Avoiding the Summer Bummer

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

It happens every year... Mother's Day hits, school lets out, temperatures go up... and if your group is like mine, the activity of your group starts to go down. I call it the Summer Bummer... actually, I didn't call it that until just now, but it I kinda like it.


So how do you avoid the Summer Bummer? Is it necessary? Maybe... maybe not. Can groups survive it? I think so. In fact, maybe it's not a bummer at all... maybe it's just an opportunity for your group to change it up and enjoy community at a different pace. In fact, summer time can be a strategic time to work on building the relationships within your group.

Rick Howerton has posted a great and very practical blog on ways you can keep your group connected through the summer. As a group, I would encourage you to sit down with these ideas and start planning your summer schedule right away. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. It's okay to slow down... don't feel bad about it. Slowing down in the summer can be a lot better than beating your head against a wall trying to get the whole group together every week as you have through the school year. 
2. It's okay to slow way down... sometimes the best thing you can hope for is a once a month time to get together. And sometimes you may only get one or two times through the whole summer. Don't sweat it.
3. It's okay to just hang out and eat food. Some of the most spiritual and uplifting experiences happen over food. Grill some dogs, bake some brownies, and enjoy the outdoors together! I definitely recommend brownies that are smothered in cream cheese icing.
4. In some cases, it may be necessary to cancel meetings all together through the summer... and that's okay. While it's not ideal, it's just reality. Some of us spend our summers on trips, playing sports, and running kids to numerous activities. These hectic schedules become a real challenge for groups. Trying to force a monthly social time in light of these crazy schedules can sometimes just lead to frustration. 
5. Be intentional about regrouping in the Fall. It's okay to slow down, and in some cases stop all together... but it will require the diligence and commitment of the group facilitator to get your group back together in Fall. 

So, I hope you feel a bit more freedom to just go with the flow during these summer days with your group. Now, take a few minutes to read Rick's post on simple, practical and fun things you can do to keep your group connected... turning the Summer Bummer into a Summer Funner... okay, that was a stretch. Just roll with it.

After you've read Rick's post, feel free to post a comment, question or other practical ideas that have been successful for your group.

Read Rick's Post Here