By Center for Youth Ministry Training 5/28/19
We polled our CYMT alumni and coaches for some summer programming ideas—the little things that they do during the summer that don’t require fundraising or packing a suitcase.

Try a “Bible Do.”

Instead of a routine Bible study of sitting around asking each other questions, try a “Bible Do.” Focus on a verse or passage in the Bible and then go out and do an action that revolves around that verse or passage. Some ideas might include:
-Prayer walks in local neighborhoods
-Share prayer requests by laying in the grass and looking up at the sky
-Have students bring in an object/cheap gift that represents themselves to give away like a white elephant gift exchange
-Ask people for prayer requests at Sonic
-Randomly paying for someone’s meal at a restaurant
-Sing praise songs and shouting out praises to God at local parks
-Dance party
-Writing encouragement letters
-Seeking God in solitude
-Washing feet
-Visiting homebound church members
-Going to church members’ houses and praying for them
-And most of all letting students come up with ideas they want to “DO” inspired by scripture.

Meet Ups

During the summer, encourage youth to meet you and your staff at places you want to go anyway! Post on social media and send out text messages inviting youth to do something like meet for lunch, at the movies, to go bowling, or at the park to hang out. You may have had it planned in advance, but when it seems spontaneous to your youth, you definitely see a better turn out! It’s a great way to hang out with your youth and build relationships in the summer with little advance prep work. Also think about going to free concerts at the local park, meeting at Sonic for half price slushies, or eating at Taco Bell for “Taco Tuesdays.”

Here are a few things that you might consider doing with your own group. Do you have other ideas? Share them below!