5 Ways to Stay Connected with Families This Summer

With church attendance spotty throughout the year anyway, summertime usually brings an even bigger drop in church attendance as families enjoy vacations, family trips, and lazy mornings after late nights. Here are 5 ways you can stay connected with the families in your ministry throughout these busy, sunny months (and 4 resources to help you do it!).

1. Online – Use your church’s website and ministry social media accounts to post highlights about what you’re learning each Sunday. These posts can include family discussion questions, the Bible story, or even just engagement posts that ask families what they’re up to. The beauty of technology is that you can stay connected with your families digitally even if you can’t stay connected with them physically. And if you really want to connect with your families online, check out our ultimate guide to building a social media strategy for your kidmin here.
2. On the phone – Create a Summer Remind group for your ministry (or even your different ministry areas) and set up weekly text messages that encourage families to dig into the Word, give them fun activity ideas, or just let them know you’re thinking of them! This option is a little more direct than hoping families see your social media posts or visit your website. You could also check out a phone app like Faith Spark!
3. Snail Mail – Even if you connect with families online, a simple postcard in the mail is an easy way to stand out and say hello! Use postcard designs like these summer, wild animal (perfect for post-VBS!), or superhero ones. Take an afternoon to address postcards and write notes to every child in your ministry, then put a few of them in the mail each week. By the end of the summer, every child in your ministry will have received a note in the mail from you! And don’t feel like you have to do all the postcard writing yourself. Use a system like Crew Cards to get your volunteers involved too!
4. Low-key Events – Plan and host low prep, low commitment events throughout the summer. Events like “Meet me at the Movies” or Summer Splash that requires little prep on your end and is easy for families to join or decline last-minute. Even some simple Preschool Playdates can be really valuable for your families with littles! Having these low-key events helps kids and families build relationships with each other in casual settings while still giving you a touch-point throughout the summer.
5. Family DIY Resources – Equip families to have church themselves! Rather than hoping they walk through your doors this summer, give families tools and resources they can use to have faith conversations at home. Our desire to stay connected with families throughout the summer focuses more on their spiritual growth and less on their attendance record anyway, so why wouldn’t we equip families with resources they can use no matter where the summer takes them? Some of our favorite summer family resources include…

Summer Family Challenge – The Summer Family Challenge is an exciting “choose your own adventure” family activity that provides parents and children with many different options for a memorable, fun, and faith-filled summer. Learn more here.

Church Take Out Box: Fruit of the Spirit Edition – This 9-week family devotional focuses on the fruits of the Spirit and comes with short, intentional, and all-age devotionals that follow a read-talk-think-pray-do format. Learn more here.

Family Faith Fun on the 4th – This family resource provides 12 activities for families that focus on the freedom we have in Jesus. It helps children dig into God’s Word and have fun while celebrating America’s Independence Day. Learn more here.

Family Summer Bucket List – Here’s a free printable (an excerpt from the Summer Family Challenge above) of a family summer bucket list you can share with your families. Stay tuned!