This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission from purchased products at no additional cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Do you find you have widely fluctuating attendance at each women’s ministry event over the summer months? Every church has to contend with the fact that schedules are varied over summer break between vacations, sporting events with children, or guests visiting them at their homes. We realize our women, of all ages, are busy.
Consider doing something a little out of the box for summer break. Try offering church activities and gatherings that still keep the connection and relationships going but can still have a positive impact if the attendance is a bit lower.
Summer Approach For Small Church Women’s Ministry
- Time to give your teachers a summer sabbatical
- Great opportunity to invite women to check out the group in a casual, low-key environment
- Creative activities to encourage fellowship and get to know each other better
- Just a way to have fun!!
These summer meetings are great top-of-the-Ministry Funnel events that open the door to inviting women from your local community to your group. It’s simply a time for them to come and see what your small church is about, who the people are, and the kinds of things you do. A win-win for your women’s ministry!
All of the women’s ministry ideas and activities we suggest are:
- Easy on the budget
- Fun to participate in
- Quick to prepare
- Great opportunities to get to know each other better
- Build relationships within your women’s ministries
Looking for a step-by-step guide to starting or restarting your women’s ministry?
Check out the Women’s Ministry Bundle For Small Churches!
Summer Break Fun In Your Women’s Ministry
1. Everyone’s Birthday Party
We have done this as a children’s party,but it’s just as much fun for the women of your church!! A time to celebrate everyone’s birthday at one time. Do it up as big as you like. Everyone brings a small gift to exchange. Set up decorations and balloons, and don’t forget the cake and ice cream.
2. Create & Care Event
This is a night of making homemade cards and putting together gift baskets to give to those in your church community or people in the neighborhood in need of encouragement. Ask everyone to bring some elements to add to the baskets, serve snacks, and have fun. Finish with a time of prayer and blessing over each basket and the person who will receive it.
3. Testimony & Share Night
Enjoy this awesome time to invite some of the people in your women’s group to share their faith journey with the group. It is a wonderful time to get to know each other more deeply. Around the tables, ask others to share by answering conversation questions.
Invite your ladies to bring in a favorite snack to share, or better yet, try idea #5 from these creative ways to build connection. End the evening with a round of prayer.
4. Retro Game Show Evening
Set up your group for a great time by playing some old-style game shows with the women in your group. Make it fun with some showy decor, have a group member be the MC, and set up your chairs to form a “studio audience.”
Base your questions on the Bible and play a round of Bible trivia. Other great games would be Password, I’ve Got a Secret, The Price is Right, or Hollywood Squares.
5. Sing-Spiration
Rather than having a standard Bible study, invite a pianist or your whole worship team to help lead a favorite song night. Encourage women to put their choices in the week before, so you can give them to the person accompanying you. If you think it wouldn’t intimidate your ladies, ask if they would be willing to share why the song is special to them.
You may also want to print out or have PowerPoint slides with the lyrics so everyone can sing along easily.
Provide refreshments for a lovely time of fellowship and relaxed worship.
6. Savory, Salty, Or Sweet – Share A Treat!
Incorporate the gambit of taste sensations out there and invite everyone to bring a treat that falls into one of the categories above. Add a chili cook-off or a cupcake challenge.
Invite some folks from church who don’t normally attend to be your panel of judges. Make some silly awards or trophies and have fun with it!
Ask people to bring a copy of their recipe to share for this summer break event.
7. Let’s Play Prayer Tag
Prayer Tag is a fun game and a great way to lift up others in prayer in your small church. Determine some people in your church family or in your neighborhood you want to include on this prayer list. For example, pastor(s), teachers, the elderly, infirmed, or those needing encouragement.
As you are able, split into teams (that will fit in a vehicle) and give each team a ‘tag’ list of people and their addresses.
Equip each team with some ‘Tags’/notes to put on the door of each home that reads:
“TAG” You’re it! And why are we here?
We prayed for you now and sent you good cheer!
You’re appreciated, you’re seen, and now you should know;
That Jesus cares about you and we all love you so!!“
Attach a little treat bag to the note if you’d like, and be on your way to the next person on your list. Return to the church to conclude your night with food and fellowship and a time to share your small groups’ experiences.
8. Christmas In July
Who doesn’t like a little Christmas in July? Make it festive, and break out some lights and decorations. Use some fun mixers to get things started and then play some Yuletide games. Maybe even have guest speakers! Wrap the night up with a white elephant gift exchange.
Or use this easy Mix & Match Elements For A Christmas Party to plan out your event.
9. Host A Craft Night – Paint A Canvas
Host a crafting night, this is the perfect time to invite new friends into a low-key get-to-know-you event at your small church. You can ask if someone from your congregation is an artist and would like to lead a paint night. An alternative is to find a video to teach the class. How To Host A Paint Party gives planning tips to get you started.
Another type of craft is a Wooden Barn Quilt craft. It’s very unique and could attract a lot of interest from women from your community. Video instructions are also available for this craft. Check it out here: Barn Quilt Event
Here are twelve more ideas for hosting a Craft Night at your small church.
Provide the snacks, supplies, and friendship. You will have all the ingredients you need for a wonderful event!
10. Blessings In Bags Party
This is a fun way to bless fellow Christian women and bless multiple community groups at the same time! It’s the perfect opportunity to lend a helping hand and bond with the women around you! Ask everyone who attends to bring two bags (use lunch sacks or small gift bags). If you have funds available, prior to the event, provide the bags for everyone so everyone is bringing the same size.
Fill bag one with some fun items you want to bless one of the ladies in your group with. Items like note cards, nice pens, hand cream, prayer cards, chocolates, etc.
In the second bag, put items to be donated to a homeless shelter or food pantry.
Include travel-size items such as shampoo, deodorant, disposable washcloths, toothbrush & toothpaste, men’s shave kit, etc. You can also order pre-packed kits and add some other touches to it.
Play a fun icebreaker game, or one found in Why Icebreakers Are Important In Small Churches. This gives everyone a chance to get to know each other. Provide some refreshments and have a time of prayer over your blessing bags for the needy.
Do a gift exchange game to hand out the blessing bags to the women in your small church group and send everyone home with a bag in hand and a smile on their face!!
Looking for a step-by-step guide to starting or restarting your women’s ministry?
Check out the Women’s Ministry Bundle For Small Churches!
Make An Impact With A Fun Activity
So you see, the women’s ministry doesn’t have to stop just because it’s summer break. Make an impact and shake things up with the best women’s ministry event ideas. You will not only demonstrate creativity, but you will create opportunities for connection with the women in your small church as well as new groups of women in your community!
Here’s another great idea: a Summer Outreach Block Party BBQ. Or try some of these Women’s Ministry Low-Prep Summer Event Ideas. There are just all kinds of creative women’s ministry activities!
Building community is a huge part of small church ministry, and random acts of kindness sometimes speak louder than words. Remember, Jesus did it all the time with His disciples and the friends He made along the way. Being able to do it in a fun fashion is even better!
Make sure to take lots of pictures at your events and post them on a church bulletin board or a social media spot to allow everyone to see what a special event you had. This also gives your women a sense of pride in the group and causes anticipation for your next event from both the people who attended and new faces who now want to get in on all the fun!
More Summer Break Ideas:
10 Holiday Events To Spice Up Your Women’s Ministry
3 Fun Events For Your Women’s Ministry
Dinners For Six: Build Deeper Community In Your Small Church
