We love summer! No more alarm clocks, bonfires, and planned spontaneity! And if you’re a youth worker, we’re guessing you probably love it too. Our summer youth calendar is jam-packed with cool stuff like camp, mission trips, and summer activities all designed to help our students grow in their trust in Jesus. But the grind of summer can also be overwhelming for us … and our families. Before you kick off your summer schedule, try to work a few of these things into your schedule to make the summer less overwhelming.
- Take your spouse out on an AMAZING date. We’re not talking dinner and movie. Youth workers are known for creativity, so put as much planning into this date as you would any youth event (Note: gross food eating contests are probably not considered romantic or date-worthy). Make this date so epic that it becomes worthy of it’s own hashtag and t-shirt design. We know a guy who can get shirts cheap. 🙂
- Take your kids out on an AMAZING date. The reality of summer youth ministry is that it’s tough on the whole family. Our kids watch us go into planning overdrive before leaving for camp only to have us come home completely exhausted. Before summer gets started, plan a fun day with your kids. Make sure to tell them, “I’m going to be gone a lot this summer, and when I come home I’m super tired. So before the summer starts I wanted to make sure we do something super fun with you while I still have a lot of energy.” Work hard to give your best time and energy to those closest to you.
- Take time to nurture your own soul. If you’re like us, this is the easiest thing to skip. Seriously, don’t skip it. Go to a park with your guitar or journal or sketch pad and allow for some personal worship. Spend at least one day a week taking care of your soul. If a whole day isn’t doable, take half a day. If that’s too much, plan a few hours on a weekend. Double bonus if you make it possible for your spouse to take time to nurture her or his soul as well. It’s awfully hard to lead students to a deeper place spiritually if you’re not walking there yourself.
- Share your ideas. Many of us got burned out and too tired to think creatively. Youth ministry nation, let’s help each other out! We would love to hear some of your ideas in the comments below for creative, fun, and cheap dates with your spouse or family. We can find plenty of idea boards for youth ministry – let’s share ideas on how we can love our families well!
Healthy youth workers make healthy families and healthy youth groups. Before your summer gets too crazy, nurture your relationships with your spouse, kids, and Jesus, and make the summer of 2023 one to remember.
What are your spouse or family date ideas?
– Tim and Tasha