As a leader of women, do you find yourself wanting to take a break from your routine during the summer months? If so, then the women you lead likely do too! Amid shifting schedules and breaks from routine, women’s ministry leaders face the challenge of helping women stay connected to Christ during summer schedules. Though it can be a challenge, it is doable and fun to keep women engaged all year long. Here are some summer ministry ideas for women’s ministries, individuals, and small groups.
Summer Ministry Ideas for the Women’s Ministry Leader
- Take advantage of warm weather and outdoor environments! Host a women’s patio fellowship at an area restaurant’s patio. Women purchase their own meals, and one woman is designated to host the meal with a few icebreaker questions. This is an easy way for women across your community and church to make connections.
- Keep kids in your planning! Invite moms and kids to a local playground, provide popsicles for the kids and flavored waters for moms, and let both have fun!
- Remember teachers and school employees. Host an end-of-school party at your local school with a personal invitation to your summer events to give each teacher. Have those invitations available for women to give to their teacher friends.
Summers tend to run at a slower pace, have a more relaxed vibe, and offer lots of options for women. So, keep all this in mind as you plan your women’s ministry. Aim to make it attractive, simple, and fun!
Ideas for the Individual to Stay Connected to Christ
It is hard for most people to stay in their regular rhythms of Bible reading, prayer, and spiritual disciplines during the summer. How do you do it during the summer months with all of the distractions and varying schedules?
- Indulge in the beauty of God’s creation. While enjoying the outdoors, focus on memorizing one new Bible verse this summer that especially encourages your soul and strengthens your faith in Christ. Joshua 1:9 is one of my favorites.
- Incorporate spiritual disciplines into your routine. You can grow as a follower of Christ no matter where you find yourself each day. Intentionally pray in every new environment you are in. Bring everything to God in prayer by praying for that specific location and its people.
- Choose one new local ministry or family to interact with during the summer. Look for opportunities to build relationships and serve them well.
Summer Ministry Ideas for Groups to Stay Connected to Christ
Summer can be a challenge to keep groups consistently engaged in connection opportunities, so consider sharing these focused options:
- Plan a retreat! You might be able to use someone’s lake house or a local retreat site. Schedules can be simple and provide plenty of time for connection and conversation with the Bible study group.
- Designate one-on-one encouragement/prayer partners. Assign women who may not know each other well and ask them to spend some time together over the summer to learn and pray together.
- Host a shorter summer Bible study. Gather the women for a short summer study (four to six weeks). Invite them to take a week to host the group and lead the discussion time.
Time to Get Started!
As you prepare to help women stay connected in the summer, consider one of these ideas or brainstorm other ideas with your leadership team to see what you may try this summer.
An easy way to determine which idea to try is to poll the women in your church through a church-wide email or social media inquiry and ask them to rank their top three ideas. This will help you know which direction to pursue. I would recommend polling them six months in advance—when they are cold and looking forward to warm weather!
Remember, spiritual growth doesn’t take a vacation; it can be a part of our summer.
Additional Resources:
- 2025–2026 Lifeway Women’s Bible Study Catalog. Look through this catalog to find a summer Bible study! Pro tip: Flip to pages 74-77 to easily browse studies by the number of sessions so you can find one that’s just the right length for your group.
- Lifeway Women Online Bible Studies. Online Bible studies be done at any time of year in multiple formats. The summer online Bible study is Daring Joy, starting June 11.
- Lifeway Women’s Marked Podcast. Hosts Angie Elkins and Andrea Lennon interview guests about a variety of topics in theology, Christian thought leadership, and more. These episodes are great for individuals to follow or groups to discuss in the summer.
- Lifeway Women’s Weekly Newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter to receive weekly updates to Lifeway Women events and resources, plus ministry helps, free art downloads, and more!
