Summer is a season of relaxation, adventure, and a break from the usual routines of school and work. It also presents a unique opportunity for families to deepen their spiritual lives and grow closer to God. By intentionally incorporating spiritual practices into your summer activities, you can create a summer rich in spiritual growth and connection—but this is all up to you! Here are five strategies to help your family have a spiritually strong summer.
Grow Spiritually
Use the Summer months to embark on a journey of spiritual growth for yourself! As the primary spiritual leader in your child’s life, they look to you first in how to prioritize growing in a relationship with God. Schedule regular times for family Bible study, devotionals, and discussions about faith. Explore new ways to engage with Scripture, such as reading through a particular book of the Bible, using a family devotional guide, or participating in a Bible study group.
2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
Pray For and With Your Student(s)
Prayer is a cornerstone of a strong spiritual life. Take time each day to pray for your children, lifting their needs, hopes, and dreams to God. In order to pray for specific things in their lives, you must regularly ask them how you can pray for them. Yes, they may not be fully honest most of the time, but the fact that you take the time and intentionally ask shows that you care and are praying for them! Additionally, make it a family practice to pray together, creating space for shared gratitude, intercession, and seeking God’s guidance as a family.
James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Point Out and Encourage Character and Personality Traits Over Physical Traits
In a culture that often emphasizes physical appearance, guide your children to value and develop their inner qualities. Encourage traits such as kindness, humility, perseverance, and compassion. Summer can be full of great moments but also full of comparison, insecurities, doubt, and anxiety. Be the primary encourager of your student, pointing them to God’s perfect design for their lives and how he makes no mistakes! Use your words to build up and encourage your student(s) this summer!
Proverbs 31:30 – “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Guys need this encouragement too!)
Find Ways to Serve Together
Whether it’s greeting on a Sunday morning, serving at VBS together, or a community service project, find a way to serve together as a family! Your priorities as a parent will influence what your student finds important, whether directly or indirectly. Serving the church and/or the community is a great way to model Mark 10:45 for your student: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Prioritize Being in Godly Community
Summer offers many opportunities to connect with a community of believers. Whether through church activities, VBS, Summer camps, or small group gatherings, prioritize these opportunities to build and maintain strong spiritual connections. Students need a godly community! We see this now more than ever. Your student needs to take a break from screen time and interact with those around them face-to-face. As a parent, initiate hangouts with Life Group friends, lunches with other families, etc. Whatever it takes to be in a godly Community!
Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Summer can be a season of profound spiritual growth and family bonding, but it starts with you! You can cultivate a spiritually strong summer by focusing on these five strategies—growing spiritually together, praying as a family, encouraging inner qualities, serving together, and engaging in a godly community. These practices strengthen your family’s faith and lay a foundation for ongoing spiritual development throughout the year, as well as the life of your children. Let this summer be a time of deepening your family’s relationships with God and one another!
