whether at VBS, the homeless shelter, or helping one of your neighbors with her lawn. Look around for the needs of others and come together with your group to meet them.
5. Join an Online Bible Study
With everyone constantly on the go this time of year, online Bible studies could be a perfect solution for your group. Each member of your group can sign up for free, watch the session videos on their own time, and meet periodically for coffee and discussion in person! And the best part: you can take the study wherever you go. Check out our online Bible studies here!
6. Plan a Getaway
A girls trip could be the perfect way to have intentional time with the ladies in your small group this summer (and the most fun, too)! Nothing can bond you faster as a group than traveling, learning, and having an absolute blast together. Need help deciding where to go? Check out Lifeway Women Live in Orlando, Florida, this July!
What does your small group look like this summer? Tell us in the comments below!