Should your women’s ministry take a summer sabbatical?
I have to admit; I used to be okay with summer sabbaticals. Our team had worked hard all year long. We were tired, and we deserved a break.
Women weren’t really going to come to summer events anyway, right?
Over the years, God has changed my thinking on this topic. No matter where you stand on it, I hope and pray that you’ll listen and give it some prayerful consideration.
Spoiler alert: Placing your entire women’s ministry on a summer sabbatical is not something I recommend.
Strategic scheduling changes? Yes.
Hitting pause completely? No.
I want to share some things that changed my mind.
Should your team take a summer break?
I used to be a fan of giving the women’s ministry team a month or more off in the summer until skipping those meetings backfired. Several churches I’ve served in have held fall women’s retreats. At one church in particular, we took a summer break from planning only to find ourselves scrambling and rushing to make plans for our retreat. It was very stressful!
The church I serve in now has a September women’s retreat. We do the bulk of our planning during the summer months. There’s no way we could take the summer off.
What about a summer break from women’s Bible studies, events, and activities?
About 10 years ago, the team I was serving on had been batting around the idea of offering a summer Bible study. I admit, I really didn’t think the need was that great. How many women were really going to show up for a summer Bible study? We had team members who felt very strongly about adding a study that summer, so we did.
I’m happy to say I was wrong. It was a huge success!
Many of the women who attended during the school year were excited to stick with their Bible study routine. We had a number of women who were able to come during the summer who couldn’t come the rest of the year – many of them were teachers. The attendance was just as high as it was for the rest of the year.
Another summer I attended a six-week study of the law and y’all, we had 40 people showing up for a daytime class.
5 Ways Your Women Benefit from Summer Women’s Ministry Plans
1. Offering women’s ministry programming in the summer keeps your ministry momentum moving forward.
In a normal year, after eight to nine months of regular events and Bible studies, offering absolutely nothing could stall the spiritual growth of many of your women. While we know our women should have a personal Bible study time, many of them do not, and they need the accountability and encouragement of being in a Bible study group year-round.
As I shared earlier, despite what we might want to believe, summer Bible studies can be hugely successful.
2. Summer provides opportunities for connection, both within the church and in our community.
New attendees shouldn’t have to wait until the fall to get connected. And truthfully, if there’s nothing for women to get plugged into immediately, they may go somewhere else where they can plug in. I’d much rather have women plug into our church where I know the leaders will support what our church believes and teaches, than have women attending an online ministry or another church down the road.
Think about the new girl who’s moved to town and knows no one and is starved for Christian fellowship. A summer event would be an answer to prayer for her.
Your women are also more likely to bring friends and neighbors to summer events, especially when you encourage them to do so.
Summer schedules are often more flexible, and there’s no rush for mom to get home when school preparations aren’t necessary. Summer events are often more casual and inviting to seekers.
Summer events and activities can provide opportunities for women to connect with other women in your church they may not know well. Some of your women don’t know many people outside of their Bible study group or small group.
We can also connect with women in our community through summer service projects and missions.
- You could offer coffee for moms dropping off their children at Vacation Bible School.
- Maybe you’ll want to organize a Vacation Bible School classes for adults.
- Is there a mission trip women in your church could take over the summer?
- You could host a block party at a nearby apartment complex or hand out popsicles in a neighborhood near your church.
Think of all the ways you can connect with people at local summer events or activities. You could have a booth at a summer festival or provide ice cream at a neighborhood concert.
Summer can provide opportunities for connection between members in our church, for new members and attendees, and with women in our community.
3. Summer events and activities provide new opportunities for women to lead and space to test out new ideas.
Summer is a great time to let other team members or trusted volunteers take the lead on an event or activity. If you’ve trained your team well, they should be capable of leading on their own, even while you’re gone on vacation.
It’s good for the women in your church to see others lead, and you’re providing space for other women to use their gifts.
Summer is also a great time to test out new ideas.
Think about running a beta group for the mentoring or discipleship program you want to launch in the fall so you can work out all the kinks and make any needed adjustments.
Do you have a team member who wants to launch a monthly book club meeting or weekly pickleball meetups? Have her test the waters over the summer.
4. Summer attendance may be greater than you expect.
That was certainly my experience.
Think about it; you’ll probably have less competition on the church’s summer calendar.
This is one of the best-kept secrets about summer events. Go check your church calendar. It may be surprisingly bare beyond a week of Vacation Bible School and another for youth summer camp.
- Moms who might be shuttling kids to basketball, soccer, or baseball practice in other months of the year may be able to attend women’s events in the summer months.
- And teachers, as I mentioned earlier, who aren’t able to attend Bible studies during the school year, will jump at the chance to be part of your group for the summer months.
Slower summer schedules actually leave room for women to attend women’s ministry events and activities.
Even if attendance is lower in the summer months, that doesn’t mean we should take a summer sabbatical.
Even if you do have smaller groups, those groups will often yield more personal discussions and more opportunities for sharing and connect. Your introverts may find smaller groups in the summer to be much more enjoyable than bigger groups in the fall – if that’s even what happens.
5. Summer lends itself to fun.
In most areas, you’re able to meet outside, at least in the evening after the sun has gone down.
- Plan a trip to the lake.
- Attend a concert in the park together as a group.
- Go to a baseball game.
- Host an ice cream social.
- Plan a worship night outdoors.
Summer food can be fun, from sm’ores to summer salads, to ice cream and frozen treats, to dirty sodas and root beer floats. Have fun with it!
And decorating for summer – that’s pretty easy. Keep it simple. Perhaps you can gather some flowers from someone’s yard. No one will expect your team to go all out; they’ll just be excited to gather.
If you need more ideas for what to do with your women in the summer, check out my posts on 30 Summer Fellowship Ideas and 105 Christian Ladies Night Out Ideas.
We need to stop giving our church members permission to dial back their participation in the summer.
Christian fellowship and growth are just as important in July as they are in September, but our ministry calendars don’t always reflect that truth.
Your women need Jesus. Every single month of the year.
In Hebrews 10:23-25, believers are encouraged to persevere in their faith. The passage says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
While this passage is not specifically talking about summer sabbaticals, the practice of meeting together is important. Let’s continue to spur one another on through the summer months too.
Today’s Toolbox Task:
- Prayerfully consider how you can build community and encourage spiritual growth this summer.
- Plan at least two women’s ministry events or activities for the summer.
I’d love to know what’s on your women’s ministry summer schedule!
Feel free to share what you have planned in the Womens’ Ministry Toolbox Facebook group or send me a message.
You may also want to read:
105 Christian Ladies Night Out Ideas
30 Summer Fellowship Ideas
How to Host a Women’s Worship Night
How to Host a Summer Book Club
Summer Icebreaker: Who here?
Summer Table Talk Cards
Great ideas for summer! We do what’s called Women’s 4 x 4. We match up 4 women to meet 4 times during the summer. They decide on the time and what they will do – go out to lunch after church, take a walk, have a picnic, or attend an event together. We do take a break from our women’s Bible study, because our church hosts Summer Family Nights and we encourage everyone to come for a simple meal, short worship time, and then attend a small group study there at the church. We kick off with a picnic and outdoor baptisms. It makes summer fun for all ages and mixes up people to meet new people.
Love this, Carrie! Your 4×4 groups sound a lot like the Sister Six groups I’ve posted about. What a great idea for the summer! Sounds like your women have lots of great options!