GUEST POST: Summer in Student Ministry | Small Church Youth Ministry

Stephanie CaroMore Posts GUEST POST: Summer in Student Ministry

From my youth worker friend, Austin McCann. Austin is currently the student pastor at Courtney Baptist Church in Yadkinville, NC.

Summer is one of my favorite times to do student ministry. During the summer, students have a lot more time and they are always looking for something to do. But what kind of ministry can a small church student ministry do during the summer? Often times we don’t have the money and resources other larger churches do to put on a large camp or go over seas for a mission trip. Here are some things to think about if you’re doing student ministry in a small church this summer.

Make relationships a priority. Building relationships with students doesn’t have to cost you money. During the summer, focus on hanging out with your students. Don’t spend all day, everyday in your office. Go visit students at their house or meet some of them in a park. Summer is a great time for relationship building so make that a priority this summer.

Switch between camp and a missions trip each summer. Two things I love in student ministry are camp and mission trips. Doing both of these in one summer can be expensive as well as time consuming. A great idea to save money and time would be to switch between camp and a missions trip each summer.

Get outside as much as possible. Try to plan activities that are outside. For example, we are doing an outdoor movie night in July. Even during your mid-week gathering, have some large group games outside. We are doing slip n’ slide kickball outside after a Wednesday night meeting. Students don’t want to spend hours inside a youth room when it’s nice outside. Take them outside and do ministry out there!
These are just a few ideas that have helped me as a student pastor in a smaller church. I hope they help you as you continue to serve students in your local church.