5 Outreach Ideas for Summer

At the moment, there are a lot of questions about the future. It’s hard to know what the summer will look like. It’s possible that many states will still have stay-at-home orders. If that’s the case, a lot of churches will continue to focus on maintaining a connection with their members and caring for those in their community. 

But eventually communities will return to normal, and churches will be able to take advantage of beautiful and long summer days to reach out to their cities. We’ve pulled together some great outreach ideas for summer. 

1. Sponsor a softball team 

There are a lot of church softball leagues, and those can be really fun. But why not sponsor a community team and have church members, staff, and their friends play alongside others in your community? If you think about this as an opportunity to meet people in your city, build relationships, and demonstrate the love of Jesus, you can have a considerable impact. 

2. Outdoor movie nights 

If you purchase or rent a high-quality projector, you can host some amazing family movie nights (just remember to check into copyright laws). Folks are always looking for something fun to do with their kids in the evening, and an outdoor movie can be just the ticket. Add a popcorn machine and some soft drinks, and you have the making for a fun regular event. 

Your church might not have the ideal set up for an outdoor movie, and that’s OK. Finding a secondary location to hold an event like this can draw more people who wouldn’t be comfortable attending an event at a church. 

3. Special day trips for kids 

A lot of families and single parents struggle to find stuff for their kids to do while they’re working. Churches can come alongside these families and provide outings to zoos, aquariums, day hikes, museums, concerts, and other cool events. 

4. Church in the park 

A lot of churches look forward to an annual service in the park. But they tend to think of this as a special time for their members and not as an outreach event. Think of this as putting the church on display. Plan for ways to bless others. Maybe that means planning a big BBQ and inviting non-church families to partake or bringing a lot of ice cream sandwiches to hand out to others. 

5. Provide yard work 

Many families can’t handle their own yard work because they’re not physically able to take care of it, don’t have the tools, or just can’t get to it. Put together a couple of teams with trucks to go out and tackle some local yards. Remember, the goal isn’t simply to do lawn work; you want to make a connection with people. You’ll need to be careful about how you approach homes so that people don’t feel ashamed by the condition of their lawn. Make sure your teams are prepared to talk about why they’re doing this and why it’s free.

Get creative in reaching your community

Summer outreach is about connecting with people, having fun with them, and finding ways to serve them. Your community has unique needs and opportunities. Pull together some people in church leadership and brainstorm special and distinct ways that your congregation can show Jesus’ love to your community. This is the key to having a huge impact. 

Also, to pull off an effective outreach you’re going to need a strong volunteer base. Toward that end, download a copy of our free ebook The Definitive Guide to Finding, Training, and Keeping Church Volunteers. It will help you create a healthy, sustainable volunteer culture in your church!